Acts 20

Through Macedonia and Greece

20When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples^z and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.^{a 2}He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, ³where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him^b just as he was about to sail for Syria,^c he decided to go back through Macedonia.^{d 4}He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus^e and Secundus from Thessalonica,^f Gaius^g from Derbe, Timothy^h also, and Tychicusⁱ and Trophimus^j from the province of Asia.^{k 5}These men went on ahead and waited for us^l at Troas.^{m 6}But we sailed from Philippiⁿ after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas,^o where we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas

⁷On the first day of the week^p we came together to break bread.^q Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. ⁸There were many lamps in the upstairs room^r where we were meeting. ⁹Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰Paul went down, threw himself on the young man^s and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”^{t 11}Then he went upstairs again and broke bread^u and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹²The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

¹³We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. ¹⁴When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.^{v 16}Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus^w to avoid spending time in the province of Asia,^x for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem,^y if possible, by the day of Pentecost.^z

¹⁷From Miletus,^a Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders^b of the church. ¹⁸When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you,^c from the first day I came into the province of Asia.^{d 19}I served the Lord with great humility and with tears^e and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.^{f 20}You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything^g that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹I have declared to both Jews^h and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentanceⁱ and have faith in our Lord Jesus.^j

²²“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,^k not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me^l that prison and hardships are facing me.^{m 24}However, I consider my life worth nothing to me;ⁿ my only aim is to finish the race^o and complete the task^p the Lord Jesus has given me^q—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.^r

²⁵“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom^s will ever see me again.^{t 26}Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.^{u 27}For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.^{v 28}Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock^w of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.^x Be shepherds of the church of God,^ay which he bought^z with his own blood.^{ba 29}I know that after I leave, savage wolves^b will come in among you and will not spare the flock.^{c 30}Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples^d after them. ³¹So be on your guard! Remember that for three years^e I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.^f

³²“Now I commit you to God^g and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance^h among all those who are sanctified.^{i 33}I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^{j 34}You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.^{k 35}In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.^{l 37}They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.^{m 38}What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.ⁿ Then they accompanied him to the ship.^o