Acts 20–21

1When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And after encouraging them, he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia.

2After traveling through that area and speaking many words of encouragement, he arrived in Greece,

3where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

4Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.

5These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas.

6And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days.

7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight.

8Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.

9And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead.

10But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!”

11Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed.

12And the people were greatly relieved to take the boy home alive.

13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, where we were to take Paul aboard. He had arranged this because he was going there on foot.

14And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.

15Sailing on from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios. The day after that we arrived at Samos, and on the following day we came to Miletus.

16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

17From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.

18When they came to him, he said, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia.

19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.

20I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house,

21testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

22And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

23I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.

24But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

25Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again.

26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.

27For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God.

28Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

29I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

30Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.

31Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.

33I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.

34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions.

35In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

36When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.

37They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.

38They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

1After we had torn ourselves away from them, we sailed directly to Cos, and the next day on to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

2Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded it and set sail.

3After sighting Cyprus and passing south of it, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo.

4We sought out the disciples in Tyre and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

5But when our time there had ended, we set out on our journey. All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city and knelt down on the beach to pray with us.

6And after we had said our farewells, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

7When we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.

8Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.

9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

10After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

11Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

13Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

14When he would not be dissuaded, we quieted down and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

15After these days, we packed up and went on to Jerusalem.

16Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to stay at the home of Mnason the Cypriot, an early disciple.

17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us joyfully.

18The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present.

19Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.

21But they are under the impression that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs.

22What then should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.

23Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow.

24Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the law.

25As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”

26So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them.

27When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

28crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”

29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

30The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

31While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.

32Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

33The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.

35When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.

36For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!”

37As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied.

38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the Assassins into the wilderness?”

39But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.”

40Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew: