Historical
20 When everything was quiet, Paul called the disciples. He talked to them so they would not be afraid. Then he said goodbye and left. He went to Macedonia.
2 He went through that country and talked to the people. He helped them to believe more strongly. Then he went to Greece.
3 He stayed there for three months. When he was ready to go to Syria by boat, he heard that the Jewish leaders were planning to catch him. So he said, `I will go back through Macedonia.'
4 Some men went with him as far as Asia Minor. They were Sopater from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy, and also Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia Minor.
5 These went on ahead and waited for us at Troas.
6 After the days of the Passover Feast, we left Philippi by boat. Five days later we met them in Troas. We stayed there for seven days.
7-8 n the first day of the week the disciples met together to break bread. Paul was ready to leave the next day. He talked a long time to the people at the meeting until long into the night. They were gathered in an upstairs room with many lights.
9 A young man named Eutychus sat in the window. He became very sleepy. When Paul kept talking so long, Eutychus was very deep in sleep and fell down from the third floor. When the people picked him up he was dead.
10 Paul went down stairs. He lay on him and put his arms around him. `Do not fear,' he said. `He is alive.'
11 Then Paul went upstairs again. He broke bread and ate some food. He talked for a long time, until daybreak. After that, he left.
12 The people took the young man. They were very glad because he was alive.
13 We went by boat to the town of Assos. We were going to meet Paul there and take him on the boat. He told us to do that because he wanted to walk.
14 We met him at Assos, took him on the boat, and went to Mitylene.
15 Then we went by boat the next day and came to Chios. The next day we passed the town of Samos. We reached Miletus on the third day.
16 Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus. He did not want to spend time in Asia Minor. He kept going as fast as he could, because he hoped to be at the feast in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
17 He sent a message from Miletus to Ephesus to call the leaders of the church to come to him.
18 When they came, he said, `You know how I have lived all the time that I have been with you. I lived that way from the first day I came into Asia.
19 You know how I have served the Lord without being proud. And I have even cried for you. I served the Lord when I had troubles and when the leaders of the Jews tried to catch me.
20 I have not feared to tell you everything that would help you. I have taught you in meetings and in your homes.
21 I have told both the Jews and the Greeks to stop doing wrong things. I have told them to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 `And now I feel in my spirit that I must go to Jerusalem. I do not know what will happen to me there.
23 But in every city the Holy Spirit tells me I will be put in prison. I will have much trouble.
24 But none of these things trouble me. I do not try to save my life. All I want is to finish what I must do with joy. The work which the Lord Jesus gave me is to tell the good news that God is kind.
25 I know that you all will never see me again. I have told you about God's kingdom.
26 So I tell you today that if any one is lost, it is not my fault.
27 I have not feared to tell you all that God wants you to know.
28 `The Holy Spirit has made you leaders over his people. Watch yourselves. Like one who takes care of his sheep, so you must take care of the church people. They are the Lord's people. He gave his blood for them.
29 I know this, that there are people as bad as wild animals. After I leave you, they will come to you. They will trouble God's people.
30 Also, some men will come from among you. They will teach things that are not true. They want people to follow them.
31 So then, watch and remember this. For three years, through the night and in the day, I told every one of you to be careful. I even cried as I told you.
32 `And now, my brothers, I give you to God. I leave with you his word which brings blessing. That word is able to make you strong. It will give you your share in the good things of God promised by him. He gives these good things to people who are pure and holy.
33 I did not want anyone to give me money or clothes.
34 You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to pay for the things that I and my friends needed.
35 I have always shown you that you must work hard, as I have. You must help those who cannot work. By so doing you are remembering the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, "It makes you more happy to give something than to get something." '
36 When Paul had said this, he kneeled down and talked to God with them all.
37 They all cried much. They put their arms around his neck and kissed him.
38 They were sad most of all because he had said they would not see him again. And they went with him to the boat.
21 When we had said goodbye to them, we left them. We went straight across the water to the island of Cos. The next day we came to the island of Rhodes. Then we went to the city of Patara.
