Beginning

18 After these things Rav Sha’ul left Athens and went to Corinth.

² And in Corinth Rav Sha’ul found some Messianic Jews, namely Aquila hailing from Pontus, having recently come from Italy, where Claudius ordered a decree of Jewish expulsion from Rome, and Priscilla, his isha. Rav Sha’ul went to see them.

³ And because he had the same parnasah (livelihood), Rav Sha’ul was staying with them, and he was working with them, for they were tentmakers by trade.

⁴ And Rav Sha’ul was debating in the shul every Shabbos, and he was convincing Yehudim and Yevanim.

⁵ Now when both Sila and Timotiyos came down from Macedonia, Rav Sha’ul was farnumen (preoccupied) and totally absorbed with the dvar Hashem, bearing solemn edut to the Yehudim that Yehoshua is the Moshiach.

⁶ But when some began opposing Rav Sha’ul, and when they began committing Chillul Hashem, Rav Sha’ul shook out his kaftan and said to them, "The responsibility of your lot be upon your own head! For I am tahor (clean); from now on, I go to the Nations." [2Sm 1:16; Ezek 33:4; 3:17-19; Neh 5:13]

⁷ And so Rav Sha’ul left them, and entered into the bais of a certain ish by the name Titius Justus, a yire Elohim whose bais was right next door to the shul!!

⁸ And Crispus, the Rosh Beit HaKnesset, came to emunah in Moshiach Adoneinu along with his entire bais; also many of the Corinthians who heard came to emunah, and were being given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva.

⁹ Then in the lailah, through a chazon, Adonoi said to Rav Sha’ul, "Do not fear, but speak out, and do not keep silent,

¹⁰ "For I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you; I have many people in this city."

¹¹ And Rav Sha’ul sat shanah and shishah chodashim saying shiurim to them on the dvar Hashem.

¹² And when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the [disobedient] Yehudim rose up with one accord keneged (against, in opposition to) Rav Sha’ul, and they took him to court,

¹³ Saying, "This one persuades anashim to worship Hashem in a manner against the Torah."

¹⁴ Rav Sha’ul was about to open his mouth when Gallio spoke to the Yehudim, "If this matter concerned some wrong or heinous crime, O Yehudim, I might reasonably put up with you;

¹⁵ "But if it is kashes (questions) about a dvar and shemot (names) and your Torah, you will see to it for yourselves. I do not intend to be a shofet (judge) of these things."

¹⁶ And he had them ejected from the courtroom.

¹⁷ They seized Sosthenes, the Rosh HaKnesset, and were beating him in full view of the Kes HaMishpat (Judgment Seat), and none of these things created a concern for Gallio.

¹⁸ But Rav Sha’ul still remained a number of yamim and then took leave of the Achim b’Moshiach, and was sailing away to Syria; and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he cut his hair, for he had taken a neder (vow). [BAMIDBAR 6:2,5,18]

¹⁹ Then they arrived in Ephesus, and Rav Sha’ul left them there, but he joined the minyan in the shul and debated with the Yehudim.

²⁰ And when they were asking Rav Sha’ul to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent.

²¹ But taking leave of them, he said, “I will return again im yirtzeh Hashem (G-d willing).” Then Rav Sha’ul set sail from Ephesus.

²² And having come down to Caesarea and having gone up and greeted the [Yerushalayim] Kehillah of Moshiach, then Rav Sha’ul went down to Antioch.

²³ And having spent some time, he embarked, passing through the area of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the Moshiach’s talmidim.

²⁴ Now a certain man, a Yehudi, arrived in Ephesus, Apollos by name, hailing from Alexandria, a lamdan (a Torah scholar with prodigious knowledge), being tief (deep and profound, erudite, keen) in the Kitvei HaKodesh.

²⁵ This one had been taught the Derech Hashem and was on fire in the Ruach Hakodesh and saying shiurim and drashot accurate and true to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. But Rav Apollos was acquainted only with the tevilah of teshuva of Yochanan [see Lk 3:16].

²⁶ And this rabbi began to speak with ometz lev (boldness) in the shul. And having heard him, Priscilla and Aquila took him and more accurately instructed him in the Derech Hashem.

