使徒行傳 20
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
保羅再訪馬其頓和希臘
20 這場風波平息後,保羅召集眾門徒勉勵一番後,便辭別他們去了馬其頓。 2 他走遍那一帶,用許多勸勉的話鼓勵當地的門徒。之後,他又去希臘, 3 在那裡逗留了三個月。當保羅正要乘船去敘利亞時,聽聞猶太人計劃要害他,就決定經馬其頓回去。 4 同他到亞細亞去的人有庇哩亞人畢羅斯的兒子所巴特、帖撒羅尼迦人亞里達古和西公都,還有特庇人該猶、提摩太、亞細亞人推基古和特羅非摩。 5 他們先到特羅亞等候我們。 6 除酵節過後,我們從腓立比啟航,五天後在特羅亞和他們會合,大家同住了七天。
猶推古死而復活
7 七日的第一日[a],我們聚會掰餅,保羅因為次日要離開,就向他們講道,直到深夜。 8 我們聚會的樓上整夜燈火通明。 9 有個名叫猶推古的青年坐在窗臺上聽道。保羅講了許久,猶推古不勝困倦睡著了,竟從三樓掉了下去。別人將他抱起來時,他已經死了。 10 保羅下去伏在他身上,抱著他對眾人說:「不要驚慌,他還活著!」 11 保羅說完就回到樓上,與大家一同掰餅、用餐,又談了很久,直到天亮才離去。 12 大家非常欣慰地把活過來的猶推古送回了家。
保羅告別以弗所的眾長老
13 我們照保羅的吩咐先乘船到亞朔預備在那裡接他,他打算由陸路步行到那裡。 14 他到了亞朔,我們接他上船,一同前往米推利尼。 15 我們從米推利尼啟航,第二天到了基阿附近,第三天到達撒摩,第四天在米利都停泊。 16 保羅急於趕回耶路撒冷,希望在五旬節前趕到,所以決定不去以弗所,免得在亞細亞境內耽誤太久。
17 保羅從米利都派人到以弗所請教會的長老前來與他相會。 18 他們都來了,保羅說:「各位,自從我踏進亞細亞那天起,在你們當中為人如何,你們都很清楚。 19 我含著眼淚謙卑地事奉主,又遭到猶太人的迫害,歷盡艱辛。 20 你們也知道,凡是對你們有益的事,我沒有避而不宣,我總是在公開場合和各人家中教導你們。 21 我勸猶太人和希臘人都要悔改,歸向上帝,信靠主耶穌基督。 22 現在,我在聖靈的催促下去耶路撒冷,不知道在那裡會發生什麼事, 23 只知道聖靈在各城鎮指示我,前面必有監禁和苦難等著我。 24 不過,哪怕是犧牲性命,我也在所不辭,只盼望我能跑完當跑的路程,完成主耶穌交託給我的使命,為上帝充滿恩典的福音做見證。
25 「我一向在你們中間傳揚上帝的國,如今我知道,以後你們再也見不到我的面了。 26 所以今天我向你們聲明,將來你們有誰滅亡,與我無關。 27 因為上帝的整個計劃,我沒有向你們避而不宣。 28 你們要為自己,也要為教會的群羊警醒,因為聖靈已經任命你們做群羊的監督,牧養上帝的教會。教會是主用自己的血贖回來的。 29 我知道,在我離開以後,一定會有兇惡的豺狼闖進你們中間,殘害羊群。 30 就是你們中間也會有人起來歪曲真理,引誘門徒跟隨他們。 31 所以你們一定要警醒,牢記這三年來我怎樣晝夜不住地流著淚勸誡你們。
32 「現在,我把你們交託給上帝和祂充滿恩典的道,這道能造就你們,使你們與一切聖潔的人同得產業。 33 我從未貪圖別人的金銀和衣服, 34 你們都知道,我親手做工養活自己和同工。 35 我凡事以身作則,教導你們勤奮工作,幫助軟弱的人,並牢記主耶穌的話,『施比受更有福。』」
36 保羅說完這番話,就和大家一同跪下禱告。 37 眾人都哭了,抱著保羅與他親吻, 38 最使他們傷心的就是他說「你們再也見不到我的面了」。最後,眾人送他上了船。
Footnotes
- 20·7 照猶太人的算法,太陽下山後為一日的開始,基督徒又以禮拜天為一周之始,所以七日的第一日很有可能是禮拜六晚上。
Acts 20
Expanded Bible
Paul in Macedonia and Greece
20 When the ·trouble stopped [uproar ended], Paul sent for the ·followers [disciples] to come to him. After he encouraged them and then told them good-bye, he left and went to Macedonia [C northern Greece; 16:9]. 2 He ·said many things to strengthen the followers [L encouraged them with many words] in the different places on his way through Macedonia. Then he ·went to [arrived in] Greece [probably Achaia (southern Greece)], 3 where he stayed for three months [C probably in Corinth; at this time he wrote his letter to the Romans]. He was ready to sail for Syria, but some of the Jews were ·planning [plotting] something against him. So Paul decided to go back through Macedonia to Syria. 4 The men who went with him were Sopater [Rom. 16:21] son of Pyrrhus, from the city of Berea [17:10–15]; Aristarchus [19:29; Col. 4:10; Philem. 24] and Secundus, from the city of Thessalonica [17:1–9]; Gaius [19:29], from Derbe [14:20–21]; Timothy [Rom. 16:21]; and Tychicus [Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:12] and Trophimus [21:29; 2 Tim. 4:20], two men from Asia [C all representatives of the Gentile churches delivering a financial gift to the church in Jerusalem]. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas [C here begins the second “we” section in Acts, indicating that the author, Luke, has rejoined Paul (16:10–17; 20:5—21:18; 27:1—28:16)]. 6 We sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread [C another name for Passover; Ex. 12:14–20]. Five days later we met them in Troas [16:8], where we stayed for seven days.
