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23 And having made some stay he went forth, going through in order the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

24 And a certain Jew, Apollos by name, an Alexandrian by birth, a man of eloquence, being mighty in the Writings, came to Ephesus,

25 this one was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in the Spirit, was speaking and teaching exactly the things about the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John;

26 this one also began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and Aquilas and Priscilla having heard of him, took him to [them], and did more exactly expound to him the way of God,

27 and he being minded to go through into Achaia, the brethren wrote to the disciples, having exhorted them to receive him, who having come, did help them much who have believed through the grace,

28 for powerfully the Jews he was refuting publicly, shewing through the Writings Jesus to be the Christ.

19 And it came to pass, in Apollos' being in Corinth, Paul having gone through the upper parts, came to Ephesus, and having found certain disciples,

he said unto them, `The Holy Spirit did ye receive -- having believed?' and they said unto him, `But we did not even hear whether there is any Holy Spirit;'

and he said unto them, `To what, then, were ye baptized?' and they said, `To John's baptism.'

And Paul said, `John, indeed, did baptize with a baptism of reformation, saying to the people that in him who is coming after him they should believe -- that is, in the Christ -- Jesus;'

and they, having heard, were baptized -- to the name of the Lord Jesus,

and Paul having laid on them [his] hands, the Holy Spirit came upon them, they were speaking also with tongues, and prophesying,

and all the men were, as it were, twelve.

And having gone into the synagogue, he was speaking boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading the things concerning the reign of God,

and when certain were hardened and were disbelieving, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, having departed from them, he did separate the disciples, every day reasoning in the school of a certain Tyrannus.

10 And this happened for two years so that all those dwelling in Asia did hear the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks,

11 mighty works also -- not common -- was God working through the hands of Paul,

12 so that even unto the ailing were brought from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the sicknesses departed from them; the evil spirits also went forth from them.

13 And certain of the wandering exorcist Jews, took upon [them] to name over those having the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, `We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul doth preach;'

14 and there were certain -- seven sons of Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest -- who are doing this thing;

15 and the evil spirit, answering, said, `Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with; and ye -- who are ye?'

16 And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaping upon them, and having overcome them, prevailed against them, so that naked and wounded they did flee out of that house,

17 and this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who are dwelling at Ephesus, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified,

18 many also of those who did believe were coming, confessing and declaring their acts,

19 and many of those who had practised the curious arts, having brought the books together, were burning [them] before all; and they reckoned together the prices of them, and found [it] five myriads of silverlings;

20 so powerfully was the word of God increasing and prevailing.

21 And when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in the Spirit, having gone through Macedonia and Achaia, to go on to Jerusalem, saying -- `After my being there, it behoveth me also to see Rome;'

22 and having sent to Macedonia two of those ministering to him -- Timotheus and Erastus -- he himself stayed a time in Asia.

23 And there came, at that time, not a little stir about the way,

24 for a certain one, Demetrius by name, a worker in silver, making silver sanctuaries of Artemis, was bringing to the artificers gain not a little,

25 whom, having brought in a crowd together, and those who did work about such things, he said, `Men, ye know that by this work we have our wealth;

26 and ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but almost in all Asia, this Paul, having persuaded, did turn away a great multitude, saying, that they are not gods who are made by hands;

27 and not only is this department in danger for us of coming into disregard, but also, that of the great goddess Artemis the temple is to be reckoned for nothing, and also her greatness is about to be brought down, whom all Asia and the world doth worship.'

28 And they having heard, and having become full of wrath, were crying out, saying, `Great [is] the Artemis of the Ephesians!'

29 and the whole city was filled with confusion, they rushed also with one accord into the theatre, having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's fellow-travellers.

30 And on Paul's purposing to enter in unto the populace, the disciples were not suffering him,

31 and certain also of the chief men of Asia, being his friends, having sent unto him, were entreating him not to venture himself into the theatre.

32 Some indeed, therefore, were calling out one thing, and some another, for the assembly was confused, and the greater part did not know for what they were come together;

33 and out of the multitude they put forward Alexander -- the Jews thrusting him forward -- and Alexander having beckoned with the hand, wished to make defence to the populace,

34 and having known that he is a Jew, one voice came out of all, for about two hours, crying, `Great [is] the Artemis of the Ephesians!'

35 And the public clerk having quieted the multitude, saith, `Men, Ephesians, why, who is the man that doth not know that the city of the Ephesians is a devotee of the great goddess Artemis, and of that which fell down from Zeus?

