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 we separated from them, and proceeded in a straight course to the island of Coos: and the next day, we reached Rhodes, and from there 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 we found there a ship going to Phenicia; and we entered it, and proceeded on.
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 we came up with the island of Cyprus, and leaving it on the left we came to Syria; and from there we went to 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, as we found disciples there, we tarried with them seven days: and they, by the Spirit, told Paul not to go to 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.
And after those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all clung to us, they and their wives and their children, until we were without the city; and they fell on their knees by the seaside, and prayed.
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 we kissed one another: and we embarked in the ship, and they returned to their 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.
And we sailed from Tyre, and arrived at the city Acco; and we saluted the brethren there, and stopped 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 the next day, we departed and came to Cesarea; and we went in and put up in the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven.
9 He had four daughters who were not married. Each of them [frequently] spoke messages that the Holy Spirit had revealed to them.
He had four virgin daughters, who were prophetesses.
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 were there many days, a certain prophet came down from Judaea, whose name was 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 he came in to us, and took the girdle of Paul's loins, and bound his own feet and hands, and said: Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the man, who owns this girdle; and they will 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!”
And when we heard these words, we and the residents of the place begged of him, that he would not go 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.”
Then Paul answered and said: What do ye, weeping and crushing my heart? For I am prepared, not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the name of our Lord Jesus Messiah.
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 as he was not to be persuaded by us, we desisted; and we said: Let the pleasure of our Lord take place.
15 After those days [in Caesarea], we [(exc)] prepared [our things] and [left to] go [by land] up to Jerusalem.
And after those days, we prepared ourselves and 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 some disciples of Caesarea went along with us, taking with them a brother from among the earlier disciples, whose name was Mnason, and who was from Cyprus; that he might entertain us at his house.
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, [a group of] the believers greeted us happily.
And when we arrived at Jerusalem, the brethren received us joyfully.
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 the next day, with Paul, we went unto James, when all the Elders were with him.
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 we gave them salutation: and Paul narrated to them, with particularity what God had wrought 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 when they heard it they glorified God. And they said to him: Our brother, Thou seest how many myriads there are in Judaea who have believed: and these are all zealous 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 it hath been told them, of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews that are among the Gentiles to depart from Moses, by telling them not to circumcise their children, and not to observe the rites of the law.
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].
Now, because they have heard that thou hast arrived here,
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 thou what we tell thee. We have four men, who have vowed to purify 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].
Take them, and go and purify thyself with them, and pay the expenses along with them, as they shall shave their heads; that every one may know, that what is said against thee is false, and that thou fulfillest 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.”
As to those of the Gentiles who have believed, we have written, that they should keep themselves from an idol's sacrifice, and from whoredom, and from what is strangled, and from blood.
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 those men, on the following day, and was purified with them; and he entered and went into the temple, manifesting to them the completion of the days of the purification, up to the presentation of the offering by each 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!”
And when the seventh day arrived, the Jews from Asia saw him in the temple: and they excited all the people against him, and laid hands on him,
crying out and saying: Men, sons of Israel; help. This is the man, who teacheth in every place, against our people, and against the law, and against this place; and he hath also brought Gentiles into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
For they had previously seen with him in the city Trophimus the Ephesian; and they supposed, that he had entered the temple with Paul.
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 commotion; and all the people assembled together, and laid hold of Paul, and dragged him out of the temple: and instantly the gates were closed.
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 while the multitude were seeking to kill him, it was reported to the Chiliarch of the cohort, that the whole city was in uproar.
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.
And immediately he took a centurion and many soldiers, and they ran upon them. And when they saw the Chiliarch and the soldiers, they desisted from 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?”
And the Chiliarch came up to him, and seized him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains: and he inquired respecting him, 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].
And persons from the throng vociferated against him this thing and that. And, because he could not, on account of their clamor, learn what the truth was, he commanded to conduct him to the castle.
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].
And when Paul came to the stairs, the soldiers bore him along, because of the violence of the people.
36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Kill him! Kill him!”
For a great many people followed after him, and cried out, saying: 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 came near to entering the castle, Paul said to the Chiliarch: Wilt thou permit me to speak with thee? And he said to him: 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 that Egyptian who, before these days, madest insurrection, and leadest out into the desert four thousand men, doers of evil?
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.”
Paul said to him: I am a Jew, a man of Tarsus, a noted city in Cilicia, in which I was born: I pray thee, suffer 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].
And when he permitted him, Paul stood upon the stairs, and waved to them his hand; and when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew, and said to them:
