Chapter 21

Paul Sails from Miletus

1 When awe had parted from them and had set sail, we ran ba straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara;

2 and having found a ship crossing over to aPhoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.

3 When we came in sight of aCyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to bSyria and landed at cTyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo.

4 After looking up athe disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul 1bthrough the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

5 When 1our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, aescorted us until we were out of the city. After bkneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.

6 Then we went on board the ship, and they returned ahome again.

7 When we had finished the voyage from aTyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting bthe brethren, we stayed with them for a day.

8 On the next day we left and came to aCaesarea, and entering the house of bPhilip the cevangelist, who was bone of the seven, we stayed with him.

9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who were aprophetesses.

10 As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named aAgabus came down from Judea.

11 And coming to us, he atook Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This bis what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will cbind the man who owns this belt and ddeliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”

12 When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him anot to go up to Jerusalem.

13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For aI am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for bthe name of the Lord Jesus.”

14 And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, “aThe will of the Lord be done!”

Paul at Jerusalem

15 After these days we got ready and astarted on our way up to Jerusalem.

16 Some of athe disciples from bCaesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of cCyprus, a ddisciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.

17 After we arrived in Jerusalem, athe brethren received us gladly.

18 And the following day Paul went in with us to 1aJames, and all bthe elders were present.

19 After he had greeted them, he abegan to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his bministry.

20 And when they heard it they began aglorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many 1thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all bzealous for the Law;

21 and they have been told about you, that you are ateaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them bnot to circumcise their children nor to 1walk according to cthe customs.

22 “What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

23 “Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who 1aare under a vow;

24 take them and apurify yourself along with them, and 1pay their expenses so that they may bshave their 2heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.

25 “But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, ahaving decided that they should abstain from 1meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.”

26 Then Paul 1took the men, and the next day, apurifying himself along with them, bwent into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Paul Seized in the Temple

27 When athe seven days were almost over, bthe Jews from 1cAsia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him,

28 crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! aThis is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has bdefiled this holy place.”

29 For they had previously seen aTrophimus the bEphesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

30 Then all the city was provoked, and 1the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they adragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

31 While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the 1commander of the aRoman 2cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

32 At once he atook along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the 1commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

33 Then the 1commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be abound with btwo chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done.

34 But among the crowd asome were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the 1facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into bthe barracks.

35 When he got to athe stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the 1mob;

36 for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, “aAway with him!”

37 As Paul was about to be brought into athe barracks, he said to the 1commander, “May I say something to you?” And he * said, “Do you know Greek?

38 “Then you are not athe Egyptian who some 1time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out binto the wilderness?”

39 But Paul said, “aI am a Jew of Tarsus in bCilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”

40 When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on athe stairs, bmotioned to the people with his hand; and when there 1was a great hush, he spoke to them in the 2cHebrew dialect, saying,