36 these things, then, not being to be gainsaid, it is necessary for you to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.

37 `For ye brought these men, who are neither temple-robbers nor speaking evil of your goddess;

38 if indeed, therefore, Demetrius and the artificers with him with any one have a matter, court [days] are held, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another.

39 `And if ye seek after anything concerning other matters, in the legal assembly it shall be determined;

40 for we are also in peril of being accused of insurrection in regard to this day, there being no occasion by which we shall be able to give an account of this concourse;'

41 and these things having said, he dismissed the assembly.

20 And after the ceasing of the tumult, Paul having called near the disciples, and having embraced [them], went forth to go on to Macedonia;

and having gone through those parts, and having exhorted them with many words, he came to Greece;

having made also three months' [stay] -- a counsel of the Jews having been against him -- being about to set forth to Syria, there came [to him] a resolution of returning through Macedonia.

And there were accompanying him unto Asia, Sopater of Berea, and of Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus, and of Asiatics Tychicus and Trophimus;

these, having gone before, did remain for us in Troas,

and we sailed, after the days of the unleavened food, from Philippi, and came unto them to Troas in five days, where we abode seven days.

And on the first of the week, the disciples having been gathered together to break bread, Paul was discoursing to them, about to depart on the morrow, he was also continuing the discourse till midnight,

and there were many lamps in the upper chamber where they were gathered together,

and there was sitting a certain youth, by name Eutychus, upon the window -- being borne down by a deep sleep, Paul discoursing long -- he having sunk down from the sleep, fell down from the third story, and was lifted up dead.

10 And Paul, having gone down, fell upon him, and having embraced [him], said, `Make no tumult, for his life is in him;'

11 and having come up, and having broken bread, and having tasted, for a long time also having talked -- till daylight, so he went forth,

12 and they brought up the lad alive, and were comforted in no ordinary measure.

13 And we having gone before unto the ship, did sail to Assos, thence intending to take in Paul, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go on foot;

14 and when he met with us at Assos, having taken him up, we came to Mitylene,

15 and thence having sailed, on the morrow we came over-against Chios, and the next day we arrived at Samos, and having remained in Trogyllium, on the following day we came to Miletus,

16 for Paul decided to sail past Ephesus, that there may not be to him a loss of time in Asia, for he hasted, if it were possible for him, on the day of the Pentecost to be at Jerusalem.

17 And from Miletus, having sent to Ephesus, he called for the elders of the assembly,

18 and when they were come unto him, he said to them, `Ye -- ye know from the first day in which I came to Asia, how, with you at all times I was;

19 serving the Lord with all humility, and many tears, and temptations, that befell me in the counsels of the Jews against [me];

20 how nothing I did keep back of what things are profitable, not to declare to you, and to teach you publicly, and in every house,

21 testifying fully both to Jews and Greeks, toward God reformation, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

22 `And now, lo, I -- bound in the Spirit -- go on to Jerusalem, the things that shall befall me in it not knowing,

23 save that the Holy Spirit in every city doth testify fully, saying, that for me bonds and tribulations remain;

24 but I make account of none of these, neither do I count my life precious to myself, so that I finish my course with joy, and the ministration that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify fully the good news of the grace of God.

25 `And now, lo, I have known that no more shall ye see my face, -- ye all among whom I did go preaching the reign of God;

26 wherefore I take you to witness this day, that I [am] clear from the blood of all,

27 for I did not keep back from declaring to you all the counsel of God.

28 `Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, to feed the assembly of God that He acquired through His own blood,

29 for I have known this, that there shall enter in, after my departing, grievous wolves unto you, not sparing the flock,

30 and of your own selves there shall arise men, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

31 `Therefore, watch, remembering that three years, night and day, I did not cease with tears warning each one;

32 and now, I commend you, brethren, to God, and to the word of His grace, that is able to build up, and to give you an inheritance among all those sanctified.

33 `The silver or gold or garments of no one did I covet;

34 and ye yourselves know that to my necessities, and to those who were with me, minister did these hands;

35 all things I did shew you, that, thus labouring, it behoveth [us] to partake with the ailing, to be mindful also of the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.'

36 And these things having said, having bowed his knees, with them all, he did pray,

37 and there came a great weeping to all, and having fallen upon the neck of Paul, they were kissing him,

38 sorrowing most of all for the word that he had said -- that they are about no more to see his face; and they were accompanying him to the ship.

