Acts 20
20
Escaping Death
1After the uproar ended, Paul sent for the disciples; and when he had encouraged them and said farewell, he departed to go to Macedonia.
2When he had passed through these parts and given them a great word of encouragement, he came to Greece,
3where he spent three months. When a plot was formed against him by the Jewish leaders as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return via Macedonia.
4Sopater of Berea, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; as well as Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica; Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
5These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas.
6But we sailed from Philippi after the Days of Matzah. In five days we came to them in Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
7Now on the first day of the week, we gathered to break bread. Paul was talking with them, intending to leave the next day, so he prolonged his speech till midnight.
8There were many lamps in the upper chamber where we were meeting.
9Now a young man named Eutychus was sitting in a windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. Overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up—dead.
10But Paul went down, fell on him and threw his arms around him. He said, “Don’t be upset, for his life is within him.”
11After he went back up and broke the bread and ate, he talked with them a long while until daybreak and then left.
12So they took the boy away alive, greatly relieved.
Prophetic Warnings
13But we went on ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there—for so he had arranged, intending himself to travel there by land.
14When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene.
15Sailing from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios; the next day we crossed over to Samos, and the day after that we came to Miletus.
16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he might not spend much time in Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Shavuot.
17From Miletus, dispatching someone to Ephesus, he called for the elders of the community.
18When they came to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I behaved among you all the time from the first day I set foot in Asia,
19serving the Lord with all humility and tears and trials which fell upon me through the plots of the Jewish leaders.
20I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly as well as from house to house,
21testifying to both Jewish and Greek people repentance to God and trust in our Lord Yeshua.
22“And now, look, bound by the Ruach, I am going to Jerusalem—not knowing what will happen to me there,
23except that the Ruach ha-Kodesh bears witness to me from city to city, saying that bondage and afflictions await me.
24However, I don’t consider my life of any value, except that I might finish my course and the office I received from the Lord Yeshua, to declare the Good News of the grace of God.
25“Now, look! I know that none of you, among whom I have gone proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again.
26Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all.
27For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
28“Take care of yourselves and all the flock of which the Ruach ha-Kodesh has made you overseers, to shepherd the community of God—which He obtained with the blood of His own.
29I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
30Even from among yourselves will arise men speaking perversions, to draw the disciples away after themselves.
31Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning you with tears.
32“Now I commit you to God and the word of His grace, which is strong to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who have been made holy.
33I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing.
34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own needs as well as for those with me.
35In all things I have shown you an object lesson—that by hard work one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Yeshua, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37They all began weeping and falling upon Paul’s neck and kissing him,
38grieving most of all over the statement he made that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Acts 20
20
To Macedonia and Achaia
1After the uproar died down, Paul called together the believers and with words of encouragement said goodbye to them. Then he left and went on to Macedonia. 2He went through those regions and encouraged the people with many messages. Then he came to Achaia, 3where he stayed three months. He was getting ready to go to Syria when he discovered that there were Jews plotting against him; so he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4Sopater son of Pyrrhus, from Berea, went with him; so did Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Tychicus and Trophimus, from the province of Asia; and Timothy. 5They went ahead and waited for us in Troas. 6We sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later we joined them in Troas, where we spent a week.
Paul's Last Visit to Troas
7On Saturday#20.7 Saturday; or Sunday. evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day. 8Many lamps were burning in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window, and as Paul kept on talking, Eutychus got sleepier and sleepier, until he finally went sound asleep and fell from the third storey to the ground. When they picked him up, he was dead. 10But Paul went down and threw himself on him and hugged him. “Don't worry,” he said, “he is still alive!” 11Then he went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. After talking with them for a long time, even until sunrise, Paul left. 12They took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
From Troas to Miletus
13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed off to Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had told us to do this, because he was going there by land. 14When he met us in Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15We sailed from there and arrived off Chios the next day. A day later we came to Samos, and the following day we reached Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, so as not to lose any time in the province of Asia. He was in a hurry to arrive in Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost, if at all possible.
Paul's Farewell Speech to the Elders of Ephesus
17From Miletus Paul sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. 18When they arrived, he said to them, “You know how I spent the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19With all humility and many tears I did my work as the Lord's servant during the hard times that came to me because of the plots of some Jews. 20You know that I did not hold back anything that would be of help to you as I preached and taught in public and in your homes. 21To Jews and Gentiles alike I gave solemn warning that they should turn from their sins to God and believe in our Lord Jesus. 22And now, in obedience to the Holy Spirit I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit has warned me that prison and troubles wait for me. 24#2 Tim 4.7But I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, which is to declare the Good News about the grace of God.
25“I have gone about among all of you, preaching the Kingdom of God. And now I know that none of you will ever see me again. 26So I solemnly declare to you this very day: if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible. 27For I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God. 28So keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock which the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be shepherds of the church of God,#20.28 God; some manuscripts have the Lord. which he made his own through the blood of his Son.#20.28 through the blood of his Son; or through the sacrificial death of his Son; or through his own blood. 29I know that after I leave, fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock. 30The time will come when some men from your own group will tell lies to lead the believers away after them. 31Watch, then, and remember that with many tears, day and night, I taught every one of you for three years.
32“And now I commend you to the care of God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you the blessings God has for all his people. 33I have not wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that I have worked with these hands of mine to provide everything that my companions and I have needed. 35I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’ ”
36When Paul finished, he knelt down with them and prayed. 37They were all crying as they hugged him and kissed him goodbye. 38They were especially sad because he had said that they would never see him again. And so they went with him to the ship.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.