²²“And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit,^A not knowing what I will encounter there,^k ²³except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.^l ²⁴But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course^B and the ministry^m I received from the Lord Jesus,ⁿ to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

²⁵“And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again. ²⁶Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent^C of the blood of all of you,^o ²⁷because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God.^p ²⁸Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock^q of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers,^r to shepherd the church of God,^D which he purchased with his own blood.^s ²⁹I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.^t ³¹Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.^u

³²“And now ^G I commit you to God and to the word of his grace,^v which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance^w among all who are sanctified. ³³I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^x ³⁴You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.^y ³⁵In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.^z ³⁷There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, ³⁸grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.^aa

Read in Logos

Acts 20:24: But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Footnotes

AOr in my spirit
BOther add with joy
C clean
DSome read church of the Lord; other read church of the Lord and God
GOther add brothers and sisters

Cross references

i Mk 1:15; Ac 2:38; 18:5
j Ac 24:24; 26:18; Eph 1:15; Col 2:5; Phm 5
k Ac 17:16; 20:16
l Ac 9:16; 21:4,11; 1Th 3:3
m Ac 1:17; 21:13; 2Co 4:1; 2Tm 4:7
n Gl 1:1; Ti 1:3
o Ac 18:6; 20:38; 28:31
p Lk 7:30; Ac 20:20; Eph 1:11
q Lk 12:32; Jn 10:16; 1Co 9:7; 1Pt 5:2–3
r Php 1:1; 1Tm 3:2; Ti 1:7; 1Pt 2:25
s Eph 1:7,14; Heb 9:12; 1Pt 1:19; Rv 5:9
t Ac 11:26; 1Tm 1:20; 1Jn 2:19
u Ac 19:10; 20:19
v Ac 14:23; Heb 13:9
w Ac 26:18; Eph 1:14; Col 1:12; 3:24; Heb 9:15; 1Pt 1:4
x 1Sm 12:3; 1Co 9:12; 2Co 7:2; 11:9; 12:17
y Ac 18:3; 19:22
z Lk 22:41; Ac 7:60; 21:5
aa Ac 15:3; 20:25