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Paul Sets Out for Jerusalem

¹ Now when ^(C1)we had parted from them and had set sail, we came by ^(C2)a straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara;² and having found a ship crossing over to ^(C1)Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.³ And when we came in sight of ^(C1)Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to ^(C2)Syria and landed at ^(C3)Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo.⁴ And after looking up ^(C1)the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul ^(C2)through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.⁵ And when ^(F1)our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, ^(C1)escorted us until we were out of the city. After ^(C2)kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.⁶ Then we went on board the ship, and they returned ^(C1)home again.

⁷ And when we had finished the voyage from ^(C1)Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting ^(C2)the brothers, we stayed with them for a day.⁸ And on the next day we left and came to ^(C1)Caesarea, and entering the house of ^(C2)Philip the ^(C3)evangelist, who was ^(C2)one of the seven, we stayed with him.⁹ Now this man had four virgin daughters who ^(C1)prophesied.¹⁰ And as we were staying there for some days, a prophet named ^(C1)Agabus came down from Judea.¹¹ And coming to us, he ^(C1)took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This ^(C2)is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will ^(C3)bind the man who owns this belt and ^(C4)deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"¹² And when we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him ^(C1)not to go up to Jerusalem.¹³ Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, crying and breaking my heart? For ^(C1)I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for ^(C2)the name of the Lord Jesus."¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, saying, "^(C1)The will of the Lord be done!"

¹⁵ Now after these days we got ready and ^(C1)started on our way up to Jerusalem.¹⁶ And some of ^(C1)the disciples from ^(C2)Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of ^(C3)Cyprus, an ^(C4)early disciple with whom we were to lodge.

In Jerusalem

¹⁷ And after we arrived in Jerusalem, ^(C1)the brothers welcomed us gladly.¹⁸ And the following day Paul went in with us to ^(C1)James, and all ^(C2)the elders were present.¹⁹ And after he had greeted them, he ^(C1)began to relate one by one the things which God did among the Gentiles through his ^(C2)ministry.²⁰ And when they heard it they began ^(C1)glorifying God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many ^(F1)thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all ^(C2)zealous for the Law;²¹ and they have been told about you, that you are ^(C1)teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them ^(C2)not to circumcise their children nor to ^(F1)walk according to ^(C3)the customs.²² "What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.²³ "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who ^(F1)(C1)are under a vow;²⁴ take them and ^(C1)purify yourself along with them, and ^(F1)pay their expenses so that they may ^(C2)shave their ^(F2)heads. Then all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.²⁵ "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, ^(C1)having decided that they should keep from ^(F1)meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality."²⁶ Then Paul ^(F1)took the men, and the next day, ^(C1)purifying himself along with them, ^(C2)went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Paul Is Arrested

²⁷ Now when ^(C1)the seven days were almost over, ^(C2)the Jews from ^(F1)(C3)Asia, upon noticing him in the temple, began to throw all the crowd into confusion and laid hands on him,²⁸ crying out, "Men of Israel, help! ^(C1)This is the man who teaches to everyone everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has ^(C2)defiled this holy place."²⁹ For they had previously seen ^(C1)Trophimus the ^(C2)Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.³⁰ Then all the city was stirred, and ^(F1)the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they ^(C1)dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.³¹ While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the ^(F1)commander of the ^(C1)Roman ^(F2)cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.³² At once he ^(C1)took along soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.³³ Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be ^(C1)bound with ^(C2)two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done.³⁴ But among the crowd ^(C1)some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the ^(F1)facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into ^(C2)the barracks.³⁵ And when he got to ^(C1)the stairs, he actually was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd;³⁶ for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, "^(C1)Away with him!"

Paul's Defense Before the Jews

³⁷ As Paul was about to be brought into ^(C1)the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I say something to you?" And he ^(*)said, "Do you know Greek?³⁸ "Then you are not ^(C1)the Egyptian who some ^(F1)time ago raised a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out ^(C2)into the wilderness?"³⁹ But Paul said, "^(C1)I am a Jew of Tarsus in ^(C2)Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."⁴⁰ And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on ^(C1)the stairs, ^(C2)motioned to the people with his hand; and when there ^(F1)was a great hush, he spoke to them in the ^(C3)Hebrew language, saying,