Eutychus Raised from the Dead at Troas
7 On the first day of the week [C Sunday; or perhaps Saturday night since the Jewish day began in the evening (Greeks reckoned from the morning)], we all met together to break bread [C probably a reference to the Lord’s Supper; Luke 22:14–20], and Paul ·spoke to [or was having a discussion with] the group. Because he was planning to leave the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. 8 We were all together in a room upstairs, and there were many lamps in the room [C using up oxygen and causing drowsiness]. 9 A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window. As Paul continued talking, Eutychus was falling into a deep sleep. Finally, he went sound asleep and fell to the ground from the third floor. When they picked him up, he was dead. 10 Paul went down to Eutychus, ·knelt down [or threw himself on him; C like Elisha; 2 Kin. 4:32–35], and ·put his arms around [embraced] him. He said, “Don’t ·worry [fear]. ·He is alive now [L For his life/soul is in him].” 11 Then Paul went upstairs again, broke bread, and ate. He spoke to them a long time, until ·it was early morning [dawn], and then he left. 12 They took the young man home alive and were ·greatly [L not in a small measure] comforted.
The Trip from Troas to Miletus
13 We went on ahead of Paul and sailed for the city of Assos [C on the east coast of the Aegean in the Gulf of Adramyttium], where we ·intended [planned] to take Paul on board. Paul ·planned [arranged] it this way because he wanted to go to Assos by land. 14 When he met us there, we took him aboard and went to Mitylene [C the main city on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean]. 15 We sailed from ·Mitylene [L there] and the next day came to a place ·near [opposite; across from] Kios [C an island five miles off the coast in the Aegean]. The following day we sailed to Samos [C another island off the coast in the Aegean], and the next day we reached Miletus [C a city on the western coast of Asia Minor]. 16 [L For] Paul had already decided ·not to stop at [L to sail past] Ephesus [18:19], because he did not want to stay too long in [C the province of] Asia [C with so many friends in Ephesus (ch. 19), a short stop would be impossible]. He was hurrying to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost [C one of three great Jewish festivals, celebrated 50 days after Passover], if that were possible.
The Elders from Ephesus
17 Now from Miletus [20:15] Paul sent to Ephesus [18:19; 19:1–41] and called for the elders [14:23; 1 Tim. 5:17] of the church. 18 When they came to him, he said, “You know about my life from the first day I came to Asia [18:19]. You know the way I lived all the time I was with you [19:1–41]. 19 ·Some Jewish opponents [L The Jews] ·made plans [plotted] against me, which ·troubled me very much [severely tested/tried me]. But you know I always served the Lord ·unselfishly [L with humility], and ·I often cried [in sorrowful times; L with tears]. 20 You know I preached to you and did not hold back anything that would help you. You know that I taught you in public and ·in your homes [from house to house]. 21 I ·warned [witnessed/testified to] both Jews and Greeks to ·change their lives and turn to God [repent] and believe in our Lord Jesus. 22 But now [L indeed; T behold] ·I must obey the Holy Spirit and [L bound/compelled by the Spirit, I must] go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23 I know only that in every city the Holy Spirit ·tells [warns; testifies to] me that ·troubles and even jail [L chains and persecutions/afflictions] wait for me. 24 [L But] I don’t ·care about my own life [consider my life worth anything]. ·The most important thing [or My only goal] is that I ·complete [finish] my ·mission [task; course; L race; 2 Tim. 4:7; Heb. 12:1], the ·work [ministry; service] that ·the Lord Jesus gave me [L I received from the Lord Jesus]—to ·tell people [testify/witness to] the ·Good News [Gospel] about God’s grace.
