Acts 21

¹And it came to pass, after we had torn ourselves from them, and had put to sea, that we came with a straight course to Cos, and the day following to Rhodes, and from thence to Patara.

²And finding a ship crossing over to Phenicia, we went aboard, and put to sea.

³And having come in sight of Cyprus, we passed it on the left, and sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unlade her cargo.

⁴And having found out the disciples, we remained there seven days; and they told Paul, through the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem.

⁵And when we had completed the days, we departed, and went our way, they all accompanying us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city; and having kneeled down on the shore and prayed,

⁶we took leave of each other, and went on board the ship; and they returned home.

⁷But we, finishing our voyage, came down from Tyre to Ptolemais; and having embraced the brethren, remained with them one day.

⁸And on the morrow we departed, and came to Caesarea; and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.

⁹And this man had four daughters, virgins, who prophesied.

¹⁰And while we were staying some days longer, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus;

¹¹and coming to us, he took off Paul’s girdle, and bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit: So will the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and will deliver him into the hands of the gentiles.

¹²But when we heard this, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go to Jerusalem.

¹³Then answered Paul, What mean ye that ye weep, and break my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁴And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased; saying, The Lord’s will be done.

¹⁵And after those days we got ready our baggage, and went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶There went with us also some of the disciples of Caesarea, bringing us to one Mnason, a Cyprian, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.

¹⁷And when we arrived at Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

¹⁸And the day following Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present.

¹⁹And having embraced them, he recounted particularly what things God had wrought among the gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰And they on hearing it glorified God; and said to him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealots for the Law.

²¹But they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children, nor to walk after the customs.

²²What then is to be done? The multitude will necessarily come together; for they will hear that thou hast come.

²³Do this therefore that we advise thee. We have four men who have a vow on them.

²⁴These take, and purify thyself with them, and pay the expenses for them, that they may shave their heads; and all will know that those things of which they have been informed concerning thee are nothing, but that thou thyself also walkest in observance of the Law.

²⁵But concerning the gentile believers, we have written to them and decided that they should observe no such thing, save only to abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from what hath been strangled, and from fornication.

²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the next day having purified himself with them, entered the temple, announcing the completion of the days of the purification, until the offering was made for every one of them.

²⁷And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole multitude, and laid hands on him,

²⁸crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man that teacheth every one everywhere against the people, and the Law, and this place; and besides he even brought Greeks into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

²⁹For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus, the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.

³⁰And the whole city was in motion, and the people ran together; and they laid hold of Paul and dragged him out of the temple; and forthwith the doors were shut.

³¹And while they were endeavoring to kill him, tidings came up to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar;

³²who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And seeing the chief captain and the soldiers, they left off beating Paul.

³³Then the chief captain came near and laid hold of him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done.

³⁴And some cried one thing, and some another, among the multitude. And not being able to gain certain knowledge on account of the uproar, he ordered him to be carried into the castle.

³⁵And when he reached the stairs, he was obliged to be borne by the soldiers, on account of the violence of the crowd;

³⁶for the multitude of the people were following, crying out, Away with him!

³⁷And as he was about to be led into the castle, Paul saith to the chief captain, May I speak to thee? And he said, Canst thou speak Greek?

³⁸Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days made an insurrection, and led out into the wilderness those four thousand men of the assassins?

³⁹But Paul said, I am a Jew of Tarsus, a citizen of no mean city of Cilicia; and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak to the people.

⁴⁰And when he had given him leave, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with his hand to the people, and there was a great silence; and he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Acts 21

¹And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:

²And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.

³Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

⁴And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

⁵And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.

⁶And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.

⁷And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.

⁸And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Cesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.

⁹And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

¹⁰And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus.

¹¹And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

¹²And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁴And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

¹⁵And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶There went with us also certain of the disciples of Cesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.

¹⁷And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

¹⁸And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

¹⁹And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

²⁰And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

²¹And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

²²What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

²³Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;

²⁴Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

²⁵As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

²⁷And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

²⁸Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

²⁹(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

³⁰And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

³¹And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

³²Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.

³³Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.

³⁴And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

³⁵And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.

³⁶For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.

³⁷And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

³⁸Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?

³⁹But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

⁴⁰And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,