Paul in Macedonia and Greece
1After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. 2 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 [a]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 [b]Asia. 5 But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 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.
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his [c]message until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 And there was a young man named [d]Eutychus sitting [e]on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by 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, “[f]Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11 When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and [g]eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. 12 They took away the boy alive, and were [h]greatly comforted.
Troas to Miletus
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 [i]by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 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 [j]Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
Farewell to Ephesus
17 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 [k]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 [l]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 [m]from house to house, 21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, bound by the [n]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 bonds and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not consider my life of any account as 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 [o]testify to you this day that I am [p]innocent of the blood of all men. 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 [q]overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He [r]purchased [s]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 on the alert, 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 are 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 the men who were with me. 35 In everything I showed you that by working hard 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 When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And [t]they began to weep aloud and [u]embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, 38 [v]grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.
Footnotes
- Acts 20:4 Lit there accompanied him
- Acts 20:4 I.e. west coast province of Asia Minor
- Acts 20:7 Lit word, speech
- Acts 20:9 Eutychus means Good fortune, i.e. ‘Lucky’
- Acts 20:9 Or at the window
- Acts 20:10 Or Stop being troubled
- Acts 20:11 Lit tasted
- Acts 20:12 Lit not moderately
- Acts 20:13 Or on foot
- Acts 20:16 I.e. west coast province of Asia Minor
- Acts 20:18 V 16, note 1
- Acts 20:19 Lit by
- Acts 20:20 Or in the various private homes
- Acts 20:22 Or in spirit
- Acts 20:26 Or call you to witness
- Acts 20:26 Lit pure from
- Acts 20:28 Or bishops
- Acts 20:28 Lit acquired
- Acts 20:28 Lit through
- Acts 20:37 Lit a considerable weeping of all occurred
- Acts 20:37 Lit threw themselves on Paul’s neck
- Acts 20:38 Lit suffering pain