²⁷ When Rav Apollos desired to go to Achaia, the Achim b’Moshiach encouraged him and wrote iggrot to Moshiach’s talmidim there to welcome him. When Rav Apollos arrived, he greatly helped the ones who through the Chen v’Chesed Hashem had come to emunah.

²⁸ For Rav Apollos was publicly and powerfully refuting the [unbelieving] Yehudim, showing through the Kitvei HaKodesh that Yehoshua is the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

19 And it came about while Rav Apollos was in Corinth that Rav Sha’ul traveled through the upper regions and arrived at Ephesus, finding some of [Moshiach’s] talmidim there.

² And Rav Sha’ul said to them, "Did you receive the Ruach Hakodesh when you came to emunah?" But they said to Rav Sha’ul, "But we never heard that there is a Ruach Hakodesh!"

³ And Rav Sha’ul said, "Into what then were you given tevilah?" And they said, "Into the tevilah of Yochanan."

⁴ And Rav Sha’ul said, "Yochanan gave a tevilah of teshuva to the people, saying that they should have emunah in Hu HaBah [Moshiach], the one coming after him, that is, in Yehoshua." [Lk 3:16]

⁵ And having heard this, they were given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva in haShem of the Moshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua.

⁶ And when Rav Sha’ul placed his hands upon them, the Ruach Hakodesh came upon them, and they were speaking in leshonot and they were speaking dvarim hanevu’ah.

⁷ And the anashim were about sheneym asar in number.

⁸ And having joined the minyan at the shul, Rav Sha’ul was speaking with ometz lev during the course of shloshah chodashim, debating and persuading concerning the things of the Malchut Hashem.

⁹ But when some unbelievers in the shul were being hardened and were disobeying, speaking Chillul Hashem of the Derech Hashem before the multitude, Rav Sha’ul withdrew from them. Rav Sha’ul took the Moshiach’s talmidim and yom yom was saying shiurim in the [Messianic] yeshiva of Tyrannus.

¹⁰ And this happened over a period of two years with the intended result that all the ones inhabiting [the Roman Province of] Asia heard the dvar Hashem, both Yehudim and Yevanim.

¹¹ And gevaltike moftim and niflaot Hashem effected at the hands of Rav Sha’ul,

¹² so that when a handkerchief or an apron touched the skin of Rav Sha’ul and was brought to the cholim, the machlot (sicknesses) and the shedim (demons) left them.

¹³ And some traveling Jewish exorcists attempted to use haShem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua over the ones possessed of ruchot ra’ot, saying, "I exorcize and cast you out by the Yehoshua whom Rav Sha’ul preaches!"

¹⁴ And there were doing this very thing shivat banim of a certain Skeva, a Jewish "Kohen Gadol."

¹⁵ And in reply the ruach hara’ah (the shed, demon) said to them, "I am acquainted with Yehoshua, I have da’as of Sha’ul, but, you, who are you?!"

¹⁶ And the ish in whom was the ruach hara’ah leaped upon them and subdued all [shivah] of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled, naked and wounded, from the bais.

¹⁷ And this became known to all the Yehudim and also the Yevanim inhabiting Ephesus, and pachad (terror) fell upon all of them, and they were exalting haShem of Adoneinu Yehoshua.

¹⁸ And many of the ones having come to emunah were making vidduy of their ma’asim, disclosing them.

¹⁹ And a number of the ones who had practiced kishshuf (magic, sorcery) brought together their occult sfarim and were burning them publicly; and they added up the price of these occult sfarim, and they found it to be fifty thousand silver pieces.

²⁰ So the dvar Hashem, the Besuras HaGeulah, was growing with ko’ach and was prevailing.

²¹ And when these things were fulfilled, Rav Sha’ul resolved in his ruach to travel through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Yerushalayim, saying "After I have gone there, it is necessary for me also to see Rome."

²² So Rav Sha’ul sent to Macedonia two of the mesharetim (ministers, servants) with him‖Timotiyos and Erastus, while he stayed a little while longer in [the Province of] Asia.

²³ Now during that time there was no small disturbance concerning the Derech Hashem.

