Acts 20:19

New Living Translation

I have done the Lord's work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.

King James Version (1611)
Seruing the Lord with all humilitie of minde, and with many teares, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Iewes:

King James Version
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

English Standard Version
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;

New American Standard Bible
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;

New Century Version
The evil people made plans against me, which troubled me very much. But you know I always served the Lord unselfishly, and I often cried.

Amplified Bible
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came on me because of the plots of the Jews [against me];

New American Standard Bible (1995)
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;

Legacy Standard Bible
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;

Berean Standard Bible
I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, and in the trials I faced through the plots of the Jews.

Contemporary English Version
Some of the Jews plotted against me and caused me a lot of sorrow and trouble. But I served the Lord and was humble.

Complete Jewish Bible
serving the Lord with much humility and with tears, in spite of the tests I had to undergo because of the plots of the unbelieving Jews.

Darby Translation
serving the Lord with all lowliness, and tears, and temptations, which happened to me through the plots of the Jews;

Easy-to-Read Version
The Jews planned things against me, and this gave me much trouble. But you know that I always served the Lord, sometimes with tears. I never thought about myself first.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Seruing the Lorde with all modestie, and with many teares, and tentations, which came vnto me by the layings awaite of the Iewes,

George Lamsa Translation
Serving God with great humility and with tears and amid the trials which were brought upon me by conspiracies of the Jews.

Good News Translation
With all humility and many tears I did my work as the Lord's servant during the hard times that came to me because of the plots of some Jews.

Lexham English Bible
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews—

Literal Translation
serving the Lord with all humility, and many tears and trials happening to me by the plots of the Jews;

American Standard Version
serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews;

Bible in Basic English
Doing the Lord's work without pride, through all the sorrow and troubles which came on me because of the evil designs of the Jews:

Hebrew Names Version
serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Yehudim;

International Standard Version
I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.Acts 20:3;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
serving Aloha in much lowliness and with tears, and in those temptations which passed upon me through the devices of the Jihudoyee.

Murdock Translation
laboring for God, in great humility, and with tears, amid the trials which beset me from the plottings of Jews:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Seruyng the Lorde with all humblenesse of mynde, and with many teares, and temptations whiche came vnto me by the layinges awayte of the Iewes:

English Revised Version
serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews:

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

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Serving the Lord with all humility, and with tears, and trials which befell me through the ambushes of the Jews:

Weymouth's New Testament
serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews--

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
seruynge to the Lord with al mekenesse, and mildnesse, and teeris, and temptaciouns, that felden to me of aspiyngis of Jewis;

Update Bible Version
serving as a slave to the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews;

Webster's Bible Translation
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

New English Translation
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots of the Jews.

New King James Version
serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;

New Life Bible
I worked for the Lord without pride. Because of the trouble the Jews gave me, I have had many tears.

New Revised Standard
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
doing service unto the Lord, with all humility and tears, and temptations which befell me through the plots of the Jews:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and temptations which befell me by the conspiracies of the Jews:

Revised Standard Version
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which befell me through the plots of the Jews;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
servynge the lorde with all humblenes of mynde and with many teares and temptacions which happened vnto me by the layinges awayte of the Ieues

Young's Literal Translation
serving the Lord with all humility, and many tears, and temptations, that befell me in the counsels of the Jews against [me];

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and serued ye LORDE with all humblenesse of mynde, and with many teares and tentacions, which happened vnto me by ye layenges of wayte of the Iewes,

Mace New Testament (1729)
how I have serv'd the Lord with all resignation, with tears, and trials occasion'd by the insidious practices of the Jews:

Simplified Cowboy Version
I rode for the Lord in humility, and sometimes with tears, while my Jewish brothers tried to stab me in the back.