21 And it came to pass, at our sailing, having been parted from them, having run direct, we came to Coos, and the succeeding [day] to Rhodes, and thence to Patara,

and having found a ship passing over to Phenicia, having gone on board, we sailed,

and having discovered Cyprus, and having left it on the left, we were sailing to Syria, and did land at Tyre, for there was the ship discharging the lading.

And having found out the disciples, we tarried there seven days, and they said to Paul, through the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem;

but when it came that we completed the days, having gone forth, we went on, all bringing us on the way, with women and children, unto the outside of the city, and having bowed the knees upon the shore, we prayed,

and having embraced one another, we embarked in the ship, and they returned to their own friends.

And we, having finished the course, from Tyre came down to Ptolemais, and having saluted the brethren, we remained one day with them;

and on the morrow Paul and his company having gone forth, we came to Cesarea, and having entered into the house of Philip the evangelist -- who is of the seven -- we remained with him,

and this one had four daughters, virgins, prophesying.

10 And we remaining many more days, there came down a certain one from Judea, a prophet, by name Agabus,

11 and he having come unto us, and having taken up the girdle of Paul, having bound also his own hands and feet, said, `Thus saith the Holy Spirit, The man whose is this girdle -- so shall the Jews in Jerusalem bind, and they shall deliver [him] up to the hands of nations.'

12 And when we heard these things, we called upon [him] -- both we, and those of that place -- not to go up to Jerusalem,

13 and Paul answered, `What do ye -- weeping, and crushing mine heart? for I, not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem, am ready, for the name of the Lord Jesus;'

14 and he not being persuaded, we were silent, saying, `The will of the Lord be done.'

15 And after these days, having taken [our] vessels, we were going up to Jerusalem,

16 and there went also of the disciples from Cesarea with us, bringing with them him with whom we may lodge, a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an aged disciple.

17 And we having come to Jerusalem, the brethren did gladly receive us,

18 and on the morrow Paul was going in with us unto James, all the elders also came,

19 and having saluted them, he was declaring, one by one, each of the things God did among the nations through his ministration,

20 and they having heard, were glorifying the Lord. They said also to him, `Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the law,

21 and they are instructed concerning thee, that apostacy from Moses thou dost teach to all Jews among the nations, saying -- Not to circumcise the children, nor after the customs to walk;

22 what then is it? certainly the multitude it behoveth to come together, for they will hear that thou hast come.

23 `This, therefore, do that we say to thee: We have four men having a vow on themselves,

24 these having taken, be purified with them, and be at expence with them, that they may shave the head, and all may know that the things of which they have been instructed concerning thee are nothing, but thou dost walk -- thyself also -- the law keeping.

25 `And concerning those of the nations who have believed, we have written, having given judgment, that they observe no such thing, except to keep themselves both from idol-sacrifices, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom.'

26 Then Paul, having taken the men, on the following day, with them having purified himself, was entering into the temple, announcing the fulfilment of the days of the purification, till the offering was offered for each one of them.

27 And, as the seven days were about to be fully ended, the Jews from Asia having beheld him in the temple, were stirring up all the multitude, and they laid hands upon him,

28 crying out, `Men, Israelites, help! this is the man who, against the people, and the law, and this place, all everywhere is teaching; and further, also, Greeks he brought into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place;'

29 for they had seen before Trophimus, the Ephesian, in the city with him, whom they were supposing that Paul brought into the temple.

30 All the city also was moved and there was a running together of the people, and having laid hold on Paul, they were drawing him out of the temple, and immediately were the doors shut,

31 and they seeking to kill him, a rumour came to the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem hath been thrown into confusion,

32 who, at once, having taken soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them, and they having seen the chief captain and the soldiers, did leave off beating Paul.

33 Then the chief captain, having come nigh, took him, and commanded [him] to be bound with two chains, and was inquiring who he may be, and what it is he hath been doing,

34 and some were crying out one thing, and some another, among the multitude, and not being able to know the certainty because of the tumult, he commanded him to be carried to the castle,

35 and when he came upon the steps, it happened he was borne by the soldiers, because of the violence of the multitude,

36 for the crowd of the people was following after, crying, `Away with him.'

37 And Paul being about to be led into the castle, saith to the chief captain, `Is it permitted to me to say anything unto thee?' and he said, `Greek dost thou know?

38 art not thou, then, the Egyptian who before these days made an uprising, and did lead into the desert the four thousand men of the assassins?'

39 And Paul said, `I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, of Tarsus of Cilicia, of no mean city a citizen; and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.'