²⁴ For a certain one, Demetrius by name, a silversmith and maker of silver idol shrines for Artemis, was providing no small revach (profit) for the craftsmen.

²⁵ Demetrius also assembled the craftsmen occupied with that trade and he said, "Anashim, you have da’as that our prosperity is from this trade,

²⁶ "And you see and hear that not only here in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Rav Sha’ul has persuaded and drawn away a large multitude saying, ‘Elilim made with human hands are not Elohim.’ [Dt 4:28; Ps 115:4; Isa 44:10-20; Jer 10:3-5]

²⁷ "And this is not only a danger to us, that our part, our trade, will fall into disrepute, but also the temple of the elah hagedolah Artemis may be considered as nothing, and also may be about to suffer the loss of her majesty, which all Asia and the Olam Hazeh worship."

²⁸ And having listened and having become full of ka’as, the idol makers were crying out, saying, "Gedolah is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

²⁹ And the city was filled with tohu, and they rushed with one impulse into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Macedonians and traveling fellow po’alim of Rav Sha’ul.

³⁰ And Rav Sha’ul desired to enter into the crowd in the theater, but the talmidim were not allowing him.

³¹ And also some of the Asiarchs who were his chaverim, sent to him, begging him not to venture into the theater.

³² Then some began shouting one thing, some another, in the theater, for the kahal was in confusion, and most had no da’as of the purpose of the kahal (assembly).

³³ And from the multitude Alexander was pushed forward by Yehudim and some prompted him with shouts, while Alexander waved his hand, wanting to defend himself to the kahal.

³⁴ But having known what the man was, that he was a Yehudi, all in the theater shouted in unison for lav davka two hours crying out, "Gedolah is Artemis of the Ephesians."

³⁵ And the town clerk, when he had restrained the crowd, said, "Anashim, citizens of Ephesus, who indeed is there among Bnei Adam who does not have da’as that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the tzelem (image) that fell from Shomayim?

³⁶ "Since these things are undeniable, it is necessary for you to calm down and to do nothing reckless.

³⁷ "For you brought these anashim here who are neither temple robbers nor speakers of evil against our religion.

³⁸ "Therefore, if Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a tainah (grievance) against anyone, the civil courts are in session and there are proconsuls. Let it be there that they bring charges against one another.

³⁹ "And if you seek anything further, let your settlement be obtained in the lawful assembly.

⁴⁰ "For indeed we are in danger of being indicted for an intifadah (uprising) today, for there is no justification we can render to excuse this disorder and commotion."

⁴¹ And having said these things, the town clerk dismissed the kahal (assembly).

20 And after the uproar had ended, Rav Sha’ul summoned the Moshiach’s talmidim and, having exhorted them, and having taken his leave, he departed to go to Macedonia.

² And having traveled through those regions and having exhorted the Moshiach’s talmidim there with many words, Rav Sha’ul came to Greece.

³ And after he had spent shloshah chodashim there, Rav Sha’ul was about to set sail for Syria when a kesher (conspiracy) was plotted against him by the [unbelieving] Yehudim, and so Rav Sha’ul decided to return through Macedonia.

⁴ And accompanying Rav Sha’ul from Berea was Sopater the son of Pyrrhus; from Thessalonica was Aristarchus and Secundus; from Derbe, Gaius; and from Asia, Timotiyos, Tychicus and Trophimus.

⁵ And these, having gone ahead, were waiting for us in Troas.

⁶ And we sailed away after the Yamim HaMatzot [i.e., Pesach] from Philippi, and within chamash yamim we came to them in Troas, where we stayed shivah yamim.

⁷ And on Yom Rishon, when we met for tish (it was Motzoei Shabbos when there was a Melaveh Malkeh communal meal), Rav Sha’ul was saying a shiur to them, since he would have to depart early the next day and was having to extend the message until chatzot halailah.

⁸ And there were a number of menorot in the upper story, where we had assembled.

⁹ And a certain bocher, by the name of Eutychus, was sitting on the window sill and began to succumb to a deep sleep while Rav Sha’ul was saying a shiur that went on and on. Overcome by this sleep, Eutychus fell from the third story downwards, and was picked up dead.

