Acts 21
1 [After] we said goodbye to the elders [from Ephesus], we [got on the ship and] sailed to Cos [Island, where the ship stopped for the night]. The next day we sailed from Cos to Rhodes [Island, where the ship stopped again. The day after] that we sailed to Patara [town, where the ship stopped. This was on Patara Island].
AND tearing ourselves away from them, when we had set sail, we came in a direct course to Coos, and the day after to Rhodes, and from thence to Patara.
2 [At Patara we left that ship, and someone told us that] there was a ship that would be going to Phoenicia [region. So] we got on that ship, and it left.
And finding a ship passing over to Phenice, we went on board and set sail:
3 [We sailed until] we could see Cyprus [Island]. We passed to the south of the island and continued sailing until we arrived at [Phoenicia region, in] Syria [province]. We arrived at Tyre [city. The ship was going to stay there several days, because its workers] had to unload the cargo.
and coming in sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on the left, we sailed unto Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to discharge her cargo.
4 [Someone told us] where the believers in Tyre lived, so we [(exc) went and] stayed with them for seven days. Because [God’s] Spirit revealed to them ([that people would cause Paul to suffer/Paul would suffer]) [in Jerusalem], they told Paul that he should not go there.
And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: and they said to Paul, by the Spirit, that he should not go up unto Jerusalem.
5 But when it was time [for the ship to leave again], we [prepared to] continue going [to Jerusalem]. When we left [Tyre], all the believers, including their wives and children, went with us [to the edge of the sea]. We all knelt down there on the sand/shore and prayed.
But when we had stayed out those days, we departed, and went on our journey, all of them attending us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and kneeling down on the sea shore, we joined in prayer;
6 After we all said goodbye, Paul and we [his companions] got on the ship, and the [other] believers returned to their own homes.
and embracing one another, we went on ship-board, and they returned to their own homes,
7 After we [(exc)] left Tyre, we continued on [that ship] to Ptolemais [city]. There were believers there, and we greeted them and stayed with them that night.
So completing our voyage, we arrived from Tyre at Ptolemais, and saluting the brethren, tarried with them one day.
8 The next day we left [Ptolemais] and sailed to Caesarea [city], where we stayed in the home of Philip, who [spent his days] telling others how to become disciples of Jesus. He was one of the seven [men whom the believers in Jerusalem had chosen to care for the widows].
And on the morrow we who were Paul’s companions departed with him, and went to Caesarea; and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist (who was one of the seven deacons), we abode with him.
9 He had four daughters who were not married. Each of them [frequently] spoke messages that the Holy Spirit had revealed to them.
Now this man had four maiden daughters endued with the gift of prophecy.
10 After [we(exc) had been in Philip’s house for] several days, a believer whose name was Agabus came down from Judea [district] and arrived [in Caesarea]. He [frequently] spoke messages that the Holy Spirit had told him.
And as we tarried there several days, there came down a certain prophet from Judea named Agabus.
11 Coming over to where we were, he took off Paul’s belt. Then he tied his own feet and hands with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘The Jewish [leaders] [SYN] in Jerusalem will tie up [the hands and feet of] the owner of this belt, like this, and they will hand him over to non-Jewish people [as a prisoner].’”
And coming to us, he took Paul’s girdle, and binding both his own hands and feet together, said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, The man, whose girdle this is, shall the Jews bind in like manner at Jerusalem, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
12 When [the rest of] us heard that, we and [other] believers there repeatedly pled with Paul, “Please do not go up to Jerusalem!”
Then when we heard these things, both we and all who were in the place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 But Paul replied, “(Please stop crying and trying to discourage me [IDM] [from going!]/Why are you crying and trying to discourage me [IDM] [from going]?) [RHQ] I am willing to be put {[for people] to put me} in prison and also to be killed {[for them] to kill me} in Jerusalem because I [serve] [MTY] the Lord Jesus.”
But Paul replied, Why do ye thus―weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not only to be bound, but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 When [we(exc) realized that] he was determined [to go to Jerusalem], we did not try [any longer] to persuade him [not to go]. We said, “May (the Lord [God] do what he wants/the Lord’s will be done)!”
