Act 20 | LSB | STEP | Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia.

Acts 20

Through Macedonia and Greece

1 Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia. 2 And when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. 3 And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of ^{▼▼West coast province of Asia Minor}Asia. 5 But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Raised from the Dead in Troas

7 And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began speaking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his ^{▼▼Lit word, speech}message until midnight. 8 Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 And there was a young man named ^{▼▼Eutychus means good fortune; ‘lucky’}Eutychus sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep. And as Paul kept on talking, he sunk into that sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “ ^{▼▼Or Stop being troubled}Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11 And when he had gone back up and had broken the bread and ^{▼▼Lit tasted}eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. 12 And they took away the boy alive, and were not a little comforted.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go ^{▼▼Or on foot}by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in ^{▼▼West coast province of Asia Minor}Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. 18 And 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 the whole time, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me ^{▼▼Lit by}through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and ^{▼▼Or in the various private homes}from house to house, 21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, bound by the ^{▼▼Or in spirit}Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not make my life of any account nor dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

25 “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. 26 Therefore, I ^{▼▼Or call you to witness}testify to you this day that I am ^{▼▼Lit pure from}innocent of the blood of all. 27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you ^{▼▼Or bishops}overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He ^{▼▼Lit acquired}purchased ^{▼▼Lit through}with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be watchful, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who have been sanctified. 33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to those who were with me. 35 In everything I showed you that by laboring in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And ^{▼▼Lit a considerable weeping of all occurred}they began to weep aloud and falling on Paul’s neck, they were kissing him, 38 being in agony especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.