40 And he having given him leave, Paul having stood upon the stairs, did beckon with the hand to the people, and there having been a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew dialect, saying:

22 `Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defence now unto you;' --

and they having heard that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, gave the more silence, and he saith, --

`I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day.

`And this way I persecuted unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women,

as also the chief priest doth testify to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished,

and it came to pass, in my going on and coming nigh to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of the heaven there shone a great light round about me,

I fell also to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?

`And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom thou dost persecute --

and they who are with me the light did see, and became afraid, and the voice they heard not of him who is speaking to me --

10 and I said, What shall I do, Lord? and the Lord said unto me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things that have been appointed for thee to do.

11 `And when I did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are with me, I came to Damascus,

12 and a certain one, Ananias, a pious man according to the law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling [there],

13 having come unto me and stood by [me], said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and I the same hour did look up to him;

14 and he said, The God of our fathers did choose thee beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of his mouth,

15 because thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard;

16 and now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

17 `And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance,

18 and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;

19 and I said, Lord, they -- they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee;

20 and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was being poured forth, I also was standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death;

21 and he said unto me, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.'

22 And they were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, `Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.'

23 And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing dust into the air,

24 the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, saying, `By scourges let him be examined;' that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him.

25 And as he was stretching him with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who was standing by, `A man, a Roman, uncondemned -- is it lawful to you to scourge;'

26 and the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, `Take heed what thou art about to do, for this man is a Roman;'

27 and the chief captain having come near, said to him, `Tell me, art thou a Roman?' and he said, `Yes;'

28 and the chief captain answered, `I, with a great sum, did obtain this citizenship;' but Paul said, `But I have been even born [so].'

29 Immediately, therefore, they departed from him who are about to examine him, and the chief captain also was afraid, having learned that he is a Roman, and because he had bound him,

30 and on the morrow, intending to know the certainty wherefore he is accused by the Jews, he did loose him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrim to come, and having brought down Paul, he set [him] before them.

23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia(A) and Phrygia,(B) strengthening all the disciples.(C)

24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos,(D) a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.(E) He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor[a](F) and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.(G) 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila(H) heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia,(I) the brothers and sisters(J) encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures(K) that Jesus was the Messiah.(L)

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos(M) was at Corinth,(N) Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus.(O) There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit(P) when[b] you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

Paul said, “John’s baptism(Q) was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”(R) On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(S) When Paul placed his hands on them,(T) the Holy Spirit came on them,(U) and they spoke in tongues[c](V) and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.

Paul entered the synagogue(W) and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.(X) But some of them(Y) became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way.(Z) So Paul left them. He took the disciples(AA) with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years,(AB) so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia(AC) heard the word of the Lord.(AD)

11 God did extraordinary miracles(AE) through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured(AF) and the evil spirits left them.

13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits(AG) tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus(AH) whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus,(AI) they were all seized with fear,(AJ) and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.[d] 20 In this way the word of the Lord(AK) spread widely and grew in power.(AL)

21 After all this had happened, Paul decided[e] to go to Jerusalem,(AM) passing through Macedonia(AN) and Achaia.(AO) “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”(AP) 22 He sent two of his helpers,(AQ) Timothy(AR) and Erastus,(AS) to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia(AT) a little longer.

The Riot in Ephesus

23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.(AU) 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25 He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business.(AV) 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus(AW) and in practically the whole province of Asia.(AX) He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.(AY) 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”(AZ) 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius(BA) and Aristarchus,(BB) Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia,(BC) and all of them rushed into the theater together. 30 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples(BD) would not let him. 31 Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

32 The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another.(BE) Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned(BF) for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”(BG)

35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians,(BH) doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36 Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples(BI) nor blasphemed our goddess. 38 If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen(BJ) have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls.(BK) They can press charges. 39 If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40 As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” 41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

Through Macedonia and Greece

20 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples(BL) and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.(BM) He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him(BN) just as he was about to sail for Syria,(BO) he decided to go back through Macedonia.(BP) He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus(BQ) and Secundus from Thessalonica,(BR) Gaius(BS) from Derbe, Timothy(BT) also, and Tychicus(BU) and Trophimus(BV) from the province of Asia.(BW) These men went on ahead and waited for us(BX) at Troas.(BY) But we sailed from Philippi(BZ) after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas,(CA) where we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas

On the first day of the week(CB) we came together to break bread.(CC) Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room(CD) where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man(CE) and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”(CF) 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread(CG) and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.(CH) 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus(CI) to avoid spending time in the province of Asia,(CJ) for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem,(CK) if possible, by the day of Pentecost.(CL)