And when he could not be persuaded, we desisted, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
15 After those days [in Caesarea], we [(exc)] prepared [our things] and [left to] go [by land] up to Jerusalem.
Then after those days, packing up our baggage, we went up to Jerusalem:
16 Some of the believers from Caesarea also went with us. [On the way to Jerusalem], we stayed [one night] in the house of [a man whose name was] Mnason. He was from Cyprus [Island], and he had believed [in Jesus] when people were first beginning to hear the message [about him].
and there went also with us some disciples from Caesarea, bringing one Mnason a Cyprian, an ancient disciple, at whose house we were to lodge.
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, [a group of] the believers greeted us happily.
And when we arrived at Jerusalem, the brethren received us with delight.
18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to speak with James, [who was the leader of the congregation there]. All of the [other] leaders/elders [of the congregation in Jerusalem] were also there.
And on the morrow Paul went in with us unto James: and all the presbyters were present.
19 Paul greeted them, and then he reported all of the things that God had enabled him to do among the non-Jewish people.
And after embracing them, he related every particular of the things which God had done among the Gentiles by his ministry.
20 When they heard that, James and the other elders said, “Praise the Lord!” Then [one of] them said to Paul, “Brother/Friend, you [(sg)] know that there are very many thousands of us [(inc)] Jewish people [here] who have believed [in the Lord Jesus]. Also, you know that we [(inc)] all continue very carefully to obey the laws [that Moses gave us].
And they, when they heard it, glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed; and they are all zealots for the law:
21 [But our fellow Jewish believers] have been told {have heard [people say]} that when you are among non-Jews, you tell the Jewish believers who live there that they should stop obeying [the laws] [MTY] ([of] Moses/[that] Moses [received from God]). [People say that] you tell [those Jewish believers] not to circumcise their sons and not to practice our [other] customs. [We(exc) do not believe that this is true].
And they have been informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews, who are among the Gentiles, apostacy from Moses, saying, That they should not circumcise the children, nor walk after the usual practices.
22 But our fellow [Jewish] believers will certainly hear that you have arrived, [and they will be angry with you]. So [you] need to do something [RHQ] [to show them that what they heard about you is not true].
What then is to be done? The multitude must certainly be assembled; for they will hear that thou art come.
23 So you should do what we suggest to you. There are four men among us who have strongly promised [to God] about [something].
Do this therefore which we say to thee: we have four men, who have a vow upon themselves;
24 Go with these men [to the Temple] and [ritually] purify yourself along with them. Then, [when it is time for them to offer the sacrifices for that ritual], pay for what they offer [as sacrifices]. After that, they can shave their heads [to show that they have done what they promised to do. And when people see you in the courts of the Temple with those men], they will know that what they have been told {what people have told them} about you is not true. Instead, all of them will know that you obey all our Jewish laws [and rituals].
them take with thee, be purified with them, and be at the same expence as they, that they may shave their heads: and all men will know that there is no truth in the things reported of thee, but that thou thyself walkest orderly and observest the law.
25 As for the non-Jewish believers, [we elders here in Jerusalem have talked] about [which of our laws] they [should obey, and] we [(exc)] wrote them [a letter, telling them] what we decided. [We wrote] that they should not eat meat that people have offered as a sacrifice to any idol, [that they should not eat] blood [from animals], and that [they should not eat] meat from animals [that people have killed by] strangling [them. We also told them that] they should not have sex with someone to whom they are not married.”
Concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we have already written, deciding that they should observe no such thing, except that they should guard themselves from idol sacrifices, and blood, and what is strangled, and from whoredom.
26 So Paul [agreed to do what they asked], and the next day he took the [four] men, and together they ritually purified themselves. After that, Paul went to the Temple [courts and] told [the priest] what day they would [finish] purifying themselves [ritually] and when [they] would offer [the animals as sacrifices] for each of them.
Then Paul took the men, and the following day being purified with them, he entered into the temple, declaring when the days of their purification would be completed, in order whereunto an oblation was to be offered for every one of them.
