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The Appointed Festivals

23 The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly.

“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.

“In addition to the Sabbath, these are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the official days for holy assembly that are to be celebrated at their proper times each year.

Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread

“The Lord’s Passover begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of the first month.[a] On the next day, the fifteenth day of the month, you must begin celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival to the Lord continues for seven days, and during that time the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, all the people must stop their ordinary work and observe an official day for holy assembly. For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. On the seventh day the people must again stop all their ordinary work to observe an official day for holy assembly.”

Celebration of First Harvest

Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you enter the land I am giving you and you harvest its first crops, bring the priest a bundle of grain from the first cutting of your grain harvest. 11 On the day after the Sabbath, the priest will lift it up before the Lord so it may be accepted on your behalf. 12 On that same day you must sacrifice a one-year-old male lamb with no defects as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 With it you must present a grain offering consisting of four quarts[b] of choice flour moistened with olive oil. It will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. You must also offer one quart[c] of wine as a liquid offering. 14 Do not eat any bread or roasted grain or fresh kernels on that day until you bring this offering to your God. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live.

The Festival of Harvest

15 “From the day after the Sabbath—the day you bring the bundle of grain to be lifted up as a special offering—count off seven full weeks. 16 Keep counting until the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days later. Then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves of bread to be lifted up before the Lord as a special offering. Make these loaves from four quarts of choice flour, and bake them with yeast. They will be an offering to the Lord from the first of your crops. 18 Along with the bread, present seven one-year-old male lambs with no defects, one young bull, and two rams as burnt offerings to the Lord. These burnt offerings, together with the grain offerings and liquid offerings, will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 19 Then you must offer one male goat as a sin offering and two one-year-old male lambs as a peace offering.

20 “The priest will lift up the two lambs as a special offering to the Lord, together with the loaves representing the first of your crops. These offerings, which are holy to the Lord, belong to the priests. 21 That same day will be proclaimed an official day for holy assembly, a day on which you do no ordinary work. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live.[d]

22 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”

The Festival of Trumpets

23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. On the first day of the appointed month in early autumn,[e] you are to observe a day of complete rest. It will be an official day for holy assembly, a day commemorated with loud blasts of a trumpet. 25 You must do no ordinary work on that day. Instead, you are to present special gifts to the Lord.”

The Day of Atonement

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, 27 “Be careful to celebrate the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of that same month—nine days after the Festival of Trumpets.[f] You must observe it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves[g] and present special gifts to the Lord. 28 Do no work during that entire day because it is the Day of Atonement, when offerings of purification are made for you, making you right with[h] the Lord your God. 29 All who do not deny themselves that day will be cut off from God’s people. 30 And I will destroy anyone among you who does any work on that day. 31 You must not do any work at all! This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation wherever you live. 32 This will be a Sabbath day of complete rest for you, and on that day you must deny yourselves. This day of rest will begin at sundown on the ninth day of the month and extend until sundown on the tenth day.”

The Festival of Shelters

33 And the Lord said to Moses, 34 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Begin celebrating the Festival of Shelters[i] on the fifteenth day of the appointed month—five days after the Day of Atonement.[j] This festival to the Lord will last for seven days. 35 On the first day of the festival you must proclaim an official day for holy assembly, when you do no ordinary work. 36 For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the Lord. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day.

37 (“These are the Lord’s appointed festivals. Celebrate them each year as official days for holy assembly by presenting special gifts to the Lord—burnt offerings, grain offerings, sacrifices, and liquid offerings—each on its proper day. 38 These festivals must be observed in addition to the Lord’s regular Sabbath days, and the offerings are in addition to your personal gifts, the offerings you give to fulfill your vows, and the voluntary offerings you present to the Lord.)

39 “Remember that this seven-day festival to the Lord—the Festival of Shelters—begins on the fifteenth day of the appointed month,[k] after you have harvested all the produce of the land. The first day and the eighth day of the festival will be days of complete rest. 40 On the first day gather branches from magnificent trees[l]—palm fronds, boughs from leafy trees, and willows that grow by the streams. Then celebrate with joy before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You must observe this festival to the Lord for seven days every year. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed in the appointed month[m] from generation to generation. 42 For seven days you must live outside in little shelters. All native-born Israelites must live in shelters. 43 This will remind each new generation of Israelites that I made their ancestors live in shelters when I rescued them from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

44 So Moses gave the Israelites these instructions regarding the annual festivals of the Lord.

Pure Oil and Holy Bread

24 The Lord said to Moses, “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. This is the lampstand that stands in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant.[n] Aaron must keep the lamps burning in the Lord’s presence all night. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation. Aaron and the priests must tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand continually in the Lord’s presence.

