Paul Travels Through Macedonia and Greece

20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging1 them and saying farewell,2 he left to go to Macedonia.3 20:2 After he had gone through those regions4 and spoken many words of encouragement5 to the believers there,6 he came to Greece,7 20:3 where he stayed8 for three months. Because the Jews had made9 a plot10 against him as he was intending11 to sail12 for Syria, he decided13 to return through Macedonia.14 20:4 Paul15 was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea,16 Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica,17 Gaius18 from Derbe,19 and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.20 20:5 These had gone on ahead21 and were waiting for us in Troas.22 20:6 We23 sailed away from Philippi24 after the days of Unleavened Bread,25 and within five days26 we came to the others27 in Troas,28 where we stayed for seven days. 20:7 On the first day29 of the week, when we met30 to break bread, Paul began to speak31 to the people, and because he intended32 to leave the next day, he extended33 his message until midnight. 20:8 (Now there were many lamps34 in the upstairs room where we were meeting.)35 20:9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window,36 was sinking37 into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak38 for a long time. Fast asleep,39 he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 20:10 But Paul went down,40 threw himself41 on the young man,42 put his arms around him,43 and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!”44 20:11 Then Paul45 went back upstairs,46 and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them47 a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 20:12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly48 comforted.

The Voyage to Miletus

20:13 We went on ahead49 to the ship and put out to sea50 for Assos,51 intending52 to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way.53 He54 himself was intending55 to go there by land.56 20:14 When he met us in Assos,57 we took him aboard58 and went to Mitylene.59 20:15 We set sail60 from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios.61 The next day we approached62 Samos,63 and the day after that we arrived at Miletus.64 20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus65 so as not to spend time66 in the province of Asia,67 for he was hurrying68 to arrive in Jerusalem,69 if possible,70 by the day of Pentecost. 20:17 From Miletus71 he sent a message72 to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him.73

20:18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived74 the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot75 in the province of Asia,76 20:19 serving the Lord with all humility77 and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots78 of the Jews. 20:20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming79 to you anything that would be helpful,80 and from teaching you publicly81 and from house to house, 20:21 testifying82 to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.83 20:22 And now,84 compelled85 by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem86 without knowing what will happen to me there,87 20:23 except88 that the Holy Spirit warns89 me in town after town90 that91 imprisonment92 and persecutions93 are waiting for me. 20:24 But I do not consider my life94 worth anything95 to myself, so that96 I may finish my task97 and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news98 of God’s grace.

20:25 “And now99 I know that none100 of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom101 will see me102 again. 20:26 Therefore I declare103 to you today that I am innocent104 of the blood of you all.105 20:27 For I did not hold back from106 announcing107 to you the whole purpose108 of God. 20:28 Watch out for109 yourselves and for all the flock of which110 the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,111 to shepherd the church of God112 that he obtained113 with the blood of his own Son.114 20:29 I know that after I am gone115 fierce wolves116 will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 20:30 Even from among your own group117 men118 will arise, teaching perversions of the truth119 to draw the disciples away after them. 20:31 Therefore be alert,120 remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning121 each one of you with tears. 20:32 And now I entrust122 you to God and to the message123 of his grace. This message124 is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 20:33 I have desired125 no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine126 provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. 20:35 By all these things,127 I have shown you that by working in this way we must help128 the weak,129 and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”130

20:36 When131 he had said these things, he knelt down132 with them all and prayed. 20:37 They all began to weep loudly,133 and hugged134 Paul and kissed him,135 20:38 especially saddened136 by what137 he had said, that they were not going to see him138 again. Then they accompanied139 him to the ship.

