¹⁶ Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge.

^17 (A)And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. ¹⁸ On the following day Paul went in with us to ^(B)James, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹ When he had greeted them, ^(C)he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles ^(D)through his ministry. ²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all ^(E)zealous for the law; ²¹ but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. ^22 [a]What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. ²³ Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. ²⁴ Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may ^(F)shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. ²⁵ But concerning the Gentiles who believe, ^(G)we have written and decided ^[b]that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from ^[c]sexual immorality.”

Arrested in the Temple

²⁶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, ^(H)entered the temple ^(I)to announce the ^[d]expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

⁵ For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no ^(A)razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be ^(B)a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall ^(C)begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

⁶ So the woman came and told her husband, saying, ^(D)“A Man of God came to me, and His ^(E)countenance^[a] was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I ^(F)did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. ⁷ And He said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’ ”

¹⁷ that he ^(A)told her all his heart, and said to her, ^(B)“No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

¹¹ Then she ^(A)made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed ^(B)look on the affliction of Your maidservant and ^(C)remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and ^(D)no razor shall come upon his head.”

²⁸ Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be ^[a]lent to the Lord.” So they ^(A)worshiped the Lord there.