“You must bake twelve flat loaves of bread from choice flour, using four quarts[o] of flour for each loaf. Place the bread before the Lord on the pure gold table, and arrange the loaves in two stacks, with six loaves in each stack. Put some pure frankincense near each stack to serve as a representative offering, a special gift presented to the Lord. Every Sabbath day this bread must be laid out before the Lord as a gift from the Israelites; it is an ongoing expression of the eternal covenant. The loaves of bread will belong to Aaron and his descendants, who must eat them in a sacred place, for they are most holy. It is the permanent right of the priests to claim this portion of the special gifts presented to the Lord.”

An Example of Just Punishment

10 One day a man who had an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father came out of his tent and got into a fight with one of the Israelite men. 11 During the fight, this son of an Israelite woman blasphemed the Name of the Lord[p] with a curse. So the man was brought to Moses for judgment. His mother was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan. 12 They kept the man in custody until the Lord’s will in the matter should become clear to them.

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, 14 “Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and tell all those who heard the curse to lay their hands on his head. Then let the entire community stone him to death. 15 Say to the people of Israel: Those who curse their God will be punished for their sin. 16 Anyone who blasphemes the Name of the Lord must be stoned to death by the whole community of Israel. Any native-born Israelite or foreigner among you who blasphemes the Name of the Lord must be put to death.

17 “Anyone who takes another person’s life must be put to death.

18 “Anyone who kills another person’s animal must pay for it in full—a live animal for the animal that was killed.

19 “Anyone who injures another person must be dealt with according to the injury inflicted— 20 a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whatever anyone does to injure another person must be paid back in kind.

21 “Whoever kills an animal must pay for it in full, but whoever kills another person must be put to death.

22 “This same standard applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”

23 After Moses gave all these instructions to the Israelites, they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him to death. The Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

  1. 23:5 This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late March, April, or early May.
  2. 23:13a Hebrew 2⁄10 of an ephah [4.4 liters]; also in 23:17.
  3. 23:13b Hebrew 1⁄4 of a hin [1 liter].
  4. 23:21 This celebration, called the Festival of Harvest or the Festival of Weeks, was later called the Festival of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1). It is celebrated today as Shavuot (or Shabuoth).
  5. 23:24 Hebrew On the first day of the seventh month. This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in September or October. This festival is celebrated today as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.
  6. 23:27a Hebrew on the tenth day of the seventh month; see 23:24 and the note there. This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in September or October. It is celebrated today as Yom Kippur.
  7. 23:27b Or to fast; similarly in 23:29, 32.
  8. 23:28 Or when atonement is made for you before.
  9. 23:34a Or Festival of Booths, or Festival of Tabernacles. This was earlier called the Festival of the Final Harvest or Festival of Ingathering (see Exod 23:16b). It is celebrated today as Sukkot (or Succoth).
  10. 23:34b Hebrew on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; see 23:27a and the note there.
  11. 23:39 Hebrew on the fifteenth day of the seventh month.
  12. 23:40 Or gather fruit from majestic trees.
  13. 23:41 Hebrew the seventh month.
  14. 24:3 Hebrew in the Tent of Meeting, outside the inner curtain of the Testimony; see note on 16:13.
  15. 24:5 Hebrew 2⁄10 of an ephah [4.4 liters].
  16. 24:11 Hebrew the Name; also in 24:16b.

Laws of Holy Days

23 The Lord spoke again to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘(A)The Lords appointed times which you shall (B)proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:

(C)For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings.

‘These are the (D)appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. (E)In the [a]first month, on the fourteenth day of the month [b]at twilight is the Lords Passover. Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the (F)Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall (G)not do any laborious work. But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’”

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and you (H)gather its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 Its (I)grain offering shall then be [c]two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the Lord for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a [d]fourth of a hin of wine. 14 Until this very day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, (J)you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new produce. It is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

15 (K)You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a (L)new grain offering to the Lord. 17 You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread as a wave offering, made of [e]two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked (M)with leaven as first fruits to the Lord. 18 Along with the bread you shall present seven one-year-old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 19 You shall also offer (N)one male goat as a [f]sin offering, and two male lambs one year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits as a wave offering with two lambs before the Lord; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 On this very day you shall (O)make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious (P)work. It is to be a permanent statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.

