Acts 21:22

Easy-to-Read Version

"What should we do? The Jewish believers here will learn that you have come.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you’ve come.

King James Version (1611)
What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will heare that thou art come.

King James Version
What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

English Standard Version
What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

New American Standard Bible
"So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

New Century Version
What should we do? They will learn that you have come.

Amplified Bible
"What then should be done? They will certainly hear that you have arrived.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Legacy Standard Bible
What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Berean Standard Bible
What then should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Contemporary English Version
What should we do now that our people have heard that you are here?

Complete Jewish Bible
"What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Darby Translation
What is it then? a multitude must necessarily come together, for they will hear that thou art come.

Geneva Bible (1587)
What is then to be done? the multitude must needes come together: for they shall heare that thou art come.

George Lamsa Translation
Now, therefore, they have heard that you have come here.

Good News Translation
They are sure to hear that you have arrived. What should be done, then?

Lexham English Bible
What then is to be done? Doubtless they will all hear that you have come!

Literal Translation
What then is it? At all events, a multitude must come together, for they will hear that you have come.

American Standard Version
What is it therefore? they will certainly hear that thou art come.

Bible in Basic English
What then is the position? They will certainly get news that you have come.

Hebrew Names Version
What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.

International Standard Version
What is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Etheridge Translation
On this account, when they hear that thou art come hither, do that which we tell thee.

Murdock Translation
Now, because they have heard that thou hast arrived here,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
What is it therefore? The multitude must needes come together: For they shall heare that thou art come.

English Revised Version
What is it therefore? they will certainly hear that thou art come.

World English Bible
What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
What is it therefore? The multitude must needs come together; for they will hear that thou art come.

Weymouth's New Testament
What then ought you to do? They are sure to hear that you have come to Jerusalem;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor what is? It bihoueth that the multitude come togidre; for thei schulen here, that thou art come.

Update Bible Version
What is it therefore? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Webster's Bible Translation
What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

New English Translation
What then should we do? They will no doubt hear that you have come.

New King James Version
What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will [fn] hear that you have come.

New Living Translation
What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.

New Life Bible
What should we do about it? They will hear that you have come.

New Revised Standard
What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What, then, is it? at all events, they will hear that thou hast come.

Douay-Rheims Bible
What is it therefore? The multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

Revised Standard Version
What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
What is it therfore? The multitude must nedes come togeder. For they shall heare that thou arte come.

Young's Literal Translation
what then is it? certainly the multitude it behoveth to come together, for they will hear that thou hast come.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
What is it therfore? The multitude must nedes come together, for they shal heare that thou art come.

Mace New Testament (1729)
what then is to be done? they will necessarily be all assembled, for they can't but hear, you are come.

THE MESSAGE
"We're worried about what will happen when they discover you're in town. There's bound to be trouble. So here is what we want you to do: There are four men from our company who have taken a vow involving ritual purification, but have no money to pay the expenses. Join these men in their vows and pay their expenses. Then it will become obvious to everyone that there is nothing to the rumors going around about you and that you are in fact scrupulous in your reverence for the laws of Moses.

Simplified Cowboy Version
What should we do? They will know soon enough you are here. And there's liable to be a squabble.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ After this, we got ready and left for Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the followers of Jesus from Caesarea went with us. These followers took us to the home of Mnason, a man from Cyprus, who was one of the first people to be a follower of Jesus. They took us to his home so that we could stay with him. ¹⁷ The brothers and sisters in Jerusalem were very happy to see us. ¹⁸ The next day Paul went with us to visit James, and all the elders were there. ¹⁹ After greeting them, Paul told them point by point all that God had used him to do among the non-Jewish people. ²⁰ When the leaders heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul, "Brother, you can see that thousands of Jews have become believers, but they think it is very important to obey the Law of Moses. ²¹ They have been told that you teach the Jews who live in non-Jewish regions to stop following the Law of Moses. They have heard that you tell them not to circumcise their sons or follow our other customs. ²² "What should we do? The Jewish believers here will learn that you have come. ²³ So we will tell you what to do: Four of our men have made a vow to God. ²⁴ Take these men with you and share in their cleansing ceremony. Pay their expenses so that they can shave their heads. This will prove to everyone that the things they have heard about you are not true. They will see that you obey the Law of Moses in your own life.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the multitude: Acts 15:12, Acts 15:22, Acts 19:32

Reciprocal: Acts 6:2 - the twelve Acts 15:30 - and

Cross-References

Genesis 20:2
Abraham told people that Sarah was his sister. King Abimelech of Gerar heard this. Abimelech wanted Sarah, so he sent some servants to take her.

Genesis 20:17
The Lord made all the women in Abimelech's family not able to have children. God did this because Abimelech had taken Sarah, Abraham's wife. But Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his servant girls.

Genesis 21:2
At exactly the time God said it would happen, Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age.

Genesis 21:3
Abraham named his son Isaac.

Genesis 26:26
Abimelech came from Gerar to see Isaac. He brought with him Ahuzzath, his advisor, and Phicol, the commander of his army.

Genesis 26:28
They answered, "Now we know that the Lord is with you. We think that we should make an agreement. We want you to make a promise to us.

Genesis 28:15
"I am with you, and I will protect you everywhere you go. I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised."

Genesis 30:27
Laban said to him, "Please, let me say something. I know that the Lord has blessed me because of you.

Joshua 3:7
Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to make you a great man for all the Israelites to see. Then the people will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.

2 Chronicles 1:1
Solomon, the son of David, became a very strong king, because the Lord his God was with him and made him very great.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What is it therefore?.... Is it true or not? or what must be done in this case? what method must be taken to remove these objections, and reconcile the minds of the people? the multitude must needs come together; either the whole church at Jerusalem, or the great confluence of people, even of believing Jews, that were come from all parts thither; there is no hindering of their coming together, to see the apostle, and to hear what he has to say to the objections against him, and complaints of him;

for they will hear that thou art come: this can never be kept a secret, and as soon as they hear it, they will flock in great numbers; they will come open mouthed, and be loud in their complaints, and it will be difficult to pacify them; there is danger in the case, the consequence may be bad; and therefore something must be done, to remove the opinion they had formed of the apostle, and the prejudice they had entertained against him; and therefore what follows is advised to.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What is it therefore? - What is to be done? What is it proper to do to avoid the effects of the evil report which has been circulated? What they deemed it proper to do is suggested in the following verses.

The multitude - The multitude of Jews.

Must needs come together - There will be inevitably a tumultuous assemblage. It will be impossible to prevent that. The reasons were, because the minds of the Jews were exceedingly agitated that one of their own countrymen had, as they understood, been advising apostasy from the religion of their fathers; because this had been extensively done in many parts of the world, and with great success; and because Paul, having, as they believed, himself apostatized from the national religion, had become very conspicuous, and his very presence in Jerusalem, as in other places, would be likely to excite a tumult. It was, therefore, the part of friendship to him and to the cause to devise some proper plan to prevent, if possible, the anticipated excitement.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 21:22. The multitude must needs come together — Whether this refers to a regular convocation of the Church, or to a tumult that would infallibly take place when it was heard that the apostle was come, we cannot pretend to say; but it is evident that James and the elders wished some prudent steps to be taken, in order to prevent an evil that they had too much reason to fear.