The Exiles Return

7 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had the doors installed,^(A) the gatekeepers,^(B) singers, and Levites were appointed. ² Then I put my brother Hanani^(C) in charge of Jerusalem,^(D) along with Hananiah,^(E) commander of the fortress,^(F) because he was a faithful man who feared God^(G) more than most. ³ I said to them, “Do not open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is hot, and let the doors be shut and securely fastened while the guards are on duty. Station the citizens of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some at their homes.”^(H)

⁴ The city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and no houses had been built yet.^{(I) 5} Then my God put it into my mind^(J) to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. I found the genealogical record of those who came back first, and I found the following written in it:^(K)

⁶ These are the people of the province who went up among the captive exiles deported by King Nebuchadnezzar^(L) of Babylon. Each of them returned to Jerusalem and Judah, to his own town.^{(M) 7} They came with Zerubbabel,^(N) Jeshua,^(O) Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of the Israelite men included:

³⁹ The priests included:

⁴³ The Levites^(Z) included:

⁴⁴ The singers^(AA) included:

⁴⁵ The gatekeepers^(AB) included:

⁴⁶ The temple servants^(AC) included:

⁵⁷ The descendants of Solomon’s servants^(AD) included:

⁶¹ The following^(AF) are those who came from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but were unable to prove that their families and ancestors were Israelite:

⁶³ and from the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai—who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name. ⁶⁴ These searched for their entries in the genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified from the priesthood. ⁶⁵ The governor^(AG) ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.^(AH)

⁷⁰ Some of the family leaders gave to the project. The governor gave 1,000 gold coins,^[d] 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments to the treasury. ⁷¹ Some of the family leaders gave 20,000 gold coins and 2,200 silver minas^[e] to the treasury for the project. ⁷² The rest of the people gave 20,000 gold coins, 2,000 silver minas, and 67 priestly garments. ⁷³ So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.^[f](AJ)

Public Reading of the Law

When the seventh month^(AK) came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,

Paul in Macedonia

20 After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying good-bye, departed to go to Macedonia.^{(A) 2} And when he had passed through those areas and exhorted them at length, he came to Greece ³ and stayed three months. When he was about to set sail for Syria, a plot was devised against him by the Jews, so a decision was made to go back through Macedonia.^{(B) 4} He was accompanied^[a] by Sopater son of Pyrrhus^[b] from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy,^(C) and Tychicus^(D) and Trophimus^(E) from Asia. ⁵ These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas,^{(F) 6} but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread.^(G) In five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

⁷ On the first day of the week, we^[c] assembled to break bread.^(H) Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he extended his message until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, ⁹ and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on speaking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down, fell on him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, for his life is in him!”^{(I) 11} After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul conversed a considerable time until dawn. Then he left. ¹² They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

¹³ Then we went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. For these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. ¹⁴ When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. ¹⁵ Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and^[d] the day after, we came to Miletus.^{(J) 16} For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so he would not have to spend time in Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost.^(K)

Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷ Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time^(L)— ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews^(M)— ²⁰ and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. ²¹ I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God^(N) and faith in our Lord Jesus.^(O)

²² “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit,^[e] not knowing what I will encounter there,^{(P) 23} except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.^{(Q) 24} But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course^[f] and the ministry^(R) I received from the Lord Jesus,^(S) to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵ “And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again—everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to. ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent^[g] of everyone’s blood,^{(T) 27} for I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God.^{(U) 28} Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock^(V) that the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers,^(W) to shepherd the church of God,^[h] which He purchased with His own blood.^{(X) 29} I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ And men will rise up from your own number with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them.^{(Y) 31} Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.^(Z)

³² “And now^[i] I commit you to God and to the message of His grace,^(AA) which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance^(AB) among all who are sanctified. ³³ I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^{(AC) 34} You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me.^{(AD) 35} In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.^{(AE) 37} There was a great deal of weeping by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, ³⁸ grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.^(AF)