2 There we found a boat going to the country of Phoenicia, so we went there.
3 When we saw the island of Cyprus, we went on the right side of it to Syria. We landed at Tyre because they unloaded the boat there.
4 We found some Christians and stayed for seven days. The Holy Spirit spoke through them to Paul, `Do not go on to Jerusalem.'
5 When the seven days had passed, we left and went on our way. All of the men, women, and children went with us out of the city. There by the sea we kneeled down and talked to God.
6 We said goodbye to each other. Then we got on the boat and they went back to their homes.
7 From Tyre we went to Ptolemais. There we greeted the Christian brothers and stayed with them one day.
8 The next day we left and came to Caesarea. We went into the house of Philip. He was a man who went out telling the good news. He was one of the seven helpers in the church.
9 He had four daughters who spoke words from God. They were not married.
10 While we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came from Judea.
11 When he came to us, he took Paul's belt. He tied his own hands and feet with it. Then he said, `The Holy Spirit has told me that in the same way the leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem will tie the man who owns this belt. They will give him over to the people who are not Jews.'
12 When we heard this, both we and the people there talked to Paul and begged him not to go to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, `Why are you crying and making me sad like this? I am ready to be tied and also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.'
14 So when we saw that he would not change his mind, we stopped begging him. We said, `May the Lord do what he wants to be done.'
15 After that, we took our things and went to Jerusalem.
16 Some of the Christians from Caesarea went with us. One of them was Mnason, a man born in Cyprus. He was one of the first Christian believers. We stayed in his house.
17 When we reached Jerusalem, the Christian brothers were glad to see us.
18 The next day Paul went with us to see James. All the church leaders were there.
19 First, Paul greeted them. Then he told them one by one the things God had done as he worked among the people who were not Jews.
20 When they heard it, they praised the Lord. They said to Paul, `Brother, there are many thousands of Jews who believe. They all say we must obey the law of Moses.
21 They have heard that you teach all the Jews who live in other lands. They heard that you tell them not to obey Moses' law: that they need not circumcise their children like the Jews do; and they can leave the Jewish ways of living.
22 What should we do about it? Many people will gather together because they will surely hear that you have come.
23 Now then, do the thing we tell you. We have four men who have made a promise.
24 Take them with you. Make yourself clean with them, the way the law says to do. Pay the cost for having their hair cut. Then all the people will know that all the things they heard about you are not true. They will know that you live the way the law says you should live.
25 We sent a letter to those who are not Jews and have believed. Here is what we told them they must not do. They must not touch things that have been given to idols. They must not taste blood. They must not eat the meat of animals that were killed by choking. And they must not take part in any kind of wrong sexual behaviour between men and women.'
26 Then Paul took the men with him. The next day he made himself clean with them the way the law says to do. Then he went into the temple. He told the priests which day they would finish making themselves clean. On that day a sacrifice would be made for each one of them.
27 The seven days were almost over. The Jewish leaders from Asia Minor saw Paul in the temple. They got all the people there excited. They caught hold of him.
28 They shouted, `All you men of Israel, come and help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere not to respect our people. He says we need not obey the law or respect this temple. And what is more, he has brought Greek people into the temple. He has made this holy place unclean.'
29 They said this because they had seen a man from Ephesus named Trophimus. He was in the city with Paul. And they thought that Paul had brought him into the temple.
30 So all the people in the city were excited. They came running. They caught Paul and took him out of the temple by force. Then the doors were shut behind them.
31 They were trying to kill him. The officer in charge of the soldiers heard that all the people of Jerusalem were making trouble.
32 Right away he took some soldiers and officers with him and ran down to the people. When the people saw them they stopped beating Paul.
33 Then the officer came up and took Paul. He had him tied with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.
34 Some of the crowd shouted one thing and some of them shouted something else. The captain could not find out what was true. The people were shouting too much. So he told his soldiers to take Paul into their army house.
