Read the Bible

Paul Sails from Miletus

¹ Now when ^(C1)we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran ^(C2)a straight course to Cos, and on 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 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 the ship was to unload its cargo there.⁴ After looking up ^(C1)the disciples, we stayed there for seven days; and they kept telling Paul, ^(F1)(C2)through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem.⁵ 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 boarded the ship, and they returned ^(C1)home.

⁷ When we had finished the voyage from ^(C1)Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting ^(C2)the brothers and sisters, we stayed with them for a day.⁸ On the next day we left and came to ^(C1)Caesarea, and we entered the house of ^(C2)Philip the ^(C3)evangelist, who was ^(C2)one of the seven, and stayed with him.⁹ Now this man had four virgin daughters who were ^(C1)prophetesses.¹⁰ As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named ^(C1)Agabus came down from Judea.¹¹ And he came to us and ^(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 in Jerusalem will ^(C3)bind the man who owns this belt and ^(C4)hand him over to the Gentiles.'"¹² 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 replied, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For ^(C1)I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for ^(C2)the name of the Lord Jesus."¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, "^(C1)The will of the Lord be done!"

Paul in Jerusalem

¹⁵ After these days we got ready and ^(C1)started on our way up to Jerusalem.¹⁶ Some of ^(C1)the disciples from ^(C2)Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of ^(C3)Cyprus, a ^(C4)disciple of long standing with whom we were to stay.

¹⁷ After we arrived in Jerusalem, ^(C1)the brothers and sisters received us gladly.¹⁸ And the following day Paul went in with us to ^(F1)(C1)James, and all ^(C2)the elders were present.¹⁹ After he had greeted them, he ^(C1)began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ^(C2)ministry.²⁰ And when they heard about them, 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 abandon Moses, telling them ^(C2)not to circumcise their children nor to ^(F1)walk according to ^(C3)the customs.²² "So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.²³ "Therefore, do ^(F1)as we tell you: we have four men who ^(C1)have a ^(F2)vow upon themselves;²⁴ take them along and ^(C1)purify yourself together with them, and ^(F1)pay their expenses so that they may ^(C2)shave their ^(F2)heads; and then everyone will know that there is nothing to what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also conform, keeping the Law.²⁵ "But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter, ^(C1)having decided that they should abstain from ^(F1)meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is ^(F2)strangled, and from sexual immorality."²⁶ Then Paul ^(F1)took along the men, and the next day, after ^(C1)purifying himself together with them, he ^(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 Seized in the Temple

²⁷ When ^(C1)the seven days were almost over, ^(C2)the Jews from ^(F1)(C3)Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him,²⁸ crying out, "Men of Israel, help! ^(C1)This is the man who instructs 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 thought that Paul had brought him into the temple.³⁰ Then the whole city was provoked 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 intent on killing him, a report came up to the commander of the ^(C1)Roman ^(F1)cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.³² He immediately ^(C1)took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to ^(F1)the crowd; 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 that he 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 that ^(F2)Paul be brought into ^(C2)the barracks.³⁵ When Paul got to ^(C1)the stairs, it came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the ^(F1)mob;³⁶ for the multitude of people kept following them, shouting, "^(C1)Away with him!"

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 stirred up 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 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 silence, he spoke to them in the ^(F2)(C3)Hebrew dialect, saying,