Acts 21
New Living Translation
Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem
21 After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. 2 There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. 3 We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo.
4 We went ashore, found the local believers,[a] and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. 5 When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women[b] and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, 6 and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home.
7 The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters[c] and stayed for one day. 8 The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.
10 Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. 11 He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
13 But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
Paul Arrives at Jerusalem
15 After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. 16 Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early believers. 17 When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly.
18 The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. 19 After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. 21 But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. 22 What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.
23 “Here’s what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow. 24 Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws.
25 “As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”
Paul Is Arrested
26 So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.
27 The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, 28 yelling, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.[d]” 29 (For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus,[e] and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.)
30 The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him. 31 As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He immediately called out his soldiers and officers[f] and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul.
33 Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done. 34 Some shouted one thing and some another. Since he couldn’t find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that Paul be taken to the fortress. 35 As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him. 36 And the crowd followed behind, shouting, “Kill him, kill him!”
Paul Speaks to the Crowd
37 As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, “May I have a word with you?”
“Do you know Greek?” the commander asked, surprised. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins out into the desert?”
39 “No,” Paul replied, “I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people.” 40 The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic.[g]
Acts 21
New American Standard Bible
Paul Sails from Miletus
21 Now when (A)we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran (B)a straight course to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara; 2 and having found a ship crossing over to (C)Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we came in sight of (D)Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to (E)Syria and landed at (F)Tyre; for the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4 After looking up (G)the disciples, we stayed there for seven days; and they kept telling Paul, [a](H)through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem. 5 When [b]our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, (I)escorted us until we were out of the city. After (J)kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. 6 Then we boarded the ship, and they returned (K)home.
7 When we had finished the voyage from (L)Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting (M)the brothers and sisters, we stayed with them for a day. 8 On the next day we left and came to (N)Caesarea, and we entered the house of (O)Philip the (P)evangelist, who was (Q)one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who were (R)prophetesses. 10 As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named (S)Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And he came to us and (T)took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This (U)is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will (V)bind the man who owns this belt and (W)hand him over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him (X)not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For (Y)I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for (Z)the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, “(AA)The will of the Lord be done!”
Paul in Jerusalem
15 After these days we got ready and (AB)started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of (AC)the disciples from (AD)Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of (AE)Cyprus, a (AF)disciple of long standing with whom we were to stay.
17 After we arrived in Jerusalem, (AG)the brothers and sisters received us gladly. 18 And the following day Paul went in with us to [c](AH)James, and all (AI)the elders were present. 19 After he had greeted them, he (AJ)began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his (AK)ministry. 20 And when they heard about them, they began (AL)glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many [d]thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all (AM)zealous for the Law; 21 and they have been told about you, that you are (AN)teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them (AO)not to circumcise their children nor to [e]walk according to (AP)the customs. 22 So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Therefore, do [f]as we tell you: we have four men who (AQ)have a [g]vow upon themselves; 24 take them along and (AR)purify yourself together with them, and [h]pay their expenses so that they may (AS)shave their [i]heads; and then everyone will know that there is nothing to what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also conform, keeping the Law. 25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter, (AT)having decided that they should abstain from [j]meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is [k]strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul [l]took along the men, and the next day, after (AU)purifying himself together with them, he (AV)went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.
Paul Seized in the Temple
27 When (AW)the seven days were almost over, (AX)the Jews from [m](AY)Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! (AZ)This is the man who instructs everyone everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has (BA)defiled this holy place!” 29 For they had previously seen (BB)Trophimus the (BC)Ephesian in the city with him, and they thought that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then the whole city was provoked and [n]the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they (BD)dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 While they were intent on killing him, a report came up to the commander of the (BE)Roman [o]cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He immediately (BF)took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to [p]the crowd; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered that he be (BG)bound with (BH)two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. 34 But among the crowd, (BI)some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the [q]facts because of the uproar, he ordered that [r]Paul be brought into (BJ)the barracks. 35 When Paul got to (BK)the stairs, it came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the [s]mob; 36 for the multitude of people kept following them, shouting, “(BL)Away with him!”
37 As Paul was about to be brought into (BM)the barracks, he *said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Then you are not (BN)the Egyptian who some [t]time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out (BO)into the wilderness?” 39 But Paul said, “(BP)I am a Jew of Tarsus in (BQ)Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” 40 When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on (BR)the stairs, (BS)motioned to the people with his hand; and when there [u]was a great silence, he spoke to them in the [v](BT)Hebrew dialect, saying,
Footnotes
- Acts 21:4 I.e., because of impressions made by the Spirit
- Acts 21:5 Lit we had completed the days
- Acts 21:18 Or Jacob
- Acts 21:20 Lit ten thousands
- Acts 21:21 I.e., observe or live by
- Acts 21:23 Lit this which we
- Acts 21:23 I.e., a sacred duty to fulfill
- Acts 21:24 Lit spend on them
- Acts 21:24 Lit head (a requirement of the vow)
- Acts 21:25 Lit the thing
- Acts 21:25 I.e., to retain the blood
- Acts 21:26 Or took along the men the next day, and after purifying himself
- Acts 21:27 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
- Acts 21:30 Lit a running together of the people occurred
- Acts 21:31 Normally 600 men (the number varied)
- Acts 21:32 Lit them
- Acts 21:34 Lit certainty
- Acts 21:34 Lit he
- Acts 21:35 Lit crowd
- Acts 21:38 Lit days
- Acts 21:40 Lit occurred
- Acts 21:40 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
