Acts 20:5–28:16

⁵And these had gone on ahead and^* were waiting for us in Troas. ⁶And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread and came to them at Troas within five days, where we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Falls from a Window

⁷And on the first day of the week, when^* we had assembled to break bread, Paul began conversing^* with them, because he^* was going to leave on the next day, and he extended his^* message until midnight. ⁸Now there were quite a few lamps in the upstairs room where we were gathered. ⁹And a certain young man named^b Eutychus who was sitting in the window was sinking into a deep sleep while^* Paul was conversing at length. Being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰But Paul went down and^* threw himself on him, and putting his arms around him,^* said, “Do not be distressed, for his life is in him.” ¹¹So he went up and broke bread,^* and when he^* had eaten and talked for a long time, until dawn, then he departed. ¹²And they led the youth away alive, and were greatly^c comforted.

The Voyage to Miletus

¹³But we went on ahead to the ship and^* put out to sea for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. For having made arrangements in this way, he himself was intending to travel by land. ¹⁴And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and^* went to Mitylene. ¹⁵And we sailed from there on the next day, and^* arrived opposite Chios. And on the next day we approached Samos, and on the following day we came to Miletus. ¹⁶For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not be having to spend time in Asia.^d For he was hurrying if it could be possible for him to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷And from Miletus he sent word^* to Ephesus and^* summoned the elders of the church. ¹⁸And when they came to him, he said to them, “You know from the first day on which I set foot in Asia^e how I was the whole time with you—¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews—²⁰how I did not shrink from proclaiming to you anything that would be profitable, and from teaching you in public and from house to house, ²¹testifying both to Jews and to Greeks with respect to repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.

²²“And now behold, bound by the Spirit I am traveling to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,^{f 23}except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in town after town, saying that bonds and persecutions await me. ²⁴But I consider my^* life as worth nothing^g to myself, in order to finish my mission and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁵“And now behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about proclaiming the kingdom, will see my face no more. ²⁶Therefore I testify to you on this very day that I am guiltless of the blood of all of you,^{* 27}for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the whole purpose of God. ²⁸Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he obtained through the blood of his own Son.^{h 29}I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰And from among you yourselves men will arise, speaking perversions of the truthⁱ in order to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you^* with tears.

³²“And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you^* up and to give you^* the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³I have desired no one’s silver or gold or clothing! ³⁴You yourselves know that these hands served to meet^* my needs and the needs of^* those who were with me. ³⁵I have shown you with respect to all things that by^* working hard in this way it is necessary to help those who are in need, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”^j

³⁶And when he^* had said these things, he fell to his knees and^* prayed with them all. ³⁷And there was considerable weeping by all, and hugging^k Paul, they kissed him, ³⁸especially distressed at the statement that he had said, that they were going to see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Paul Travels on to Jerusalem

21And it happened that after we tore ourselves away^* from them, we put out to sea, and^* running a straight course we came to Cos and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ²And finding a ship that was crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and^* put out to sea. ³And after we^* sighted Cyprus and left it behind on the port side,^a we sailed to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its^* cargo there. ⁴And we stayed there seven days after we^* found the disciples, who kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. ⁵And it happened that when our days were over, we departed and^* went on our way, while^* all of them accompanied us, together with their^* wives and children, as far as outside the city. And after^* falling to our knees on the beach and^* praying, ⁶we said farewell to one another and embarked in the ship, and they returned to their own homes.

⁷And when^* we had completed the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais. And after we^* greeted the brothers, we stayed one day with them. ⁸And on the next day we departed and^* came to Caesarea, and entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and^* stayed with him. ⁹(Now this man had^b four virgin daughters who prophesied.)

¹⁰And while we^* were staying there^* many days, a certain prophet named^c Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹And he came to us and took Paul’s belt. Tying up his own feet and hands, he said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will deliver him^* into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” ¹²And when we heard these things, both we and the local residents urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³Then Paul replied, “What are you doing weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus!” ¹⁴And because^* he would not be persuaded, we remained silent, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”

¹⁵So after these days we got ready and^* went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶And some of the disciples from Caesarea also traveled together with us, bringing us^* to a certain Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing,^d with whom we were to be entertained as guests.

Paul Visits the Leaders of the Jerusalem Church

¹⁷And when^* we came to Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ¹⁸And on the next day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. ¹⁹And after^* greeting them, he began to relate^* one after the other^e the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰And when^* they heard this,^* they began to glorify^* God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many ten thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealous adherents of the law. ²¹And they have been informed about you that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles the abandonment of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their^* children or to live according to our^f customs. ²²What then is to be done?^g Doubtless they will all hear that you have come! ²³Therefore do this that we tell you: we have^h four men who have taken a vow upon themselves.^{i 24}Take these men and^* purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses^j so that they can shave their^* heads, and everyone will know that the things which they had been informed about you are nothing, but you yourself also agree with observing the law. ²⁵But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter after^* deciding they should avoid food sacrificed to idols and blood and what has been strangled and sexual immorality.” ²⁶Then Paul took along the men on the next day, and^* after he^* had purified himself together with them, he entered into the temple courts,^* announcing the completion of the days of purification until the time^k the offering would be presented on behalf of each one of them.

Paul Arrested in the Temple Courts

²⁷But when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia^l who had seen him in the temple courts^* stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸shouting, “Israelite men, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place! And furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!” ²⁹(For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they thought that Paul had brought into the temple.) ³⁰And the whole city was stirred up, and the people came running together, and they seized Paul and^* dragged him outside of the temple courts,^* and immediately the doors were shut.

³¹And as they^* were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the military tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ³²He^m immediately took along soldiers and centurions and^* ran down to them. And when^* they saw the military tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³Then the military tribune came up and^* arrested him and ordered him^* to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what it was that he had done. ³⁴But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and others another, and because^* he was not able to find out the truth on account of the commotion, he gave orders to bring him into the barracks.^{n 35}And when he came to the steps, it happened that he had to be carried by the soldiers on account of the violence of the crowd, ³⁶for the crowd of…