1And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.[1] (Ac 16:10; Ac 16:11)2And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.3When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo.4And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. (Ac 20:23; Ac 21:11)5When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed (Ac 20:36; Ac 20:38)6and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.7When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers[2] and stayed with them for one day. (Joh 21:23)8On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. (Ac 6:5; Ac 8:5; Eph 4:11; 2Ti 4:5)9He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. (Lu 2:36; Ac 2:17; Ac 13:1; 1Co 11:5)10While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. (Ac 11:28)11And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews[3] at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” (1Sa 15:27; 1Ki 11:30; Isa 20:3; Jer 13:1; Jer 27:2; Mt 20:19; Ac 9:16; Ac 20:23; Ac 21:31; Ac 21:33)12When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. (Mt 16:21)13Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Ac 5:41; Ac 15:26; Ac 20:24; Ac 21:12; Ro 8:36; 2Co 4:16; 2Co 12:10; Php 2:17)14And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” (Ru 1:18; Mt 6:10)15After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.16And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.
Paul Visits James
17When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. (Ac 15:4; Ac 21:7)18On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. (Ac 11:30; Ac 12:17)19After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. (Ac 1:17; Ac 14:27; Ro 15:18)20And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, (Ac 11:18; Ac 22:3; Ro 10:2; Ga 1:14)21and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. (Mr 7:5; Ac 6:14; Ac 15:1; Ac 21:28; Ro 2:28; 1Co 7:19; Ga 2:14; Jas 1:1)22What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.23Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; (Ac 18:18)24take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. (Joh 11:55; Ac 21:23; Ac 21:26; Ac 24:18)25But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled,[4] and from sexual immorality.” (Ac 15:19; Ac 15:29)26Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them. (Nu 6:9; Nu 6:13; Ac 21:24)
Paul Arrested in the Temple
27When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, (Ac 13:50; Ac 21:26; Ac 24:18; Ac 26:21)28crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” (Ac 6:13; Ac 21:21; Ac 24:6)29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. (Ac 20:4)30Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. (2Ki 11:15; Ac 26:21)31And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. (Ac 10:1; Ac 21:30)32He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. (Ac 23:27)33Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. (Ac 12:6; Ac 20:23; Ac 21:11; Ac 22:29; Ac 26:29; Ac 28:20; Eph 6:20; 2Ti 1:16)34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. (Ac 19:32; Ac 22:24; Ac 23:10)35And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,36for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!” (Lu 23:18; Joh 19:15; Ac 22:22)
Paul Speaks to the People
37As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek?38Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” (Mt 24:26; Ac 5:36)39Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” (Ac 9:11; Ac 22:3)40And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language,[5] saying: (Ac 12:17; Ac 22:2; Ac 26:14)
1After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.2We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail.3After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.4We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.5When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.6After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.7We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.8Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.10After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.11Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, “In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.” ’12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.13Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’14When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’15After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.16Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
Paul’s arrival at Jerusalem
17When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly.18The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present.19Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.20When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: ‘You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.21They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.22What shall 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 vow.24Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.25As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.’26The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
Paul arrested
27When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,28shouting, ‘Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.’29(They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)30The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut.31While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.32He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.33The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.34Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.35When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers.36The crowd that followed kept shouting, ‘Get rid of him!’
Paul speaks to the crowd
37As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, ‘May I say something to you?’ ‘Do you speak Greek?’ he replied.38‘Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?’39Paul answered, ‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.’40After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic[1]:
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.