Atos 21

¹ And when we were torn away from them, and had set sail, we ran with a strait course to Coos, and the next day to Rhodes, and thence to Patara.

² And finding a ship passing over to Phenicia, we went aboard and set sail.

³ And coming within sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on the left-hand, we sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her burden.

⁴ And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days, who told Paul by the Spirit, Not to go up to Jerusalem.

⁵ But when we had finished these days, we departed and went our way; and they all attended us out of the city, with their wives and children: and kneeling down on the sea-shore we prayed.

⁶ And having embraced each other we took ship, and they returned home.

⁷ And finishing our voyage, we came from Tyre to Ptolemais, and saluting the brethren, we abode with them one day.

⁸ And the next day, we departed and came to Cesarea; and entring into the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him.

⁹ And he had four daughters, virgins, who were prophetesses.

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

¹¹ And coming to us, he took up Paul's girdle, and binding his own feet and hands, said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man whose girdle this is, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

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

¹³ But Paul answered, What mean ye, weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus.

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

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

¹⁶ And some of the disciples also from Cesarea went with us, and brought us to one Mnason, a Cyprian, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.

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

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

¹⁹ And having saluted them, he gave them a particular account of those things which God had done among the Gentiles by his ministry.

²⁰ And having heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said to him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of believing Jews there are, and they are all zealous for the law.

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

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

²³ Therefore do this that we say to thee: there are with us four men, who have a vow on them:

²⁴ Take them and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all will know, that there is nothing of those things which they have heard of thee; but that thou thyself walkest orderly, keeping the law.

²⁵ As touching the Gentiles that believe, we have written and determined, that they should observe no such thing; save only that they keep themselves from what is offered to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.

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

²⁷ And when the seven days were about to be accomplished, the Jews that were from Asia seeing him in the temple,

²⁸ stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, Crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: yea, and hath even brought Greeks into the temple, and polluted this holy place.

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

³⁰ And the whole city was moved, and the people ran together; and laying hold on Paul, they dragged him out of the temple: and immediately the gates were shut.

³¹ And as they went about to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar:

³² Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them; and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they ceased from beating Paul.

³³ Then the tribune came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired, Who he was, and what he had done?

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

³⁵ But when he came upon the stairs, he was borne of the soldiers, through the violence of the people.

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

³⁷ And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he said to the chief captain, May I speak to thee?

³⁸ Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? Art not thou that Egyptian, who before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out four thousand murtherers into the wilderness?

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

⁴⁰ And when he had given him leave, Paul standing on the stairs, waved his hand to the people: and a great silence being made, he spake to them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,