Acts 20:13-21:36

English Standard Version

¹³ But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. ¹⁴ And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. ¹⁵ And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and^[a] the day after that we went to Miletus. ¹⁶ For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening ^(A)to be at Jerusalem, if possible, ^(B)on the day of Pentecost.

Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷ Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called ^(C)the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them:

^(D)“You yourselves know ^(E)how I lived among you the whole time ^(F)from the first day that I set foot in Asia, ^19 (G)serving the Lord ^(H)with all humility and with ^(I)tears and with trials that happened to me through ^(J)the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I ^(K)did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and ^(L)teaching you in public and from house to house, ^21 (M)testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of ^(N)repentance toward God and of ^(O)faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.^{[b] 22} And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained ^(P)by^[c] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that ^(Q)the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that ^(R)imprisonment and ^(S)afflictions await me. ²⁴ But ^(T)I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only ^(U)I may finish my course and ^(V)the ministry ^(W)that I received from the Lord Jesus, ^(X)to testify to ^(Y)the gospel of ^(Z)the grace of God. ²⁵ And now, behold, ^(AA)I know that none of you among whom I have gone about ^(AB)proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶ Therefore ^(AC)I testify to you this day that ^(AD)I am innocent of the blood of all, ²⁷ for ^(AE)I did not shrink from declaring to you ^(AF)the whole counsel of God. ^28 (AG)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ^(AH)the flock, in which ^(AI)the Holy Spirit has made you ^(AJ)overseers, ^(AK)to care for ^(AL)the church of God,^[d] which he ^(AM)obtained ^(AN)with his own blood.^{[e] 29} I ^(AO)know that after my departure ^(AP)fierce wolves will come in among you, ^(AQ)not sparing the flock; ³⁰ and ^(AR)from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore ^(AS)be alert, remembering that ^(AT)for three years I did not cease night or day ^(AU)to admonish every one ^(AV)with tears. ³² And now ^(AW)I commend you to God and to ^(AX)the word of his grace, which is able to ^(AY)build you up and to give you ^(AZ)the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ^33 (BA)I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. ^34 (BB)You yourselves know that ^(BC)these hands ministered to my necessities and ^(BD)to those who were with me. ³⁵ In all things ^(BE)I have shown you that ^(BF)by working hard in this way we must ^(BG)help the weak and ^(BH)remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed ^(BI)to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ And when he had said these things, ^(BJ)he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ And ^(BK)there was much weeping on the part of all; ^(BL)they embraced Paul and ^(BM)kissed him, ³⁸ being sorrowful most of all because of ^(BN)the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And ^(BO)they accompanied him to the ship.

Paul Goes to Jerusalem

21 And when ^(BP)we had parted from them and set sail, we ^(BQ)came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.^{[f] 2} And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. ³ When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. ⁴ And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And ^(BR)through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵ When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, ^(BS)accompanied us until we were outside the city. And ^(BT)kneeling down on the beach, we prayed ⁶ and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

⁷ When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted ^(BU)the brothers^[g] and stayed with them for one day. ⁸ On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of ^(BV)Philip ^(BW)the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters, ^(BX)who prophesied. ¹⁰ While we were staying for many days, a prophet named ^(BY)Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ And coming to us, he ^(BZ)took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, ^(CA)“Thus says the Holy Spirit, ^(CB)‘This is how the Jews^[h] at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and ^(CC)deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” ¹² When we heard this, we and the people there ^(CD)urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, ^(CE)“What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For ^(CF)I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem ^(CG)for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, ^(CH)we ceased and said, ^(CI)“Let the will of the Lord be done.”

¹⁵ After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.

Paul Visits James

¹⁷ When we had come to Jerusalem, ^(CJ)the brothers received us gladly. ¹⁸ On the following day Paul went in with us to ^(CK)James, and all ^(CL)the elders were present. ¹⁹ After greeting them, ^(CM)he related one by one ^(CN)the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ^(CO)ministry. ²⁰ And when they heard it, they ^(CP)glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all ^(CQ)zealous for the law, ²¹ and they have been told about you that you teach all ^(CR)the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, ^(CS)telling them ^(CT)not to circumcise their children or ^(CU)walk according to ^(CV)our customs. ²² What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. ²³ Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men ^(CW)who are under a vow; ²⁴ take these men and ^(CX)purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, ^(CY)so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. ²⁵ But as for the Gentiles who have believed, ^(CZ)we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled,^[i] and from sexual immorality.” ²⁶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day ^(DA)he purified himself along with them and ^(DB)went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and ^(DC)the offering presented for each one of them.

Paul Arrested in the Temple

²⁷ When ^(DD)the seven days were almost completed, ^(DE)the Jews from Asia, ^(DF)seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who ^(DG)is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and ^(DH)the law and ^(DI)this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and ^(DJ)has defiled ^(DK)this holy place.” ²⁹ For they had previously seen ^(DL)Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. ³⁰ Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and ^(DM)dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. ^31 (DN)And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of ^(DO)the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ^32 (DP)He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him ^(DQ)to be bound ^(DR)with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. ^34 (DS)Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into ^(DT)the barracks. ³⁵ And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, ³⁶ for the mob of the people followed, crying out, ^(DU)“Away with him!”