25 “And now [L look; T behold], I know that none of you among whom I was ·preaching [proclaiming] the ·kingdom of God [L kingdom] will ever see ·me [L my face] again. 26 So today I ·tell [testify/witness to] you that ·if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible [L I am innocent/clean of the blood of everyone; Ezek. 33:9], 27 because I ·have told [L have not held back from telling] you ·everything God wants you to know [or the whole purpose/plan/will of God]. 28 ·Be careful for [Keep watch over] yourselves and for all the ·people [L flock] the Holy Spirit has ·given to you to oversee [L made you overseers/guardians; John 21:16]. You must be like shepherds to the church of God,[a] which he ·bought [or obtained] with the ·death of his own Son [L with the blood of his own (Son); or with his own blood]. 29 I know that after ·I leave [my departure; I am gone], ·some people will come like wild wolves [L wild/savage wolves will come in among you] and ·try to destroy [will not spare] the flock. 30 ·Also, [or Even] some from your own group will rise up and ·twist the truth [L speak perversions/distortions] and will ·lead away [lure; entice] ·followers [disciples] after them. 31 So ·be careful [keep watch]! Always remember that for three years, day and night, I never stopped warning [admonishing; instructing] each of you, ·and I often cried over you [L with tears].
32 “Now I ·am putting you in the care of [commend/commit/entrust you to] God and the ·message [word] about his grace. It is able to ·give you strength [edify you; build you up], and it will give you the ·blessings God has [L inheritance] ·for [or among] all ·his holy people [those who are sanctified; those set apart for himself]. 33 When I was with you, I never ·wanted [coveted] anyone’s ·money [L silver or gold] or fine clothes [Ex. 20:17; Deut. 5:21; 1 Sam. 12:3]. 34 You [L yourselves] know I always worked [L with my own hands] to take care of my own needs and the needs of those who were with me. 35 I ·showed [provided an example to] you ·in all things [in everything I did] that you should work as I did and help the weak. I taught you to remember the words Jesus said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive [C a saying of Jesus not recorded elsewhere in Scripture].’”
36 ·When [After] Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
Footnotes
- Acts 20:28 of God Some Greek copies read “of the Lord.”
Acts 20
New English Translation
Paul Travels Through Macedonia and Greece
20 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging[a] them and saying farewell,[b] he left to go to Macedonia.[c] 2 After he had gone through those regions[d] and spoken many words of encouragement[e] to the believers there,[f] he came to Greece,[g] 3 where he stayed[h] for three months. Because the Jews had made[i] a plot[j] against him as he was intending[k] to sail[l] for Syria, he decided[m] to return through Macedonia.[n] 4 Paul[o] was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea,[p] Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica,[q] Gaius[r] from Derbe,[s] and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.[t] 5 These had gone on ahead[u] and were waiting for us[v] in Troas.[w] 6 We[x] sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread,[y] and within five days[z] we came to the others[aa] in Troas,[ab] where we stayed for seven days. 7 On the first day[ac] of the week, when we met[ad] to break bread, Paul began to speak[ae] to the people, and because he intended[af] to leave the next day, he extended[ag] his message until midnight. 8 (Now there were many lamps[ah] in the upstairs room where we were meeting.)[ai] 9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window,[aj] was sinking[ak] into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak[al] for a long time. Fast asleep,[am] he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down,[an] threw himself[ao] on the young man,[ap] put his arms around him,[aq] and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!”[ar] 11 Then Paul[as] went back upstairs,[at] and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them[au] a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly[av] comforted.
The Voyage to Miletus
13 We went on ahead[aw] to the ship and put out to sea[ax] for Assos,[ay] intending[az] to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way.[ba] He[bb] himself was intending[bc] to go there by land.[bd] 14 When he met us in Assos,[be] we took him aboard[bf] and went to Mitylene.[bg] 15 We set sail[bh] from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios.[bi] The next day we approached[bj] Samos,[bk] and the day after that we arrived at Miletus.[bl] 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so as not to spend time[bm] in the province of Asia,[bn] for he was hurrying[bo] to arrive in Jerusalem, if possible,[bp] by the day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus[bq] he sent a message[br] to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him.[bs]
18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived[bt] the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot[bu] in the province of Asia,[bv] 19 serving the Lord with all humility[bw] and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots[bx] of the Jews. 20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming[by] to you anything that would be helpful,[bz] and from teaching you publicly[ca] and from house to house, 21 testifying[cb] to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.[cc] 22 And now,[cd] compelled[ce] by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem[cf] without knowing what will happen to me there,[cg] 23 except[ch] that the Holy Spirit warns[ci] me in town after town[cj] that[ck] imprisonment[cl] and persecutions[cm] are waiting for me. 24 But I do not consider my life[cn] worth anything[co] to myself, so that[cp] I may finish my task[cq] and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news[cr] of God’s grace.
