Acts 18

1 After that, Paul left Athens [city] and went to Corinth [city].

After this, Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.

2 There he met a Jew whose name was Aquila, who grew up in Pontus [province]. Aquila and his wife Priscilla had recently come from [Rome, in] Italy. [They had previously left Rome] because Claudius, [the Roman Emperor], had ordered that all the Jews must leave Rome. Paul later went to see Aquila and Priscilla.

There he found a Jew named Aquila, of Pontus by birth, who had recently come from Italy along with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them,

3 Those two made tents [to earn] ([money/a living]). Paul also made tents, so he stayed with them, and they all worked together.

and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

4 Every Sabbath, Paul [went] to the Jewish meeting place, where he spoke forcefully to both Jews and non-Jews. He repeatedly tried to persuade them [that Jesus is the Messiah].

Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.

5 Then Silas and Timothy arrived there from Macedonia province. After they arrived, Paul [did not make tents any more. He] used all his time preaching [the message about Jesus in the Jewish meeting place]. He continued to tell the Jews [that] the Messiah they had been waiting for was Jesus.

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.

6 But the Jews began to oppose Paul and to say evil things about him. So he shook [the dust from] his clothes [to show them that they were displeasing God. Then] he said to them, “If God punishes you, it will be your [SYN] own fault [MTY], not mine! From now on I will go [and preach] to non-Jewish people!”

But when the Jews opposed him and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

7 So Paul left [the Jewish meeting place] and went into a house that was next to it, [and preached there]. Titius Justus, the owner of the house, was a non-Jewish man who had accepted what the Jews believe.

So he moved on from there and went to the house of a man named Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.

8 [After that], the ruler of the Jewish meeting place, [whose name was] Crispus, and all of his family [MTY] believed in the Lord [Jesus]. Many other people in Corinth who listened [to Paul] also believed [in Jesus]. Then they were baptized. [But there were people who still opposed Paul and his preaching].

Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.

9 One night Paul had a vision in which the Lord [Jesus] said to him, “Do not be afraid [of those who oppose you]. Instead, you should continue speaking [to people about me]. Do not stop,

One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent.

10 because I [will help] you, and no one will be able to harm you [(sg) here. Keep telling people about me], because there are many in this city who will [believe in] me.”

For I am with yoʋ, and no one will attack yoʋ to do yoʋ harm, for I have many people in this city.”

11 So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching people the message from God [about Jesus].

So Paul stayed for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 When Gallio was the [Roman] governor of Achaia [province], the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] there got together and seized Paul. They took him before Gallio [and accused him],

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up with one accord against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

13 saying, “This man is teaching people [a false religion, leading them] to worship God in ways that are contrary to our [Jewish] laws.”

saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God in a manner contrary to the law.”

14 When Paul was about to speak [MTY] [to defend himself], Gallio said to the Jews, “If this man had acted deceitfully or disobeyed [any of our Roman] laws, I would listen [patiently] to what you Jews [want to tell me].

But just as Paul was about to open his mouth to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or evil misdeed, O Jews, I would bear with you, as is reasonable.

15 However, you are merely arguing about words and names and your own [Jewish] laws, so you yourselves need to resolve this. I refuse to judge these things!”

But since it is a question about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves, for I do not want to be a judge of such things.”

16 After Gallio [had said that], he [commanded some soldiers/guards] that [they] expel those [Jewish leaders] from the courtroom.

So he drove them away from the judgment seat.

17 Then [the mob outside] grabbed the leader of the Jewish meeting place, Sosthenes [because they considered that he was responsible for those accusations against Paul]. They beat him, right there in front of the courthouse. But Gallio did nothing about it.

Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But none of these things were of any concern to Gallio.

18 Paul stayed on with the believers in Corinth for (many days/some time). Then he left the believers there, and went with Priscilla and [her husband] Aquila. They went down to Cenchrea, [a port city]. There Paul had his head shaved {[someone] shave his head} in order to partially complete a vow that he had taken. Then they got on a ship and sailed for Syria [province].

After staying in Corinth for many more days, Paul took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. (Now he had shaved his head in Cenchreae because he was under a vow.)

19 They arrived at Ephesus [city], and Priscilla and Aquila stayed there. [Before Paul left Ephesus], he entered the Jewish meeting place and lectured to the Jews.

When he arrived at Ephesus, he left Priscilla and Aquila there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

20 They asked him to stay longer, but he refused.

When they asked him to stay with them for a longer period of time, he declined.

21 But, as he left, he told them, “I will come back, if God wills/desires [me to do that].” Then, [because he wanted to be in Jerusalem to finish completing his vow], he got on [a ship that] sailed from Ephesus.

However, as he took leave of them, he said, “I must by all means keep the coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return to you again, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

22 When the ship arrived at Caesarea, Paul [got off. He] went up [to Jerusalem] and greeted the believers there. Then he went back down to Antioch [city in Syria province].

When he arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch.

23 Paul spent some time [with the believers] there. Then he left Antioch and traveled to several towns [that he had visited previously] in Galatia and Phrygia [provinces]. He taught all of the believers more [of the message from God about Jesus].

After spending some time there, he departed and went from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

24 [While Paul was traveling in Galatia and Phrygia], a Jewish man whose name was Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria [city]. He [spoke eloquently] and he knew the Scriptures thoroughly.

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the Scriptures.

25 [Other believers] had taught him [some things] about how the Lord [Jesus desires that people] should conduct themselves, and he taught those things very enthusiastically [to people. He had heard about] some of the things that Jesus did and said, and he taught those facts accurately [to people. However, he was teaching incompletely about Jesus, because] he knew only what John [the Baptizer had taught people whom he] baptized.

He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. Being fervent in spirit, he spoke and accurately taught the facts about the Lord, though he knew only about the baptism of John.

26 Apollos went to the Jewish meeting place, and he told the people there very confidently the things that he had learned. When Priscilla and Aquila heard what Apollos taught, they invited him [to their home]. There they explained more accurately to him the way [that] God [gives people eternal life].

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God in greater detail.

27 When Apollos decided that he would like to go to Achaia [province], the believers in Ephesus told him that it would be good for him to do that. So they wrote a letter to the believers [in Achaia saying that they] should welcome Apollos. [So Apollos got on a ship to go to Corinth]. After he arrived, he greatly helped those whom [God] had kindly enabled to believe [in Jesus].

And when Apollos wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples, encouraging them to receive him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who had become believers through grace,

28 Apollos was vigorously arguing publicly with [the leaders of] the Jews while many other people listened. [By quoting] from the Scriptures, he proved to people that Jesus was the Messiah.

for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.