35 When Paul came to the steps, the soldiers carried him because the people were fighting to get him.
36 They were all following, shouting, `Kill him!'
37-38 ust as the soldiers were going to take Paul into their army house, he said to the officer, `May I tell you something?' `So, you speak the Greek language!' said the officer. `I thought you were the man from the country of Egypt who made trouble a while ago. I thought you were the one who led four thousand bad men into the desert.'
39 Paul said, `I am a Jew. I was born in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. I belong to a great city. Please let me talk to these people.'
40 So the officer let him talk. Paul stood on the steps and put up his hand. Then all the people were very quiet. He talked to them in the Jews' language.
22 Paul said, `Men, brothers, and fathers, listen while I tell you my side of this matter.'
2-3 hen the people heard him speak in the Jews' language, they were even more quiet. Then Paul said, `I am a Jew. I was born in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. But I was raised here in this city. Gamaliel was my teacher. He taught me very well in the law of our fathers. I was trying hard to obey God, just as you all are today.
4 I troubled very much the people who believed this Way. I even killed them. I had men and women tied and put into prison.
5 The high priest and all the leaders know that this is true about me. They wrote letters for me to carry to the leaders of the Jews in the city of Damascus. I went to have the Christians there tied and brought to Jerusalem to be punished.'
6 `I was on my way and was near Damascus. It was about midday. All at once a very bright light from the sky shone all around me.
7 I fell to the ground and heard someone say to me, "Saul, Saul, why are you troubling me?"
8 I said, "Who are you, Lord?" He answered, "I am Jesus of Nazareth. You are troubling me."
9 The men who were with me saw the light. They were afraid. But they did not hear the one who spoke to me.
10 Then I said, "Lord, what shall I do?" And the Lord said to me, "Get up and go to Damascus. There someone will tell you all you must do."
11 I could not see because the light was so bright. My friends led me by the hand to Damascus.
12 `A man named Ananias was there. He obeyed the law of Moses, and all the Jews who lived there spoke well of him.
13 He came to see me. He stood by my side and said to me, "Brother Saul, you can see again!" And right then I was able to see him.
14 He said, "The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will. He chose you to see the One who is right and to hear him speak.
15 You will speak for him. You will tell all the people what you have seen and heard.
16 Now, why do you wait? Get up and be baptised. Wash away your wrong ways by calling on the name of the Lord!" '
17 `After I went back to Jerusalem, I was talking to God in the temple one day. Something like a dream came over me.
18 I heard the Lord say to me, "Leave Jerusalem quickly, right away. The people will not listen to the things you say about me."
19 And I said, "Lord, they know that I put in prison those who believed in you. I beat them in all the meeting houses.
20 And I stood by and let people kill Stephen. He was one who talked for you. I looked after the clothes of the men who killed him."
21 But the Lord said to me, "Go! I will send you far away to the people who are not Jews." '
22 The people listened to Paul until he said that. Then they shouted, `Kill him and get him off the earth. A man like that should not live!'
23 The people shouted. They waved their clothes about and threw dust in the air.
24 The man in charge of the soldiers ordered Paul to be brought into the army house. He said that he should be beaten hard to make him tell why the people shouted so much at him.
25 When they had tied him with ropes, Paul said to the captain who was standing by, `Is it right for you to beat a man who belongs to Rome without judging his case?'
26 When the captain heard this, he told the commanding officer. He said, `What are you going to do? This man is a Roman!'
27 Then the commanding officer came to Paul and said, `Tell me, are you a Roman?' `Yes, I am,' replied Paul.
28 Then the officer said, `I paid much money to become a Roman.' Paul said, `I was born a Roman.'
29 Then the men who were going to beat him left him. The officer was afraid when he knew Paul was a Roman, because he had tied him up.
30 The officer wanted to know the real reason why the Jewish leaders were angry with Paul. So the next day he had Paul untied. He called the chief priests and the leaders to hold a court meeting. Then he took Paul down and brought him in before them.
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