17 From Miletus,(CM) Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders(CN) of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you,(CO) from the first day I came into the province of Asia.(CP) 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears(CQ) and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.(CR) 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything(CS) that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews(CT) and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance(CU) and have faith in our Lord Jesus.(CV)

22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,(CW) not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me(CX) that prison and hardships are facing me.(CY) 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me;(CZ) my only aim is to finish the race(DA) and complete the task(DB) the Lord Jesus has given me(DC)—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.(DD)

25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom(DE) will ever see me again.(DF) 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.(DG) 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.(DH) 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock(DI) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.(DJ) Be shepherds of the church of God,[f](DK) which he bought(DL) with his own blood.[g](DM) 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves(DN) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.(DO) 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples(DP) after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years(DQ) I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.(DR)

32 “Now I commit you to God(DS) and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance(DT) among all those who are sanctified.(DU) 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.(DV) 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.(DW) 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.(DX) 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.(DY) 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.(DZ) Then they accompanied him to the ship.(EA)

On to Jerusalem

21 After we(EB) had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,(EC) went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria.(ED) We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. We sought out the disciples(EE) there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit(EF) they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.(EG) After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

We continued our voyage from Tyre(EH) and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters(EI) and stayed with them for a day. Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea(EJ) and stayed at the house of Philip(EK) the evangelist,(EL) one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.(EM)

10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus(EN) came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says,(EO) ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind(EP) the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”(EQ)

12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die(ER) in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”(ES) 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up(ET) and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”(EU)

15 After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.(EV) 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea(EW) accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus(EX) and one of the early disciples.

Paul’s Arrival at Jerusalem

17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters(EY) received us warmly.(EZ) 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James,(FA) and all the elders(FB) were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles(FC) through his ministry.(FD)

20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous(FE) for the law.(FF) 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses,(FG) telling them not to circumcise their children(FH) or live according to our customs.(FI) 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow.(FJ) 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites(FK) and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved.(FL) Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”(FM)

26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.(FN)

Paul Arrested

27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,(FO) 28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”(FP) 29 (They had previously seen Trophimus(FQ) the Ephesian(FR) in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul,(FS) they dragged him(FT) from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.(FU)

33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound(FV) with two(FW) chains.(FX) Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another,(FY) and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.(FZ) 35 When Paul reached the steps,(GA) the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”(GB)

Paul Speaks to the Crowd(GC)

37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks,(GD) he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”

“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness(GE) some time ago?”(GF)

39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus(GG) in Cilicia,(GH) a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”

40 After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned(GI) to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic[h]:(GJ) 22 “Brothers and fathers,(GK) listen now to my defense.”

When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(GL) they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: “I am a Jew,(GM) born in Tarsus(GN) of Cilicia,(GO) but brought up in this city. I studied under(GP) Gamaliel(GQ) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.(GR) I was just as zealous(GS) for God as any of you are today. I persecuted(GT) the followers of this Way(GU) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(GV) as the high priest and all the Council(GW) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates(GX) in Damascus,(GY) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(GZ) I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

“‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(HA) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light,(HB) but they did not understand the voice(HC) of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’(HD) 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.(HE)

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(HF) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(HG) 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors(HH) has chosen you to know his will and to see(HI) the Righteous One(HJ) and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness(HK) to all people of what you have seen(HL) and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized(HM) and wash your sins away,(HN) calling on his name.’(HO)

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem(HP) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance(HQ) 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison(HR) and beat(HS) those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr[i] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’(HT)

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ (HU)

Paul the Roman Citizen

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!(HV) He’s not fit to live!”(HW)

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks(HX) and flinging dust into the air,(HY) 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.(HZ) He directed(IA) that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”(IB)

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him(IC) withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen,(ID) in chains.(IE)

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.(IF) So the next day he released him(IG) and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin(IH) to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 18:25 Or with fervor in the Spirit
  2. Acts 19:2 Or after
  3. Acts 19:6 Or other languages
  4. Acts 19:19 A drachma was a silver coin worth about a day’s wages.
  5. Acts 19:21 Or decided in the Spirit
  6. Acts 20:28 Many manuscripts of the Lord
  7. Acts 20:28 Or with the blood of his own Son
  8. Acts 21:40 Or possibly Hebrew; also in 22:2
  9. Acts 22:20 Or witness