Acts 21

1 When we had torn ourselves away from those brothers, ^{a21:1 Lit. from them} we sailed straight to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ^{b21:1 Other mss. read Patara and Myra}ISV — Acts 21:1

2 There we found a ship going across to Phoenicia, so we went aboard and sailed on.ISV — Acts 21:2

3 We came in sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on our left, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre because the ship was to unload its cargo there.ISV — Acts 21:3

4 So we located some disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem,ISV — Acts 21:4

5 but when our time there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey. All of them accompanied us with their wives and children out of the city. We knelt on the beach, prayed,ISV — Acts 21:5

6 and said goodbye to each other. Then we reboarded the ship, and they went back home.ISV — Acts 21:6

7 When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, greeted the brothers there, and stayed with them for one day.ISV — Acts 21:7

8 The next day, we left and came to Caesarea. We went to the home of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven, and stayed with him.ISV — Acts 21:8

9 He had four unmarried daughters who could prophesy.ISV — Acts 21:9

10 After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea.ISV — Acts 21:10

11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, and tied his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘This is how the Jewish leaders ^{c21:11 i.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews} in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this belt. Then they will hand him over to the gentiles.’”ISV — Acts 21:11

12 When we heard this, we and the people who lived there begged Paul ^{d21:12 Lit. him} not to go up to Jerusalem.ISV — Acts 21:12

13 At this Paul replied, “What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? I’m ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus!”ISV — Acts 21:13

14 When he could not be persuaded otherwise, we remained silent except to say, “May the Lord’s will be done.”ISV — Acts 21:14

15 When our time there ended, ^{e21:15 Lit. After those days} we got ready to go up to Jerusalem.ISV — Acts 21:15

16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us. They took us to the home of Mnason to be his guests. He was from Cyprus and had been ^{f21:16 The Gk. lacks had been} an early disciple.ISV — Acts 21:16

17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers there welcomed us warmly.ISV — Acts 21:17

18 The next day, Paul went with us to visit James, and all the elders were present.ISV — Acts 21:18

19 After greeting them, Paul ^{g21:19 Lit. he} related one by one the things that God had done among the gentiles through his ministry.ISV — Acts 21:19

20 When they heard about it, they praised God and told him, “You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and all of them are zealous for the Law.ISV — Acts 21:20

21 But they have been told about you—that you teach all the Jews living among the gentiles to forsake the Law of Moses, and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs.ISV — Acts 21:21

22 What is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.ISV — Acts 21:22

23 So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.ISV — Acts 21:23

24 Take these men, go through the purification ceremony with them, and pay their expenses to shave their heads. Then everyone will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you are carefully observing and keeping the Law.ISV — Acts 21:24

25 As for the gentiles who have become believers, we have sent a letter with our decision that they should keep away from food that has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, ^{h21:25 i.e. uncooked meat} from anything strangled, ^{i21:25 Other mss. lack from anything strangled} and from sexual immorality.”ISV — Acts 21:25

26 Then Paul took those men and the next day purified himself with them. Then he went into the Temple to announce the time when their days of purification would end and when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them.ISV — Acts 21:26

27 When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, seeing Paul ^{j21:27 Lit. him} in the Temple, stirred up a large crowd. They grabbed Paul, ^{k21:27 Lit. him}ISV — Acts 21:27

28 yelling, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere to turn against our people, the Law, and this place. More than that, he has even brought Greeks into the Temple and desecrated this Holy Place.”ISV — Acts 21:28

29 For they had earlier seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him and assumed that Paul had taken him into the Temple.ISV — Acts 21:29

30 The whole city was in chaos. The people rushed together, grabbed Paul, dragged him out of the Temple, and at once the doors were sealed shut.ISV — Acts 21:30

31 The crowd ^{l21:31 Lit. They} was trying to kill Paul ^{m21:31 Lit. him} when a report reached the tribune of the cohort ^{n21:31 i.e. perhaps as many as 600 soldiers} that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.ISV — Acts 21:31

32 Immediately the tribune ^{o21:32 Lit. Immediately he} took some soldiers and officers and ran down to the crowd. ^{p21:32 Lit. them} When the people ^{q21:32 Lit. When they} saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.ISV — Acts 21:32

33 Then the tribune came up, grabbed Paul, ^{r21:33 Lit. him} and ordered him to be tied up with two chains. He then asked who Paul ^{s21:33 Lit. he} was and what he had done.ISV — Acts 21:33

34 Some of the crowd shouted this and some that. Since the tribune ^{t21:34 Lit. Since he} couldn’t learn the facts due to the confusion, he ordered Paul ^{u21:34 Lit. him} to be taken into the barracks.ISV — Acts 21:34

35 When Paul ^{v21:35 Lit. he} got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because the mob had become so violent.ISV — Acts 21:35

36 The crowd of people kept following him and shouting, “Kill him!”ISV — Acts 21:36

37 Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the tribune, “May I say something to you?” The tribune ^{w21:37 Lit. He} asked, “Oh, do you speak Greek?ISV — Acts 21:37

38 You’re not the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led 4,000 assassins into the desert, are you?”ISV — Acts 21:38

39 Paul replied, “I’m a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. Please let me speak to the people.”ISV — Acts 21:39

40 The tribune ^{x21:40 Lit. He} gave him permission, and Paul, standing on the steps, motioned for the people to be silent. When everyone had quieted down, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language:ISV — Acts 21:40