22 (Q)When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the stranger. I am the Lord your God.’”

23 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘(R)In the [g]seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a [h]rest, a (S)reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall (T)not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’”

The Day of Atonement

26 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “On exactly (U)the tenth day of this seventh month is (V)the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble [i]yourselves and present an offering by fire to the Lord. 28 You shall not do any work on this very day, for it is a (W)Day of Atonement, (X)to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God. 29 If there is any [j]person who does not humble himself on this very day, (Y)he shall be cut off from his people. 30 As for any person who does any work on this very day, that person I will eliminate from among his people. 31 You shall not do any work. It is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall humble [k]yourselves; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening, you shall keep your Sabbath.”

33 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On (Z)the fifteenth of this [l]seventh month is the (AA)Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord. 35 On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall (AB)not do any laborious work. 36 (AC)For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On (AD)the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord; it is an assembly. You shall not do any laborious work.

37 ‘These are (AE)the appointed times of the Lord which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, to present offerings by fire to the Lord—burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, (AF)each day’s matter on its own day— 38 besides those of the Sabbaths of the Lord, and besides your gifts and besides all your [m]vowed and [n]voluntary offerings, which you give to the Lord.

39 ‘On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, (AG)when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord for seven days, with a [o]rest on the first day and a [p]rest on the eighth day. 40 Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the [q]foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and branches of trees with thick branches and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 So you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a permanent statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall live (AH)in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that (AI)your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” 44 So Moses declared to the sons of Israel (AJ)the appointed times of the Lord.

The Lamp and the Bread of the Sanctuary

24 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you (AK)clear oil from beaten olives for the [r]light, to make a lamp [s]burn continually. Outside the veil of the testimony in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a permanent statute throughout your generations. He shall keep the lamps in order on the (AL)pure gold lampstand before the Lord continually.

(AM)Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve [t]cakes with it; [u]two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. And you shall set them in two rows, six to a row, on the (AN)pure gold table before the Lord. You shall put pure frankincense on each row so that it may be (AO)a memorial portion for the bread, an offering by fire to the Lord. (AP)Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord (AQ)continually; it is an everlasting covenant [v]for the sons of Israel. And (AR)it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the Lords offerings by fire, his portion forever.”

10 Now the son of an Israelite woman—his father was an Egyptian—went out among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman’s son and an Israelite man had a fight within the camp. 11 And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the (AS)Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) 12 Then they put him in custody, waiting for Moses to give them a clear decision in accordance with (AT)the command of the Lord.

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and have all who heard him (AU)lay their hands on his head; then (AV)have all the congregation stone him. 15 You shall also speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘(AW)If anyone curses his God, then he will bear the responsibility for his sin. 16 Moreover, the one who (AX)blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The stranger as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

An Eye for an Eye

17 ‘Now (AY)if someone [w]takes any human life, he must be put to death. 18 But (AZ)the one who [x]takes the life of an animal shall make restitution, life for life. 19 If someone injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so shall it be done to him: 20 (BA)fracture for fracture, (BB)eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a person, so shall it be [y]inflicted on him. 21 So the one who [z]kills an animal shall make restitution, but (BC)the one who [aa]kills a person shall be put to death. 22 There shall be only (BD)one [ab]standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the Lord your God.’” 23 Then Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and they brought the one who had cursed outside the camp, and stoned him with stones. So the sons of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Leviticus 23:5 I.e., Nisan = March/April
  2. Leviticus 23:5 Lit between the two evenings
  3. Leviticus 23:13 About 0.13 cubic feet or 0.004 cubic meters
  4. Leviticus 23:13 About 0.25 gallon or 1 liter
  5. Leviticus 23:17 About 0.13 cubic feet or 0.004 cubic meters
  6. Leviticus 23:19 Or purification offering
  7. Leviticus 23:24 I.e., Tishri = September/October
  8. Leviticus 23:24 Lit Sabbath rest
  9. Leviticus 23:27 Lit your souls
  10. Leviticus 23:29 Lit soul
  11. Leviticus 23:32 Lit your souls
  12. Leviticus 23:34 I.e., Tishri = September/October
  13. Leviticus 23:38 Lit vows, and besides all your
  14. Leviticus 23:38 Or freewill offerings
  15. Leviticus 23:39 Lit Sabbath rest
  16. Leviticus 23:39 Lit Sabbath rest
  17. Leviticus 23:40 Lit products; or fruit
  18. Leviticus 24:2 Or luminary
  19. Leviticus 24:2 Lit ascend
  20. Leviticus 24:5 I.e., ring-shaped bread loaves
  21. Leviticus 24:5 About 0.13 cubic feet or 0.004 cubic meters
  22. Leviticus 24:8 Lit from
  23. Leviticus 24:17 Lit strikes
  24. Leviticus 24:18 Lit strikes
  25. Leviticus 24:20 Lit given
  26. Leviticus 24:21 Lit strikes down
  27. Leviticus 24:21 Lit strikes down
  28. Leviticus 24:22 Lit judgment

