< Acts 20 >
1 After the people at Ephesus had stopped rioting, Paul summoned the believers. He encouraged them [to continue to trust in the Lord Jesus. Soon] after that, he told them goodbye and left to go to Macedonia [province].
When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and, after speaking words of encouragement to them, he took his leave, and started for Macedonia.
2 [After he arrived] there, he visited [each town where there were believers], and encouraged them. Then he arrived in Greece [province], [which is also called Achaia].
Passing through those districts he encouraged the disciples in frequent addresses, and then came into Greece, and spent three months there.
3 He stayed there for three months. Then he planned to return to Syria by ship, but [he heard that] some of the Jews [SYN] [in that area] were planning to kill him [as he traveled. So] he decided instead to go [by land, and he traveled] again through Macedonia.
The Jews having planned to waylay him whenever he might be on the point of taking ship for Syria, he decided to travel back by way of Macedonia.
4 The men who were going to travel with him [to Jerusalem were] Sopater, [who was] a son of Pyrrhus, who grew up in Berea [town]; Aristarchus and Secundus, who were from Thessalonica [city; ] Gaius, [who was] from Derbe [town; ] Timothy, [who was from Galatia province; ] and Tychicus and Trophimus who were from Asia [province].
He was accompanied as far as the province of Asia by Sopater the Beroean, the son of Pyrrhus; by the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; by Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and by the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.
5 Those [seven] men went ahead of [Paul and me, Luke, by ship from Macedonia, so] they got to Troas [before we did and] waited for [the two of] us there.
These brethren had gone on and were waiting for us in the Troad.
6 [But we two(exc) traveled by land as far as] Philippi [city]. After the Jewish festival [when they eat] unleavened bread, we got on a ship [that was going from] the port near [Philippi to Troas city]. After five days we [(exc)] arrived at Troas and we met the other men who had traveled there [ahead of us]. Then we [all] stayed in Troas for seven days.
But we ourselves sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined them in the Troad, where we remained for a week.
7 (On Sunday evening/On the evening of the first day of the week), we [(exc) and the other believers there] gathered together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper [and to eat other food] [SYN]. Paul spoke to the believers. He continued teaching them until midnight, because he was planning to leave [Troas] the next day.
On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul, who was going away the next morning, was preaching to them, and prolonged his discourse till midnight.
8 Many [oil] lamps were burning in the upstairs room in which we [(exc)] had gathered, [so the fumes caused some people to become sleepy].
Now there were a good many lamps in the room upstairs where we all were,
9 A young man whose name was Eutychus was there. He was seated on [the sill of] an [open] window [on the third story of the house]. As Paul continued talking for a long time, Eutychus became sleepier and sleepier. Finally, he was sound/really asleep. He fell [out of the window] from the third story down [to the ground. Some of the believers went down] immediately and picked him up. [But he was] dead.
and a youth of the name of Eutychus was sitting at the window. This lad, gradually sinking into deep sleep while Paul preached at unusual length, overcome at last by sleep, fell from the second floor and was taken up dead.
10 Paul [also] went down. He lay down and stretched out on top of the young man and put his arms around him. Then he said [to the people who were standing around], “Do not worry, he is alive [again now]!”
Paul, however, went down, threw himself upon him, and folding him in his arms said, "Do not be alarmed; his life is still in him."
11 Then Paul, [along with the others], went upstairs again and they ate the Lord’s Supper and other food [SYN]. Afterwards, Paul conversed with the believers until dawn. Then he left.
Then he went upstairs again, broke bread, and took some food; and after a long conversation which was continued till daybreak, at last he parted from them.
12 The [other] people took the young man [home], and were greatly encouraged because he was alive [again].
They had taken the lad home alive, and were greatly comforted.
13 We then went to the ship. Paul did not get on the ship [with us in Troas], because he preferred to go [more quickly] overland to Assos [town]. The rest of us got on the ship and sailed for Assos.
The rest of us had already gone on board a ship, and now we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there; for so he had arranged, he himself intending to go by land.
14 We [(exc)] met Paul in Assos. He got on [the ship] with us, and we sailed to Mitylene [town].
Accordingly, when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.
15 The day after [we reached Mitylene], we [sailed from there and] arrived [at a place] near Kios [Island]. The day after that, we sailed to Samos [Island]. The next day we [left Samos and] sailed to Miletus [town].