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

21:1 After1 we2 tore ourselves away3 from them, we put out to sea,4 and sailing a straight course,5 we came to Cos,6 on the next day to Rhodes,7 and from there to Patara.8 21:2 We found9 a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,10 went aboard,11 and put out to sea.12 21:3 After we sighted Cyprus13 and left it behind on our port side,14 we sailed on to Syria and put in15 at Tyre,16 because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 21:4 After we located17 the disciples, we stayed there18 seven days. They repeatedly told19 Paul through the Spirit20 not to set foot21 in Jerusalem.22 21:5 When23 our time was over,24 we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied25 us outside of the city. After26 kneeling down on the beach and praying,27 21:6 we said farewell28 to one another.29 Then30 we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes.31 21:7 We continued the voyage from Tyre32 and arrived at Ptolemais,33 and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 21:8 On the next day we left34 and came to Caesarea,35 and entered36 the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven,37 and stayed with him. 21:9 (He had four unmarried38 daughters who prophesied.)39

21:10 While we remained there for a number of days,40 a prophet named Agabus41 came down from Judea. 21:11 He came42 to us, took43 Paul’s belt,44 tied45 his own hands and feet with it,46 and said, “The Holy Spirit says this: ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over47 to the Gentiles.’ ” 21:12 When we heard this, both we and the local people48 begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 21:13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking49 my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up,50 but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 21:14 Because he could not be persuaded,51 we said no more except,52 “The Lord’s will be done.”53

21:15 After these days we got ready54 and started up55 to Jerusalem. 21:16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea56 came along with us too, and brought us to the house57 of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times,58 with whom we were to stay. 21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.59 21:18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there.60 21:19 When Paul61 had greeted them, he began to explain62 in detail63 what God64 had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 21:20 When they heard this, they praised65 God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews66 there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers67 of the law.68 21:21 They have been informed about you—that you teach all the Jews now living69 among the Gentiles to abandon70 Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children71 or live72 according to our customs. 21:22 What then should we do? They will no doubt73 hear that you have come. 21:23 So do what74 we tell you: We have four men75 who have taken76 a vow;77 21:24 take them and purify78 yourself along with them and pay their expenses,79 so that they may have their heads shaved.80 Then81 everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told82 about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with83 the law.84 21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided85 that they should avoid86 meat that has been sacrificed to idols87 and blood and what has been strangled88 and sexual immorality.” 21:26 Then Paul took the men the next day,89 and after he had purified himself90 along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice91 of the completion of the days of purification,92 when93 the sacrifice would be offered for each94 of them. 21:27 When the seven days were almost over,95 the Jews from the province of Asia96 who had seen him in the temple area97 stirred up the whole crowd98 and seized99 him, 21:28 shouting, “Men of Israel,100 help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law,101 and this sanctuary!102 Furthermore103 he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple104 and made this holy place ritually unclean!”105 21:29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and106 they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.)107 21:30 The whole city was stirred up,108 and the people rushed together.109 They seized110 Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts,111 and immediately the doors were shut. 21:31 While they were trying112 to kill him, a report113 was sent up114 to the commanding officer115 of the cohort116 that all Jerusalem was in confusion.117 21:32 He118 immediately took119 soldiers and centurions120 and ran down to the crowd.121 When they saw122 the commanding officer123 and the soldiers, they stopped beating124 Paul. 21:33 Then the commanding officer125 came up and arrested126 him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains;127 he128 then asked who he was and what129 he had done. 21:34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else,130 and when the commanding officer131 was unable132 to find out the truth133 because of the disturbance,134 he ordered Paul135 to be brought into the barracks.136 21:35 When he came to the steps, Paul137 had to be carried138 by the soldiers because of the violence139 of the mob, 21:36 for a crowd of people140 followed them,141 screaming, “Away with him!” 21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,142 he said143 to the commanding officer,144 “May I say145 something to you?” The officer146 replied,147 “Do you know Greek?148 21:38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion149 and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’150 into the wilderness151 some time ago?”152 21:39 Paul answered,153 “I am a Jew154 from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city.155 Please156 allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer157 had given him permission,158 Paul stood159 on the steps and gestured160 to the people with his hand. When they had become silent,161 he addressed162 them in Aramaic,163