Acts 21 - LSB Bible Online

Acts 21

Paul Sets Out for Jerusalem

Now when ^awe had parted from them and had set sail, we came by ^ba straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara; 2 and having found a ship crossing over to ^aPhoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 And when we came in sight of ^aCyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to ^bSyria and landed at ^cTyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 And after looking up ^athe disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul ^bthrough the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. 5 And when ¹our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, ^aescorted us until we were out of the city. After ^bkneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. 6 Then we went on board the ship, and they returned ^ahome again.
7 And when we had finished the voyage from ^aTyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting ^bthe brothers, we stayed with them for a day. 8 And on the next day we left and came to ^aCaesarea, and entering the house of ^bPhilip the ^cevangelist, who was ^bone of the seven, we stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who ^aprophesied. 10 And as we were staying there for some days, a prophet named ^aAgabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he ^atook Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This ^bis what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will ^cbind the man who owns this belt and ^ddeliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 12 And when we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him ^anot to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, crying and breaking my heart? For ^aI am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for ^bthe name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, saying, “^aThe will of the Lord be done!”
15 Now after these days we got ready and ^astarted on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 And some of ^athe disciples from ^bCaesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of ^cCyprus, an ^dearly disciple with whom we were to lodge.

In Jerusalem

17 And after we arrived in Jerusalem, ^athe brothers welcomed us gladly. 18 And the following day Paul went in with us to ^aJames, and all ^bthe elders were present. 19 And after he had greeted them, he ^abegan to relate one by one the things which God did among the Gentiles through his ^bministry. 20 And when they heard it they began ^aglorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many ¹thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all ^bzealous for the Law; 21 and they have been told about you, that you are ^ateaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them ^bnot to circumcise their children nor to ¹walk according to ^cthe customs. 22 What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who ¹^aare under a vow; 24 take them and ^apurify yourself along with them, and ¹pay their expenses so that they may ^bshave their ²heads. Then all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, ^ahaving decided that they should keep from ¹meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul ¹took the men, and the next day, ^apurifying himself along with them, ^bwent into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Paul Is Arrested

27 Now when ^athe seven days were almost over, ^bthe Jews from ¹^cAsia, upon noticing him in the temple, began to throw all the crowd into confusion and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! ^aThis is the man who teaches to everyone everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has ^bdefiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen ^aTrophimus the ^bEphesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred, and ¹the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they ^adragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the ¹commander of the ^aRoman ²cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 At once he ^atook along soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; 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 him to be ^abound with ^btwo chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. 34 But among the crowd ^asome were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the ¹facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into ^bthe barracks. 35 And when he got to ^athe stairs, he actually was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd; 36 for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, “^aAway with him!”

Paul’s Defense Before the Jews

37 As Paul was about to be brought into ^athe barracks, he said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” And he *said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Then you are not ^athe Egyptian who some ¹time ago raised a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out ^binto the wilderness?” 39 But Paul said, “^aI am a Jew of Tarsus in ^bCilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” 40 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on ^athe stairs, ^bmotioned to the people with his hand; and when there ¹was a great hush, he spoke to them in the ^cHebrew language, saying,

« Acts 20Acts 21Acts 22 »