25 “And now[cs] I know that none[ct] of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom[cu] will see me[cv] again. 26 Therefore I declare[cw] to you today that I am innocent[cx] of the blood of you all.[cy] 27 For I did not hold back from[cz] announcing[da] to you the whole purpose[db] of God. 28 Watch out for[dc] yourselves and for all the flock of which[dd] the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,[de] to shepherd the church of God[df] that he obtained[dg] with the blood of his own Son.[dh] 29 I know that after I am gone[di] fierce wolves[dj] will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Even from among your own group[dk] men[dl] will arise, teaching perversions of the truth[dm] to draw the disciples away after them. 31 Therefore be alert,[dn] remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning[do] each one of you with tears. 32 And now I entrust[dp] you to God and to the message[dq] of his grace. This message[dr] is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have desired[ds] no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine[dt] provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. 35 By all these things,[du] I have shown you that by working in this way we must help[dv] the weak,[dw] and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”[dx]
36 When[dy] he had said these things, he knelt down[dz] with them all and prayed. 37 They all began to weep loudly,[ea] and hugged[eb] Paul and kissed him,[ec] 38 especially saddened[ed] by what[ee] he had said, that they were not going to see him[ef] again. Then they accompanied[eg] him to the ship.
Footnotes
- Acts 20:1 tn Or “exhorting.”
- Acts 20:1 tn Or “and taking leave of them.”
- Acts 20:1 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
- Acts 20:2 tn BDAG 633 s.v. μέρος 1.b.γ gives the meanings “the parts (of a geographical area), region, district,” but the use of “district” in this context probably implies too much specificity.
- Acts 20:2 tn Grk “and encouraging them with many words.” The participle παρακαλέσας (parakalesas, “encouraging”) has been translated by the phrase “spoken…words of encouragement” because the formal equivalent is awkward in contemporary English.
- Acts 20:2 tn Grk “[to] them”; the referent (the believers there) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Acts 20:2 tn In popular usage the term translated “Greece” here could also refer to the Roman province officially known as Achaia (BDAG 318 s.v. ῾Ελλάς).
- Acts 20:3 tn BDAG 841 s.v. ποιέω 5.c, “w. an acc. of time spend, stay.”
- Acts 20:3 tn The participle γενομένης (genomenēs) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. L&N 30.71 has “ἐπιβουλῆς αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ‘because the Jews had made a plot against him’ Ac 20:3.”
- Acts 20:3 sn This plot is one of several noted by Luke (Acts 9:24; 20:19; 23:30).
- Acts 20:3 tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”
- Acts 20:3 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 gives “put out to sea” here (as a nautical technical term). However, since the English expression “put out to sea” could be understood to mean Paul was already aboard the ship (which is not clear from the context), the simpler expression “sail” is used at this point in the translation.
- Acts 20:3 tn BDAG 199 s.v. γίνομαι 7 has “ἐγένετο γνώμης he decided Ac 20:3.”
- Acts 20:3 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
- Acts 20:4 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Acts 20:4 sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.
- Acts 20:4 tn Grk “of the Thessalonians.”
- Acts 20:4 tn Grk “and Gaius,” but this καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
- Acts 20:4 sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra.
- Acts 20:4 tn Grk “the Asians Tychicus and Trophimus.” In the NT “Asia” always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
- Acts 20:5 tn Grk “These, having gone on ahead, were waiting.” The participle προελθόντες (proelthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 20:5 sn This marks the beginning of one of the “we” sections in Acts (16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16). These have been traditionally understood to mean that the author was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.
- Acts 20:5 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor.
- Acts 20:6 sn This marks the beginning of another “we” section in Acts. These have been traditionally understood to mean that Luke was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.
- Acts 20:6 sn The days of Unleavened Bread refer to the week following Passover. It was celebrated for seven days beginning on the fifteenth day of the month Nisan (March-April) after the Passover (Exod 12:1-20; Ezek 45:21-24; Matt 26:17; Luke 22:1).
- Acts 20:6 tn BDAG 160 s.v. ἄχρι 1.a.α has “ἄ. ἡμερῶν πέντε within five days Ac 20:6.”
- Acts 20:6 tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the others mentioned in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Acts 20:6 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. From Philippi to Troas was about 125 mi (200 km).
- Acts 20:7 sn On the first day. This is the first mention of a Sunday gathering (1 Cor 16:2).
- Acts 20:7 tn Or “assembled.”
- Acts 20:7 tn The verb διαλέγομαι (dialegomai) is frequently used of Paul addressing Jews in the synagogue. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. In the context of a Christian gathering, it is preferable to translate διελέγετο (dielegeto) simply as “speak” here. The imperfect verb διελέγετο has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
- Acts 20:7 tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”
- Acts 20:7 tn Or “prolonged.”
