Acts 21

¹And when we had parted from them and set sail , we came by a straight course to Cos , and the next day to Rhodes , and from there to Patara .

²And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia , we went aboard and set sail .

³When we had come in sight of Cyprus , leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre , for there the ship was to unload its cargo .

⁴And having sought out the disciples , we stayed there for seven days . And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem .

⁵When our days there were ended , we departed and went on our journey , and they all , with wives and children , accompanied us until we were outside the city . And kneeling down on the beach , we prayed

⁶and said farewell to one another . Then we went on board the ship , and they returned home .

⁷When we had finished the voyage from Tyre , we arrived at Ptolemais , and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day .

⁸On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea , and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist , who was one of the seven , and stayed with him .

⁹He had four unmarried daughters , who prophesied .

¹⁰While we were staying for many days , a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea .

¹¹And coming to us , he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said , Thus says the Holy Spirit , This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles .

¹²When we heard this , we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem .

¹³Then Paul answered , What are you doing , weeping and breaking my heart ? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus .

¹⁴And since he would not be persuaded , we ceased and said , Let the will of the Lord be done .

¹⁵After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem .

¹⁶And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us , bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus , an early disciple , with whom we should lodge .

¹⁷When we had come to Jerusalem , the brothers received us gladly .

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

¹⁹After greeting them , he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry .

²⁰And when they heard it, they glorified God . And they said to him , You see , brother , how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed . They are all zealous for the law ,

²¹and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses , telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs .

²²What then is to be done ? They will certainly hear that you have come .

²³Do therefore what we tell you . We have four men who are under a vow ;

²⁴take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses , so that they may shave their heads . Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you , but that you yourself also live in observance of the law .

²⁵But as for the Gentiles who have believed , we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols , and from blood , and from what has been strangled , and from sexual immorality .

²⁶Then Paul took the men , and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple , giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them .

²⁷When the seven days were almost completed , the Jews from Asia , seeing him in the temple , stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him ,

²⁸crying out , Men of Israel , help ! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover , he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place .

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

³⁰Then all the city was stirred up , and the people ran together . They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple , and at once the gates were shut .

³¹And as they were seeking to kill him , word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion .

³²He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them . And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers , they stopped beating Paul .

³³Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains . He inquired who he was and what he had done .

³⁴Some in the crowd were shouting one thing , some another . And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar , he ordered him to be brought into the barracks .

³⁵And when he came to the steps , he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd ,

³⁶for the mob of the people followed , crying out, Away with him !

³⁷As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks , he said to the tribune , May I say something to you ? And he said , Do you know Greek ?

³⁸Are you not the Egyptian , then , who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness ?

³⁹Paul replied , I am a Jew , from Tarsus in Cilicia , a citizen of no obscure city . I beg you , permit me to speak to the people .

⁴⁰And when he had given him permission , Paul , standing on the steps , motioned with his hand to the people . And when there was a great hush , he addressed them in the Hebrew language , saying :