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

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

25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom(S) will ever see me again.(T) 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.(U) 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.(V) 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock(W) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.(X) Be shepherds of the church of God,[a](Y) which he bought(Z) with his own blood.[b](AA) 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves(AB) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.(AC) 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples(AD) after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years(AE) I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.(AF)

32 “Now I commit you to God(AG) and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance(AH) among all those who are sanctified.(AI) 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.(AJ) 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.(AK) 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.(AL) 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.(AM) 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.(AN) Then they accompanied him to the ship.(AO)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 20:28 Many manuscripts of the Lord
  2. Acts 20:28 Or with the blood of his own Son

Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders

17 Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time(A) 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews(B) 20 and that I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. 21 I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God(C) and faith in our Lord Jesus.(D)

22 “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, bound in my spirit,[a] not knowing what I will encounter there,(E) 23 except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.(F) 24 But I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course[b] and the ministry(G) I received from the Lord Jesus,(H) to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

25 “And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again—everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent[c] of everyone’s blood,(I) 27 for I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God.(J) 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock(K) that the Holy Spirit has appointed you to as overseers,(L) to shepherd the church of God,[d] which He purchased with His own blood.(M) 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 And men will rise up from your own number with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them.(N) 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.(O)

32 “And now[e] I commit you to God and to the message of His grace,(P) which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance(Q) among all who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.(R) 34 You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me.(S) 35 In every way I’ve shown you that by laboring like this, it is necessary to help the weak and to keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

36 After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.(T) 37 There was a great deal of weeping by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.(U)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 20:22 Or in the Spirit
  2. Acts 20:24 Other mss add with joy
  3. Acts 20:26 Lit clean
  4. Acts 20:28 Other mss read church of the Lord; other mss read church of the Lord and God
  5. Acts 20:32 Other mss add brothers,

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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