- Acts 20:8 tn More commonly λαμπάς (lampas) means “torch,” but here according to BDAG 585 s.v. λαμπάς 2, “lamp…w. a wick and space for oil.”
- Acts 20:8 sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author.
- Acts 20:9 tn This window was probably a simple opening in the wall (see also BDAG 462 s.v. θυρίς).
- Acts 20:9 tn Grk “sinking into a deep sleep.” BDAG 529 s.v. καταφέρω 3 has “ὕπνῳ βαθεῖ sink into a deep sleep…Ac 20:9a.” The participle καταφερόμενος (katapheromenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 20:9 tn The participle διαλεγομένου (dialegomenou) has been taken temporally.
- Acts 20:9 tn BDAG 529 s.v. καταφέρω 3 has “κατενεχθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὔπνου overwhelmed by sleep vs. 9b, ” but this expression is less common in contemporary English than phrases like “fast asleep” or “sound asleep.”
- Acts 20:10 tn Grk “going down.” The participle καταβάς (katabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 20:10 tn BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 1.b has “ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῷ he threw himself upon him Ac 20:10.”
- Acts 20:10 tn Grk “on him”; the referent (the young man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Acts 20:10 tn BDAG 959 s.v. συμπεριλαμβάνω has “to throw one’s arms around, embrace w. acc. to be supplied Ac 20:10.” However, “embraced the young man” might be taken (out of context) to have erotic implications, while “threw his arms around him” would be somewhat redundant since “threw” has been used in the previous phrase.
- Acts 20:10 tn Grk “for his life is in him” (an idiom).
- Acts 20:11 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Acts 20:11 tn Grk “going back upstairs.” The participle ἀναβάς (anabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 20:11 tn Grk “talking with them.” The participle ὁμιλήσας (homilēsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 20:12 tn Grk “were not to a moderate degree” (an idiom). L&N 78.11 states: “μετρίως: a moderate degree of some activity or state—‘moderately, to a moderate extent.’ ἤγαγον δὲ τὸν παῖδα ζῶντα, καὶ παρεκλήθησαν οὐ μετρίωθς ‘they took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted’ Ac 20:12. In Ac 20:12 the phrase οὐ μετρίως, literally ‘not to a moderate degree,’ is equivalent to a strong positive statement, namely, ‘greatly’ or ‘to a great extent.’”
- Acts 20:13 tn Grk “going on ahead.” The participle προελθόντες (proelthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 20:13 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
- Acts 20:13 sn Assos was a city of Mysia about 24 mi (40 km) southeast of Troas.
- Acts 20:13 tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”
- Acts 20:13 tn Or “for he told us to do this.” Grk “for having arranged it this way, he.” The participle διατεταγμένος (diatetagmenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. BDAG 237 s.v. διατάσσω 1 has “οὕτως διατεταγμένος ἦν he had arranged it so Ac 20:13.” L&N 15.224 has “‘he told us to do this.”
- Acts 20:13 tn A new sentence was begun here in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence; in Greek this is part of the preceding sentence beginning “We went on ahead.”
- Acts 20:13 tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”
- Acts 20:13 tn Or “there on foot.”
- Acts 20:14 sn Assos was a city of Mysia about 24 mi (40 km) southeast of Troas.
- Acts 20:14 tn Grk “taking him aboard, we.” The participle ἀναλαβόντες (analabontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 20:14 sn Mitylene was the most important city on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea. It was about 44 mi (70 km) from Assos.
- Acts 20:15 tn Grk “setting sail from there.” The participle ἀποπλεύσαντες (apopleusantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 20:15 tn Or “offshore from Chios.”sn Chios was an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor with a city of the same name.
- Acts 20:15 tn Or “crossed over to,” “arrived at.” L&N 54.12 has “παραβάλλω: (a technical, nautical term) to sail up to or near—‘to approach, to arrive at, to sail to.’ παρεβάλομεν εἰς Σάμον ‘we approached Samos’ or ‘we arrived at Samos’ Ac 20:15.”
- Acts 20:15 sn Samos is an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor.
- Acts 20:15 sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 40 mi (70 km) south of Ephesus. From Mitylene to Miletus was about 125 mi (200 km).
- Acts 20:16 tn Grk “so that he might not have to spend time.” L&N 67.79 has “ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ ᾿Ασίᾳ ‘so as not to spend any time in the province of Asia’ Ac 20:16.”
- Acts 20:16 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
- Acts 20:16 tn Or “was eager.”
- Acts 20:16 tn Grk “if it could be to him” (an idiom).
- Acts 20:17 sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 45 mi (72 km) south of Ephesus.
- Acts 20:17 tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
- Acts 20:17 tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text but are implied. L&N 33.311 has for the verb μετακαλέομαι (metakaleomai) “to summon someone, with considerable insistence and authority—‘to summon, to tell to come.’”