¹⁰ And having come down, Rav Sha’ul fell upon him, and, having embraced him, Rav Sha’ul said, "Do not be troubled, for his neshamah is in him." [MELACHIM ALEF 17:21; MELACHIM BAIS 4:34]

¹¹ And having gone up and, at the Betzi’at HaLechem, having partaken of it, and having spoken until Shacharis, thus Rav Sha’ul departed.

¹² And they led away the bochur chai! And they were not a little comforted.

¹³ And we went ahead to the oniyah (sailing vessel) and set sail for Assos, where we were intending to take Rav Sha’ul on board, for he had arranged it so, intending to travel himself there by land.

¹⁴ When Rav Sha’ul met us in Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.

¹⁵ And from there, having sailed away, we arrived on the next day opposite Chios. And then the day following we crossed over to Samos, and, on the following day, we came to Miletus.

¹⁶ For Rav Sha’ul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so he would not have to spend time in [the Province of] Asia, for he was hurrying in order that, if possible, he might by Shavu’os go up to Yerushalayim.

¹⁷ And from Miletus, having sent to Ephesus, Rav Sha’ul summoned the Ziknei HaKehillah.

¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them, "You have da’as from the yom harishon in which I set foot in Asia how I was with you the entire time,

¹⁹ "My avodas kodesh service to Hashem with all anavah (humility) and tears and tzoros, and all that happened to me by the kesharim of the [unbelieving] Yehudim;

²⁰ "How I kept back nothing profitable from you, but kept giving you messianic drashot and shiurim publicly and from bais to bais, [TEHILLIM 40:10; YIRMEYAH 26:2; 42:2]

²¹ "Bearing solemn edut both to Yehudim and Yevanim about teshuva toward Hashem and emunah in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua.

²² "And now, hinei, having been bound by the Ruach Hakodesh, I am going to Yerushalayim, not having da’as of the things that are going to happen to me there,

²³ "Except that the Ruach Hakodesh, in every city, testifies to me, saying that the beis hasohar and tzoros are awaiting me.

²⁴ "But I gufa (myself) do not account my existence in the Olam Hazeh of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the avodas kodesh sherut which I received from the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua to bear witness to the Besuras HaGeulah of the Chen v’Chesed Hashem.

²⁵ "And now, hinei, I have da’as that no longer will you see my face, all of you among whom I went about preaching the Malchut Hashem.

²⁶ "Therefore I bear solemn edut (testimony) to you on this very day today, that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.

²⁷ "For I did not shrink back from preaching and disclosing to all of you the whole etzat Hashem (counsel, plan of G-d).

²⁸ "Pay attention to yourselves and to all the Eder Hashem (flock of G-d) in which the Ruach Hakodesh has placed you as mashgichim ruchaniyim (spiritual overseers) to do the work of ro’im (shepherds) over the Kehillah of Hashem which Adoneinu purchased for the Geulah with his own dahm [kapporah].

²⁹ "I have da’as that after my departure savage ze’evim (wolves) will come in among you, not sparing the eder (flock). [YECHEZKEL 34:5]

³⁰ "And from you yourselves will rise up anashim speaking perverted doctrines in order to draw away talmidim after themselves.

³¹ "Therefore, be shomer, remembering that for shloshah shanim, yomam v’lailah, I did not stop admonishing each one of you with tears.

³² "And now I commend you to Hashem and to the Dvar HaChen v’Chesed Hashem which is able to build you up and give you a nachalah (inheritance) among all the kadoshim.

³³ "I coveted no one’s silver or gold or shtreimel. [SHMUEL ALEF 12:3]

³⁴ "You yourselves have da’as that these hands of mine supported all my needs as well as the needs of those with me.

³⁵ "In all this I was showing you a mofet (example) that thus working hard it is necessary to help the weak and to have zikaron of the dvarim of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua, that he himself said, ‘Beser (better) to geben (give) than to nemen (take).’"

³⁶ And having said these things, Rav Sha’ul fell down and, with them all, began davening.

³⁷ And there was much weeping among them, and, having fallen upon the neck of Rav Sha’ul, they were kissing him,

³⁸ with agmat nefesh above all at the dvar in which Rav Sha’ul had said that no longer would they see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the oniyah.