Acts 20:13-28

Amplified Bible

Troas to Miletus

¹³ But we went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for that was what he had arranged, intending himself to go [a shorter route] by land. ¹⁴ So when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and sailed on to Mitylene. ¹⁵ Sailing from there, we arrived the next day [at a point] opposite Chios; the following day we crossed over to Samos, and the next day we arrived at Miletus [about 30 miles south of Ephesus]. ¹⁶ Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus so that he would not end up spending time [unnecessarily] in [the province of] Asia (modern Turkey); for he was in a hurry to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of ^[a]Pentecost.

Farewell to Ephesus

¹⁷ However, from Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church [to meet him there]. ¹⁸ And when they arrived he said to them:

“You know well how I [lived when I] was with you, from the first day that I set foot in Asia [until now], ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came on me because of the plots of the Jews [against me]; ²⁰ [you know] how I did not shrink back in fear from telling you anything that was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public meetings, and from house to house, ²¹ solemnly [and wholeheartedly] testifying to both Jews and Greeks, urging them to turn in repentance to God and [to have] faith in our Lord Jesus Christ [for salvation]. ²² And now, compelled by the Spirit and obligated by my convictions, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit solemnly [and emphatically] affirms to me in city after city that imprisonment and suffering await me. ²⁴ But I do not consider my life as something of value or dear to me, so that I may [with joy] finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify faithfully of the good news of God’s [precious, undeserved] grace [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life].

²⁵ “And now, listen carefully: I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, ^[b]will see me again. ²⁶ For that reason I testify to you on this [our parting] day that I am innocent of the blood of all people. ²⁷ For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose and plan of God. ²⁸ Take care and be on guard for yourselves and for the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd (tend, feed, guide) the church of God which He bought with His own blood.