- Acts 20:18 tn Grk “You yourselves know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time.” This could be understood to mean “how I stayed with you the whole time,” but the following verses make it clear that Paul’s lifestyle while with the Ephesians is in view here. Thus the translation “how I lived the whole time I was with you” makes this clear.
- Acts 20:18 tn Or “I arrived.” BDAG 367 s.v. ἐπιβαίνω 2, “set foot in…εἰς τ. ᾿Ασίαν set foot in Asia Ac 20:18.” However, L&N 15.83 removes the idiom: “you know that since the first day that I came to Asia.”
- Acts 20:18 tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 16.
- Acts 20:19 sn On humility see 2 Cor 10:1; 11:7; 1 Thess 2:6; Col 3:12; Eph 4:2; Phil 2:3-11.
- Acts 20:19 sn These plots are mentioned in Acts 9:24; 20:13.
- Acts 20:20 tn Or “declaring.”
- Acts 20:20 tn Or “profitable.” BDAG 960 s.v. συμφέρω 2.b.α has “τὰ συμφέροντα what advances your best interests or what is good for you Ac 20:20, ” but the broader meaning (s.v. 2, “to be advantageous, help, confer a benefit, be profitable/useful”) is equally possible in this context.
- Acts 20:20 tn Or “openly.”
- Acts 20:21 tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…of repentance to Judeans and Hellenes Ac 20:21.”
- Acts 20:21 tc Several mss, including some of the more significant ones (P74 א Α C [D] E 33 36 323 945 1175 1241 1505 1739 pm and a number of versions), read Χριστόν (Christon, “Christ”) at the end of this verse. This word is lacking in B H L P Ψ 614 pm. Although the inclusion is supported by many earlier and better mss, internal evidence is on the side of the omission: In Acts, both “Lord Jesus” and “Lord Jesus Christ” occur, though between 16:31 and the end of the book “Lord Jesus Christ” appears only in 28:31, perhaps as a kind of climactic assertion. Thus, the shorter reading is to be preferred.sn Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. Note the twofold description of the message. It is a turning to God involving faith in Jesus Christ.
- Acts 20:22 tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
- Acts 20:22 tn Grk “bound.”
- Acts 20:22 sn This journey to Jerusalem suggests a parallel between Paul and Jesus, since the “Jerusalem journey” motif figures so prominently in Luke’s Gospel (9:51-19:44).
- Acts 20:22 tn BDAG 965 s.v. συναντάω 2 has τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ συναντήσοντα ἐμοὶ μὴ εἰδώς without knowing what will happen to me there Ac 20:22.”
- Acts 20:23 tn BDAG 826 s.v. πλήν 1.d has “πλὴν ὅτι except that…Ac 20:23.”
- Acts 20:23 tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn” (BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 2 has “solemnly urge, exhort, warn…w. dat. of pers. addressed”), and this meaning better fits the context here, although BDAG categorizes Acts 20:23 under the meaning “testify of, bear witness to” (s.v. 1).
- Acts 20:23 tn The Greek text here reads κατὰ πόλιν (kata polin).
- Acts 20:23 tn Grk “saying that,” but the participle λέγον (legon) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
- Acts 20:23 tn Grk “bonds.”
- Acts 20:23 tn Or “troubles,” “suffering.” See Acts 19:21; 21:4, 11.
- Acts 20:24 tn Grk “soul.”
- Acts 20:24 tn Or “I do not consider my life worth a single word.” According to BDAG 599 s.v. λόγος 1.a.α, “In the textually uncertain pass. Ac 20:24 the text as it stands in N., οὐδενὸς λόγου (v.l. λόγον) ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν, may well mean: I do not consider my life worth a single word (cp. λόγου ἄξιον [ἄξιος 1a] and our ‘worth mention’).”
- Acts 20:24 tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”
- Acts 20:24 tn Grk “course.” See L&N 42.26, “(a figurative extension of meaning of δρόμος ‘race’) a task or function involving continuity, serious, effort, and possibly obligation—‘task, mission’…Ac 20:24.” On this Pauline theme see also Phil 1:19-26; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6-7.
- Acts 20:24 tn Or “to the gospel.”
- Acts 20:25 tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
- Acts 20:25 tn Grk “all of you…will not see.” Greek handles its negation somewhat differently from English, and the translation follows English grammatical conventions.
- Acts 20:25 sn Note how Paul’s usage of the expression proclaiming the kingdom is associated with (and intertwined with) his testifying to the good news of God’s grace in v. 24. For Paul the two concepts were interrelated.
- Acts 20:25 tn Grk “will see my face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).
- Acts 20:26 tn Or “testify.”