27 When the seven days [for purifying themselves] were nearly finished, Paul [returned] to the Temple [courtyard]. Some Jews from Asia [province] saw him there, [and they were very angry at him]. On another day they had seen Paul [walking around] in Jerusalem with Trophimus, who was a non-Jew. Their laws did not permit non-Jews to be in the Temple, and they thought that Paul had brought Trophimus into the Temple [courtyard that day. So] they called out to many other Jews [who were in the Temple courtyard] to [help them] seize [MTY] Paul. They shouted, “Fellow Israelites, come and help [us punish this] man! This is the one who is [constantly] teaching people wherever [he goes that they] should despise the [Jewish] people. [He teaches people that they should no longer obey] the laws [of Moses] nor respect this holy [Temple]. He has even brought non-Jews here into [the court of] our Temple, causing God to consider it no longer holy!”
But as the seven days were now drawing to their period, some Jews from Asia seeing him in the temple, excited all the populace to tumult, and laid hands upon him,
crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man, who, by his preaching, sets all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place: yea and more still, hath brought Greeks into the temple, and defiled this holy place:
(for they had before seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they imagined that Paul had introduced into the temple.)
30 [People] throughout [MTY] the city heard that there was trouble [at the Temple courtyard], and they came running there. They grabbed Paul and dragged him outside of the Temple [area]. The gates [to the Temple courtyard were shut] {[The Temple guards] shut the doors [to the Temple courts]} immediately, [so that the people would not riot inside the Temple area].
And the whole city was in motion, and there was a concourse of people assembled: and laying hands on Paul, they dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.
31 While they were trying to kill Paul, someone [ran to the fort near the Temple] and told the Roman commander that many [HYP] people [MTY] in Jerusalem were rioting [at the Temple].
And as they were attempting to murder him, the report reached the military tribune of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
32 The commander quickly took some officers and [a large group of] soldiers and ran to [the Temple area where] the crowd was. When the crowd of people [who were yelling and beating Paul] saw the commander and the soldiers [coming], they stopped beating him.
Who instantly taking soldiers and centurions ran down unto them: and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they left off beating Paul.
33 The commander came to [where Paul was and] seized him. He [commanded soldiers] to fasten a chain to [each of] Paul’s [arms]. Then he asked [the people in the crowd], “Who is this man, and what has he done?”
Then the tribune approaching him, laid hold on him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and asked who he was, and what he had done.
34 Some of the many people there were shouting one thing, [and] some were shouting something else. Because they continued shouting so loudly, the commander could not understand [what they were shouting. So] he [commanded] that Paul be taken {[the soldiers] to take Paul} into the barracks [so that he could question him there].
Then some among the multitude bellowed out one thing, and some another: so unable to know the certainty of the case because of the tumult, he ordered him to be brought into the fortress.
35 [The soldiers] led Paul to the steps [of the barracks], but many people continued to follow them, trying to kill [Paul. So the commander told] the soldiers to carry Paul [up the steps into the barracks].
But when he was on the stairs, it happened that he was borne up by the soldiers, because of the press of the crowd.
36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Kill him! Kill him!”
For a multitude of the people followed, crying, Away with him!
37 As Paul was about to be taken {[the soldiers] were about to take Paul} into the barracks, he said [in Greek] to the commander, “May I speak to you?” The commander said, “(I am surprised that you can speak the Greek [language]!/Can you [(sg)] speak the Greek [language]?)” [RHQ]
And when he was just ready to be carried into the fortress, Paul said to the military tribune, May I be permitted to speak a word to thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek?
38 “(I [thought] that you [(sg)] were that fellow/Are you not that fellow) from Egypt [RHQ] who wanted to rebel [against the government not long ago], and who took 4,000 violent terrorists [with him] out into the desert, [so that we could not catch him]?”
Art not thou certainly that Egyptian who some time since raised a sedition, and led out into the desert four thousand cutthroats?
39 Paul answered, “[No, I am not!] I am a Jew. I [was born] in Tarsus, which is an important [LIT] city in Cilicia [province]. I ask that you [(sg)] let me speak to the people.”
But Paul replied, I am indeed a Jew, a man of Tarsus, of Cilicia, a citizen of no contemptible city: and, I entreat thee, permit me to speak to the people.
40 Then the commander permitted Paul [to speak. So] Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand [for the crowd to be quiet. And after] the people in the crowd became quiet, Paul spoke to them in [their own] Hebrew language [MTY].
So having his permission, Paul standing on the stairs, waved his hand to the people. And profound silence being obtained, he spake to them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
