Acts 21
21
Paul Continues His Journey to Jerusalem
1After we had torn ourselves away from the Ephesian elders, we headed out to sea. We sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes. From there we continued on to Patara. 2We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia. So we went on board and headed out to sea. 3We came near Cyprus and passed to the south of it. Then we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre. There our ship was supposed to unload. 4We looked for the believers there and stayed with them for seven days. The believers tried to keep Paul from going on to Jerusalem. They were led by the Holy Spirit to do this. 5When it was time to leave, we continued on our way. All the believers, including their whole families, went with us out of the city. There on the beach we got down on our knees to pray. 6We said goodbye to each other. Then we went on board the ship. And they returned home.
7Continuing on from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais. There we greeted the brothers and sisters. We stayed with them for a day. 8The next day we left and arrived at Caesarea. We stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist. He was one of the seven deacons. 9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10We stayed there several days. Then a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11He came over to us. Then he took Paul’s belt and tied his own hands and feet with it. He said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the owner of this belt. They will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
12When we heard this, we all begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13He asked, “Why are you crying? Why are you breaking my heart? I’m ready to be put in prison. In fact, I’m ready to die in Jerusalem for the Lord Jesus.” 14We couldn’t change his mind. So we gave up. We said, “May what the Lord wants to happen be done.”
15After this, we started on our way to Jerusalem. 16Some of the believers from Caesarea went with us. They brought us to Mnason’s home. We were supposed to stay there. Mnason was from Cyprus. He was one of the first believers.
Paul Arrives in Jerusalem
17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters gave us a warm welcome. 18The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James. All the elders were there. 19Paul greeted them. Then he reported everything God had done among the Gentiles through his work.
20When they heard this, they praised God. Then they spoke to Paul. “Brother,” they said, “you see that thousands of Jews have become believers. All of them try very hard to obey the law. 21They have been told that you teach Jews to turn away from the Law of Moses. You teach this to the Jews who live among the Gentiles. They think that you teach those Jews not to circumcise their children. They think that you teach them to give up our Jewish ways. 22What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23So do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a promise to God. 24Take them with you. Join them in the Jewish practice that makes people pure and ‘clean.’ Pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that these reports about you are not true in any way. They will know that you yourself obey the law. 25We have already given written directions to the believers who are not Jews. They must not eat food that has been offered to statues of gods. They must not drink blood. They must not eat the meat of animals that have been choked to death. And they must not commit sexual sins.”
26The next day Paul took the men with him. They all made themselves pure and “clean” in the usual way. Then Paul went to the temple. There he reported the date when the days of cleansing would end. At that time the proper offering would be made for each of them.
Paul Is Arrested
27The seven days of cleansing were almost over. Some Jews from Asia Minor saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and grabbed Paul. 28“Fellow Israelites, help us!” they shouted. “This is the man who teaches everyone in all places against our people. He speaks against our law and against this holy place. Besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple. He has made this holy place ‘unclean.’ ” 29They said this because they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul. They thought Paul had brought him into the temple.
30The whole city was stirred up. People came running from all directions. They grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Right away the temple gates were shut. 31The people were trying to kill Paul. But news reached the commander of the Roman troops. He heard that people were making trouble in the whole city of Jerusalem. 32Right away he took some officers and soldiers with him. They ran down to the crowd. The people causing the trouble saw the commander and his soldiers. So they stopped beating Paul.
33The commander came up and arrested Paul. He ordered him to be held with two chains. Then he asked who Paul was and what he had done. 34Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another. But the commander couldn’t get the facts because of all the noise. So he ordered that Paul be taken into the fort. 35Paul reached the steps. But then the mob became so wild that he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”
Paul Speaks to the Crowd
37The soldiers were about to take Paul into the fort. Then he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”
“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who turned some of our people against their leaders? Didn’t you lead 4,000 terrorists out into the desert some time ago?”
39Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia. I am a citizen of an important city. Please let me speak to the people.”
40The commander told him he could. So Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When all of them were quiet, he spoke to them in the Aramaic language.
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Acts 21
21
Warnings on the Journey to Jerusalem
1After#Ac 16:10–11 we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail straight for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. 3After we sighted Cyprus, passing to the south of it,#21:3 Lit leaving it on the left we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, since the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.#Ac 11:26; 20:23; 21:11 5When our time had come to an end, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, 6we said farewell to one another and boarded the ship, and they returned home.
7When we completed our voyage#21:7 Or As we continued our voyage from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.#Jn 21:23; Ac 12:20 8The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip#Ac 6:5; 8:5 the evangelist,#Eph 4:11; 2Tm 4:5 who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. 9This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.#Lk 2:36; Ac 2:7; 13:1; 1Co 11:5
10After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’”#1Kg 22:11; Jr 13:1–11; Mt 20:19; Ac 20:23; 21:33 12When we heard this, both we and the local people pleaded with 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 bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”#Ac 5:41; 9:16; 20:24
14Since he would not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.”#Mt 6:10; Lk 22:42
Conflict over the Gentile Mission
15After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.#Ac 8:40; 21:3–4
17When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly.#Ac 15:4; 21:7 18The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.#Ac 11:30; 12:17; 15:13 19After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.#Ac 1:17; 14:27; Rm 15:18–19
20When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous#Ac 22:3; Rm 10:12; Gl 1:14 for the law. 21But they have been informed about you — that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.#Ac 6:14; 15:19–20; 21:28; 1Co 7:18 22So what is to be done?#21:22 Other mss add A multitude has to come together, since They will certainly hear that you’ve come. 23Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow. 24Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.#Jn 11:55; Ac 18:18; 21:26; 24:18 25With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that#21:25 Other mss add they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
The Riot in the Temple
26So the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them.#Nm 6:13; Ac 24:18 27When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him,#Ac 24:18; 26:21 28shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”#Mt 24:15; Ac 24:6 29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.#Ac 18:19; 20:4
30The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.#2Kg 11:15; Ac 16:19; 26:21
31As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos. 32Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33Then the commander approached, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains.#Ac 12:6; 20:23; 21:11; Eph 6:20; 2Tm 1:16; 2:9 He asked who he was and what he had done. 34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks.#Ac 19:32; 23:10 35When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36for the mass of people followed, yelling, “Get rid of him!” #Lk 23:18; Jn 19:15; Ac 22:22
Paul’s Defense before the Jerusalem Mob
37As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?”
He replied, “You know how to speak Greek? 38Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the wilderness?” #Mt 24:26; Ac 5:36
39Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia,#Ac 9:11; 22:3 a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”
40After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in Aramaic:#21:40 Or Hebrew#Jn 5:2; Ac 12:17
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