Sailing from there, we arrived the next day off Chios. On the next we touched at Samos; and on the day following reached Miletus.
16 [Miletus was just south of Ephesus city]. Paul had [earlier] decided that he would not get on a ship that would stop at Ephesus, because he did not want to spend [several] days in Asia [province]. If possible, he wanted to arrive in Jerusalem by the [time of the] Pentecost festival, [and the time of that festival was near].
For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to spend much time in the province of Asia; since he was very desirous of being in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of the Harvest Festival.
17 [When the ship arrived at] Miletus, Paul sent [a messenger] to Ephesus to ask the elders of the congregation to come to talk with him.
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the Elders of the Church to come to him.
18 When the elders arrived, Paul said to them, “You personally know how I [conducted myself among you the entire time] that I was with you, from the first day when I arrived [here] in Asia [province until the day I left].
Upon their arrival he said to them, "You Elders well know, from the first day of my setting foot in the province of Asia, the kind of life I lived among you the whole time,
19 [You know how] I was serving the Lord [Jesus] very humbly and how I sometimes wept [about people. You also know how] I suffered because the Jews [SYN] [who were not believers often] tried [to harm me].
serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews--
20 You also know that, as I preached [God’s message] to you, I never left out anything that would help you. You know that I taught you [God’s message] when many people were present, and I [also went to your] homes and taught it there.
and that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching you in public and in your homes,
21 I preached both to Jews and to non-Jews, telling them [all] that they must turn away from their sinful behavior. [I also told them they should] believe in our Lord Jesus.”
and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord.
22 “And now note this: I am going to Jerusalem, because [God’s] Spirit has clearly shown me that I must go there. I do not know what will happen to me [while I am there].
"And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
23 But I do know that in each city [where I have stopped], the Holy Spirit has (told me/[caused the believers to] tell me) that [in Jerusalem] people will put me in prison [PRS] and will cause me to suffer [PRS].
except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me.
24 But I do not care even if people kill me, if first I am able to finish the work [MET] that the Lord Jesus has told me [to do. He appointed me] to tell people the good message that God [saves us] by doing for us what we do not deserve.
But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.
25 I have preached to you the message about how God desires to rule [people’s lives]. But now I know that today is the last time that you fellow believers will see me [SYN].
"And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face.
26 So I want you all to understand that if anyone [who has heard me preach] dies [without trusting in Jesus], it is not my fault [MTY],
Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you.
27 because I told you [LIT] everything [HYP] that God has planned for us [(inc)].
For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth.
28 [You leaders] must continue to believe and obey [God’s message. You must also help] all the other believers [MET] for whom the Holy Spirit has caused you to be responsible [MTY]. Watch over [MET] yourselves and the other believers [as] a shepherd [watches over his sheep]. God bought them with the blood [that flowed from] his [Son’s body on the cross].
"Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood.
29 I know [very well] that after I leave, [people who teach] [MET] [false doctrines] will come among you and will do great harm to the believers. [They will be like] fierce wolves [that kill sheep].
I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock;
30 Even in your own group of believers there will be some who will deceive [other] believers by teaching them messages that are false. They will teach those messages so that some people [will believe them and] will become their followers.
and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them.
31 So watch out [that none of you stops believing the true message about our Lord Jesus]. Remember that day and night for [about] three years I repeatedly taught you that message, and warned you with tears [in my eyes not to believe any other message].”
Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears.
32 “[Now as I leave you], I ask God to protect you and to keep you believing the message [that he saves us(inc)] by doing for us what we do not deserve. [If you continue believing] the message [that I told you], you will become [spiritually mature], and God will give you the blessings that he has promised to give to all of those who belong to him.
"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people.
33 [As for myself], I have not desired anyone’s money [MTY] or [fine] clothing.
No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted.
34 You yourselves know that I have worked [with my hands] [MTY] to earn the money that my companions and I needed.
You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me.
35 In everything that I did, I showed you that we [(inc)] should work hard in order [to have enough money] to give some to those who are needy. We [(inc)] should remember that our Lord Jesus himself said, ‘You are happy when people give you what you need, but God will be happy with you when you give other people what they need.’”
In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of the elders and prayed.
Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all;
37 They all cried a lot, and they hugged Paul and kissed him.
and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly,
38 They were especially sad because he had said that they would never see him [SYN] again. Then they [all] went with him to the ship.
grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.