Psalm 24

A psalm of David.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
    The world and all its people belong to him.
For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
    and built it on the ocean depths.

Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
    who do not worship idols
    and never tell lies.
They will receive the Lord’s blessing
    and have a right relationship with God their savior.
Such people may seek you
    and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.[a] Interlude

Open up, ancient gates!
    Open up, ancient doors,
    and let the King of glory enter.
Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty;
    the Lord, invincible in battle.
Open up, ancient gates!
    Open up, ancient doors,
    and let the King of glory enter.
10 Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord of Heaven’s Armies—
    he is the King of glory. Interlude

Footnotes

  1. 24:6 As in two Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read O Jacob.

The King of Glory Entering Zion.

A Psalm of David.

24 The (A)earth is the Lords, and [a]all it contains,
The (B)world, and those who live in it.
For He has (C)founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
Who may (D)ascend onto the (E)hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy (F)place?
One who has (G)clean hands and a (H)pure heart,
Who has not (I)lifted up his soul to deceit
And has not (J)sworn deceitfully.
He will receive a (K)blessing from the Lord
And [b](L)righteousness from the God of his salvation.
[c]This is the generation of those who (M)seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah

(N)Lift up your heads, you gates,
And be lifted up, you [d]ancient doors,
That the King of (O)glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord (P)strong and mighty,
The Lord (Q)mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates,
And lift them up, you [e]ancient doors,
That the King of (R)glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of (S)armies,
He is the King of glory. Selah

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 24:1 Lit its fullness
  2. Psalm 24:5 I.e., as vindicated
  3. Psalm 24:6 Or Such
  4. Psalm 24:7 Lit everlasting
  5. Psalm 24:9 Lit everlasting

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. There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. 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.

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. 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, and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home.

The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters[c] and stayed for one day. 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. 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]

Footnotes

  1. 21:4 Greek disciples; also in 21:16.
  2. 21:5 Or wives.
  3. 21:7 Greek brothers; also in 21:17.
  4. 21:28 Greek Greeks.
  5. 21:29 Greek Trophimus, the Ephesian.
  6. 21:32 Greek centurions.
  7. 21:40 Or Hebrew.

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; and having found a ship crossing over to (C)Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 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. 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. 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. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned (K)home.

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. 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. 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

  1. Acts 21:4 I.e., because of impressions made by the Spirit
  2. Acts 21:5 Lit we had completed the days
  3. Acts 21:18 Or Jacob
  4. Acts 21:20 Lit ten thousands
  5. Acts 21:21 I.e., observe or live by
  6. Acts 21:23 Lit this which we
  7. Acts 21:23 I.e., a sacred duty to fulfill
  8. Acts 21:24 Lit spend on them
  9. Acts 21:24 Lit head (a requirement of the vow)
  10. Acts 21:25 Lit the thing
  11. Acts 21:25 I.e., to retain the blood
  12. Acts 21:26 Or took along the men the next day, and after purifying himself
  13. Acts 21:27 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
  14. Acts 21:30 Lit a running together of the people occurred
  15. Acts 21:31 Normally 600 men (the number varied)
  16. Acts 21:32 Lit them
  17. Acts 21:34 Lit certainty
  18. Acts 21:34 Lit he
  19. Acts 21:35 Lit crowd
  20. Acts 21:38 Lit days
  21. Acts 21:40 Lit occurred
  22. Acts 21:40 I.e., Jewish Aramaic