Acts 20

1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia.

When the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and, with encouraging words, bade them goodbye, and started on his journey to Macedonia.

2 When he had gone through those parts and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece.

After going through those districts and speaking many encouraging words to the disciples, he went into Greece, where he stayed three months.

3 When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.

He was about to sail to Syria, when he learned that a plot had been laid against him by several of the Jewish leaders; so he decided to return by way of Macedonia.

4 These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

He was accompanied by Sopater the son of Pyrrhus, of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, as well as by Tychicus and Trophimus of Roman Asia.

5 But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas.

These people went to Troas and waited for us there;

6 We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days.

while we ourselves sailed from Philippi after the Passover, and joined them five days later at Troas, where we stayed for a week.

7 On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day; and continued his speech until midnight.

On the first day of the week, when we had met for the breaking of bread, Paul, who was intending to leave the next day, began to address those who were present, and prolonged his address until midnight.

8 There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together.

There were a good many lamps in the upstairs room, where we had met;

9 A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was taken up dead.

and a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, was gradually overcome with great drowsiness, as Paul continued his address. At last, quite overpowered by his drowsiness, he fell from the third story to the ground, and was picked up for dead.

10 Paul went down and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.”

But Paul went down, threw himself on him, and put his arms round him. ‘Do not be alarmed,’ he said, ‘he is still alive.’

11 When he had gone up, had broken bread and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed.

Then he went upstairs; and, after breaking and partaking of the bread, he talked with them at great length until daybreak, and then left.

12 They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted.

Meanwhile they had taken the lad away alive, and were greatly comforted.

13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land.

We started first, went on board ship, and sailed for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. This was by his own arrangement, as he intended to go by land himself.

14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and came to Mitylene.

So, when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went on to Mitylene.

15 Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus.

The day after we had sailed from there, we arrived off Chios, touched at Samos the following day, and the next day reached Miletus;

16 For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

for Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so as to avoid spending much time in Roman Asia. He was making haste to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the Festival at the close of the Harvest.

17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to himself the elders of the assembly.

From Miletus, however, he sent to Ephesus and invited the church elders to meet him;

18 When they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time,

and, when they came, he said to them, ‘You know well the life that I always led among you from the very first day that I set foot in Roman Asia,

19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews;

serving the Lord, as I did, in all humility, amid the tears and trials which fell to my lot through the plots of some of the Jewish leaders.

20 how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house,

I never shrank from telling you anything that could be helpful to you, or from teaching you both in public and in private.

21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus.

I earnestly pointed both Jews and Greeks to the repentance that leads to God, and to faith in Jesus, our Lord.

22 Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there;

And now, under spiritual constraint, I am here on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,

23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me.

except that in town after town the Holy Spirit plainly declares to me that imprisonment and troubles await me.

24 But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.

But I count my life of no value to myself, if only I may complete the course marked out for me, and the task that was allotted me by the Lord Jesus – which was to declare the good news of the love of God.

25 “Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more.

And now, I tell you, I know that none of you will ever see my face again – you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom.

26 Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men,

Therefore I declare to you this day, that my conscience is clear in regard to the fate of any of you,

27 for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

for I have not shrunk from announcing the whole purpose of God regarding you.

28 Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.

Be watchful over yourselves, and over the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has placed you in charge, to shepherd the church of God, which he won for himself at the cost of his life.

29 For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

I know that, after my departure, merciless wolves will get in among you, who will not spare the flock;

30 Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

and from among yourselves, too, people will arise, who will teach perversions of truth, so as to draw away the disciples after them.

31 Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

Therefore, be on your guard, remembering how for three years, night and day, I never ceased, even with tears, to warn each one of you.

32 Now, brothers, I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

And now I commend you to the Lord and to the message of his love – a message which has the power to build up your characters, and to give you your place among all those who have become Christ’s people.

33 I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing.

I have never coveted anyone’s gold or silver or clothing.

34 You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me.

You, yourselves, know that these hands of mine provided not only for my own wants, but for my companions also.

35 In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

I left nothing undone to show you that, labouring as I laboured, you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said himself – “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’

36 When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

37 They all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,

All were in tears; and throwing their arms round Paul’s neck, they kissed him again and again,

38 sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

grieving most of all over what he had said – that they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.