- Acts 20:26 tn Grk “clean, pure,” thus “guiltless” (BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a).sn I am innocent. Paul had a clear conscience, since he had faithfully carried out his responsibility of announcing to (the Ephesians) the whole purpose of God.
- Acts 20:26 tn That is, “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible” (an idiom). According to L&N 33.223, the meaning of the phrase “that I am innocent of the blood of all of you” is “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible.” However, due to the length of this phrase and its familiarity to many modern English readers, the translation was kept closer to formal equivalence in this case. The word “you” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; Paul is addressing the Ephesian congregation (in the person of its elders) in both v. 25 and 27.
- Acts 20:27 tn Or “did not avoid.” BDAG 1041 s.v. ὑποστέλλω 2.b has “shrink from, avoid implying fear…οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι I did not shrink from proclaiming Ac 20:27”; L&N 13.160 has “to hold oneself back from doing something, with the implication of some fearful concern—‘to hold back from, to shrink from, to avoid’…‘for I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God’ Ac 20:27.”
- Acts 20:27 tn Or “proclaiming,” “declaring.”
- Acts 20:27 tn Or “plan.”
- Acts 20:28 tn Or “Be on your guard for” (cf. v. 29). Paul completed his responsibility to the Ephesians with this warning.
- Acts 20:28 tn Grk “in which.”
- Acts 20:28 tn Or “guardians.” BDAG 379-80 s.v. ἐπίσκοπος 2 states, “The term was taken over in Christian communities in ref. to one who served as overseer or supervisor, with special interest in guarding the apostolic tradition…Ac 20:28.” This functional term describes the role of the elders (see v. 17). They were to guard and shepherd the congregation.
- Acts 20:28 tc The reading “of God” (τοῦ θεοῦ, tou theou) is found in א B 614 1175 1505 al vg sy; other witnesses have “of the Lord” (τοῦ κυρίου, tou kuriou) here (so P74 A C* D E Ψ 33 1739 al co), while the majority of the later minuscule mss conflate these two into “of the Lord and God” (τοῦ κυρίου καὶ [τοῦ] θεοῦ, tou kuriou kai [tou] theou). Although the evidence is evenly balanced between the first two readings, τοῦ θεοῦ is decidedly superior on internal grounds. The final prepositional phrase of this verse, διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου (dia tou haimatos tou idiou), could be rendered “through his own blood” or “through the blood of his own.” In the latter translation, the object that “own” modifies must be supplied (see tn below for discussion). But this would not be entirely clear to scribes; those who supposed that ἰδίου modified αἵματος would be prone to alter “God” to “Lord” to avoid the inference that God had blood. In a similar way, later scribes would be prone to conflate the two titles, thereby affirming the deity (with the construction τοῦ κυρίου καὶ θεοῦ following the Granville Sharp rule and referring to a single person [see ExSyn 272, 276-77, 290]) and substitutionary atonement of Christ. For these reasons, τοῦ θεοῦ best explains the rise of the other readings and should be considered authentic.
- Acts 20:28 tn Or “acquired.”
- Acts 20:28 tn Or “with his own blood”; Grk “with the blood of his own.” The genitive construction could be taken in two ways: (1) as an attributive genitive (second attributive position) meaning “his own blood”; or (2) as a possessive genitive, “with the blood of his own.” In this case the referent is the Son, and the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. See further C. F. DeVine, “The Blood of God,” CBQ 9 (1947): 381-408.sn That he obtained with the blood of his own Son. This is one of only two explicit statements in Luke-Acts highlighting the substitutionary nature of Christ’s death (the other is in Luke 22:19).
- Acts 20:29 tn Grk “after my departure.”
- Acts 20:29 tn That is, people like fierce wolves. See BDAG 167-68 s.v. βαρύς 4 on the term translated “fierce.”sn The battle to follow would be a savage one. The imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism (see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30; also 1 Enoch 89:55). For more on the sheep imagery see H. Preisker and S. Schulz, TDNT 6:690. The imagery of a flock attacked by wolves suggests violence, and serves to prepare Paul’s hearers (the elders of the Ephesian church, v. 17) for the depredations of the false teachers who would arise.
- Acts 20:30 tn Grk “from among yourselves.”
- Acts 20:30 tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anēr), which only rarely is used in a generic sense to refer to both males and females. Since Paul is speaking to the Ephesian elders at this point and there is nothing in the context to suggest women were included in that group (“from among your own group”), it is most likely Paul was not predicting that these false teachers would include women.
- Acts 20:30 tn Grk “speaking crooked things”; BDAG 237 s.v. διαστρέφω 2 has “λαλεῖν διεστραμμένα teach perversions (of the truth) Ac 20:30.”sn These perversions of the truth refer to the kinds of threats that would undermine repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. v. 21). Instead these false teachers would arise from within the Ephesian congregation (cf. 1 John 2:18-19) and would seek to draw the disciples away after them.
