Act 21 | NASB2020 | STEP | Now when we had parted from them and had set sail , we ran a straight course to Cos , and on the next day to Rhodes , and from there to Patara ;

Acts 21

Paul Sails from Miletus

1 Now when ^awe had parted from them and had set sail, we ran ^ba 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 ^cPhoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we came in sight of ^dCyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to ^eSyria and landed at ^fTyre; for the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4 After looking up ^gthe disciples, we stayed there for seven days; and they kept telling Paul, ^{▼▼I.e., because of impressions made by the Spirit
,} ⁱthrough the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem. 5 When ^{▼▼Lit we had completed the days}our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, ^kescorted us until we were out of the city. After ^lkneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. 6 Then we boarded the ship, and they returned ^mhome.

7 When we had finished the voyage from ⁿTyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting ^othe brothers and sisters, we stayed with them for a day. 8 On the next day we left and came to ^pCaesarea, and we entered the house of ^qPhilip the ^revangelist, who was ^sone of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who were ^tprophetesses. 10 As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named ^uAgabus came down from Judea. 11 And he came to us and ^vtook Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This ^wis what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will ^xbind the man who owns this belt and ^yhand him over to the Gentiles.’” 12 When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him ^znot to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For ^aaI am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for ^abthe name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, “ ^acThe will of the Lord be done!”

Paul in Jerusalem

15 After these days we got ready and ^adstarted on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of ^aethe disciples from ^afCaesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of ^agCyprus, a ^ahdisciple of long standing with whom we were to stay.

17 After we arrived in Jerusalem, ^aithe brothers and sisters received us gladly. 18 And the following day Paul went in with us to ^{▼▼Or Jacob
,} ^akJames, and all ^althe elders were present. 19 After he had greeted them, he ^ambegan to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ^anministry. 20 And when they heard about them, they began ^aoglorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many ^{▼▼Lit ten thousands}thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all ^aqzealous for the Law; 21 and they have been told about you, that you are ^arteaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them ^asnot to circumcise their children nor to ^{▼▼I.e., observe or live by}walk according to ^authe customs. 22 So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Therefore, do ^{▼▼Lit this which we}as we tell you: we have four men who ^awhave a ^{▼▼I.e., a sacred duty to fulfill}vow upon themselves; 24 take them along and ^aypurify yourself together with them, and ^{▼▼Lit spend on them}pay their expenses so that they may ^bashave their ^{▼▼Lit head (a requirement of the vow)}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, ^bchaving decided that they should abstain from ^{▼▼Lit the thing}meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is ^{▼▼I.e., to retain the blood}strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul ^{▼▼Or took along the men the next day, and after purifying himself}took along the men, and the next day, after ^bgpurifying himself together with them, he ^bhwent 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 ^bithe seven days were almost over, ^bjthe Jews from ^{▼▼I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
,} ^blAsia, 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! ^bmThis 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 ^bndefiled this holy place!” 29 For they had previously seen ^boTrophimus the ^bpEphesian in the city with him, and they thought that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then the whole city was provoked and ^{▼▼Lit a running together of the people occurred}the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they ^brdragged 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 ^bsRoman ^{▼▼Normally 600 men (the number varied)}cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He immediately ^butook along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to ^{▼▼Lit them}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 ^bwbound with ^bxtwo chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. 34 But among the crowd, ^bysome were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the ^{▼▼Lit certainty}facts because of the uproar, he ordered that ^{▼▼Lit he}Paul be brought into ^cbthe barracks. 35 When Paul got to ^ccthe stairs, it came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the ^{▼▼Lit crowd}mob; 36 for the multitude of people kept following them, shouting, “ ^ceAway with him!”

37 As Paul was about to be brought into ^cfthe barracks, he *said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Then you are not ^cgthe Egyptian who some ^{▼▼Lit days}time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out ^ciinto the wilderness?” 39 But Paul said, “ ^cjI am a Jew of Tarsus in ^ckCilicia, 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 ^clthe stairs, ^cmmotioned to the people with his hand; and when there ^{▼▼Lit occurred}was a great silence, he spoke to them in the ^{▼▼I.e., Jewish Aramaic
,} ^cpHebrew dialect, saying,