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ But when we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him. ¹⁸ When they arrived he declared, "You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now ¹⁹ I have done the Lord's work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. ²⁰ I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. ²¹ I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. ²² "And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don't know what awaits me, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. ²⁴ But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. ²⁵ "And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it's not my fault,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Serving: Acts 27:23, John 12:26, Romans 1:1, Romans 1:9, Romans 12:11, Galatians 1:10, Ephesians 6:7, Colossians 3:24, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 2 Peter 1:1, Revelation 7:15

with all: 1 Corinthians 15:9, 1 Corinthians 15:10, 2 Corinthians 3:5, 2 Corinthians 7:5, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Galatians 4:13, Galatians 4:14

many: Acts 20:31, Psalms 119:136, Jeremiah 9:1, Jeremiah 13:17, Luke 19:41, 2 Corinthians 2:4, Philippians 3:18, 2 Timothy 1:4

temptations: 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, 2 Corinthians 4:7-11, 2 Corinthians 11:23-30, James 1:2, 1 Peter 1:6

by the: Acts 20:3, Acts 9:23-25, Acts 13:50, Acts 13:51, Acts 14:5, Acts 14:6, Acts 14:19, Acts 14:20, Acts 17:5, Acts 17:13, 2 Corinthians 11:26

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:30 - wept there 2 Kings 8:11 - wept Job 23:11 - My foot Psalms 131:1 - my heart Acts 6:4 - give Acts 23:21 - for 1 Corinthians 2:3 - General Ephesians 4:2 - lowliness 1 Thessalonians 1:5 - what 2 Timothy 3:11 - Persecutions

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Serving the Lord with all humility of mind,.... Meaning, in the ministration of the Gospel, being conscious to himself of his own weakness and insufficiency in himself for such service; no ways elated with those excellent and extraordinary gifts bestowed upon him; ascribing all his success to the power, grace, and Spirit of God; treating no man with contempt and disdain; nor lording it over God's heritage, or claiming a dominion over the faith of men; nor seeking honour nor riches for himself, nor even what he had a just right unto, a maintenance from the people; but laboured with his own hands, and to his own and the necessities of others:

and with many tears; at the obstinacy and unbelief of some, and at the distresses and afflictions of others, both corporeal and spiritual; as well as on account of the unbecoming walk of some professors:

and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: who were hardened against his ministrations, and believed not the Gospel preached by him, but spoke evil of it, and lay in wait to take away his life; by reason of which, his afflictions, which he calls temptations, because they were trials of his faith and patience, were very great.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Serving the Lord - In the discharge of the appropriate duties of his apostolic office, and in private life. To discharge aright our duties in any vocation is serving the Lord. Religion is often represented in the Bible as a service rendered to the Lord.

With all humility - Without arrogance, pride, or a spirit of dictation; without a desire to “lord it over God’s heritage”; without being elated with the authority of the apostolic office, the variety of the miracles which he was enabled to perform, or the success which attended his labors. What an admirable model for all who are in the ministry; for all who are endowed with talents and learning; for all who meet with remarkable success in their work! The proper effect of such success, and of such talent, will be to produce true humility. The greatest endowments are usually connected with the most simple and childlike humility.

And with many tears - Paul not infrequently gives evidence of the tenderness of his heart, of his regard for the souls of people, and of his deep solicitude for the salvation of sinners, Acts 20:31; Philippians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 2:4. The particular thing, however, here specified as producing weeping was the opposition of the Jews. But it cannot be supposed that those tears were shed from an apprehension of personal danger. It was rather because the opposition of the Jews impeded his work, and retarded his progress in winning souls to Christ. A minister of the gospel will:

(1) Feel, and deeply feel for the salvation of his people. He will weep over their condition when he sees theta going astray, and in danger of perishing. He will,

(2) Be specially affected with opposition, because it will retard his work, and prevent the progress and the triumph of the gospel. It is not because it is a personal concern, but because it is the cause of his Master.

And temptations - Trials arising from their opposition. We use the word “temptation” in a more limited sense, to denote inducements offered to one to lead him into sin. The word in the Scriptures most commonly denotes “trials” of any kind.

Which befell me - Which happened to me; which I encountered.

By the lying in wait ... - By their snares and plots against my life. Compare Acts 20:3. Those snares and plans were designed to blast his reputation and to destroy his usefulness.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 20:19. Serving the Lord with all humility, c.] This relates not only to his zealous and faithful performance of his apostolic functions, but also to his private walk as a Christian and shows with what carefulness this apostle himself was obliged to walk, in order to have his calling and election, as a Christian, ratified and made firm.