- Acts 20:31 tn Or “be watchful.”
- Acts 20:31 tn Or “admonishing.”
- Acts 20:32 tn Or “commend.” BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 3.b has “τινά τινι entrust someone to the care or protection of someone…Of divine protection παρέθεντο αὐτοὺς τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 14:23; cf. 20:32.”
- Acts 20:32 tn Grk “word.”
- Acts 20:32 tn Grk “the message of his grace, which.” The phrase τῷ δυναμένῳ οἰκοδομῆσαι… (tō dunamenō oikodomēsai…) refers to τῷ λόγω (tō logō), not τῆς χάριτος (tēs charitos); in English it could refer to either “the message” or “grace,” but in Greek, because of agreement in gender, the referent can only be “the message.” To make this clear, a new sentence was begun in the translation and the referent “the message” was repeated at the beginning of this new sentence.
- Acts 20:33 tn Traditionally, “coveted.” BDAG 371 s.v. ἐπιθυμέω 1 has “to have a strong desire to do or secure someth., desire, long for w. gen. of the thing desired…silver, gold, clothing Ac 20:33.” The traditional term “covet” is not in common usage and difficult for many modern English readers to understand. The statement affirms Paul’s integrity. He was not doing this for personal financial gain.
- Acts 20:34 tn The words “of mine” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify whose hands Paul is referring to.
- Acts 20:35 sn The expression By all these things means “In everything I did.”
- Acts 20:35 tn Or “must assist.”
- Acts 20:35 tn Or “the sick.” See Eph 4:28.
- Acts 20:35 sn The saying is similar to Matt 10:8. Service and generosity should be abundant. Interestingly, these exact words are not found in the gospels. Paul must have known of this saying from some other source.
- Acts 20:36 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
- Acts 20:36 tn Grk “kneeling down…he prayed.” The participle θείς (theis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 20:37 tn Grk “weeping a great deal,” thus “loudly” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός and BDAG 546 s.v. κλαυθμός).
- Acts 20:37 tn Grk “fell on Paul’s neck” (an idiom, see BDAG 1014 s.v. τράχηλος).
- Acts 20:37 sn The Ephesians elders kissed Paul as a sign of both affection and farewell. The entire scene shows how much interrelationship Paul had in his ministry and how much he and the Ephesians meant to each other.
- Acts 20:38 tn Or “pained.”
- Acts 20:38 tn Grk “by the word that he had said.”
- Acts 20:38 tn Grk “to see his face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).
- Acts 20:38 tn BDAG 873 s.v. προπέμπω 1 has “they accompanied him to the ship Ac 20:38.”
Acts 20
New International Version
Through Macedonia and Greece
20 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples(A) and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.(B) 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him(C) just as he was about to sail for Syria,(D) he decided to go back through Macedonia.(E) 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus(F) and Secundus from Thessalonica,(G) Gaius(H) from Derbe, Timothy(I) also, and Tychicus(J) and Trophimus(K) from the province of Asia.(L) 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us(M) at Troas.(N) 6 But we sailed from Philippi(O) after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas,(P) where we stayed seven days.
Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas
7 On the first day of the week(Q) we came together to break bread.(R) Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room(S) where we were meeting. 9 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(T) and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”(U) 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread(V) 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.(W) 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus(X) to avoid spending time in the province of Asia,(Y) for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem,(Z) if possible, by the day of Pentecost.(AA)
17 From Miletus,(AB) Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders(AC) of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you,(AD) from the first day I came into the province of Asia.(AE) 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears(AF) and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.(AG) 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything(AH) that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews(AI) and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance(AJ) and have faith in our Lord Jesus.(AK)
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,(AL) not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me(AM) that prison and hardships are facing me.(AN) 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me;(AO) my only aim is to finish the race(AP) and complete the task(AQ) the Lord Jesus has given me(AR)—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.(AS)
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom(AT) will ever see me again.(AU) 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.(AV) 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.(AW) 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock(AX) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.(AY) Be shepherds of the church of God,[a](AZ) which he bought(BA) with his own blood.[b](BB) 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves(BC) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.(BD) 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples(BE) after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years(BF) I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.(BG)
32 “Now I commit you to God(BH) and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance(BI) among all those who are sanctified.(BJ) 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.(BK) 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.(BL) 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.(BM) 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.(BN) 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.(BO) Then they accompanied him to the ship.(BP)
Footnotes
- Acts 20:28 Many manuscripts of the Lord
- Acts 20:28 Or with the blood of his own Son
Acts 20
King James Version
20 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.
2 And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,
3 And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.
4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
5 These going before tarried for us at Troas.
6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.
13 And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.
14 And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.
15 And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.
16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.
34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
37 And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him,
38 Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.
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