Acts of the Apostles 21

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To Jerusalem

1 After we had taken leave of them,* we sailed directly to the island of Kos. The next day we went to the island of Rhodes and from there to the port of Patara. 2 We found a ship traveling to Phoenicia,* so we boarded it and sailed off. 3 We saw the island of Cyprus but passed by it on our left and headed for Syria. Then we disembarked at the port of Sur because the ship was going to unload its cargo there. 4 In Sur we found some disciples, and stayed with them for seven days. They kept advising Paul not to go to Jerusalem because of what the Spirit had revealed to them. 5 When our visit was over, we left to continue our journey. All the disciples, together with their wives and children, accompanied us outside the city to say goodbye to us, and we knelt on the shore to pray. 6 Then we said goodbye to one another; we boarded the ship, and they returned to their homes.

7 We continued the trip from Sur to Acca;* we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. 8 We left the next day and arrived at Caesarea. We stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the Seven.* 9 He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.

10 After several days had passed and we were [still] at his place, a prophet came down from the region of Judea; his name was Agabus. 11 He came to us, took Paul's belt, and bound his own hands and feet with it. He said, “This is the word of the Holy Spirit, that the owner of this belt will be bound [by] the Jews in Jerusalem in this way, and they will hand him over to the foreigners.” 12 When we heard this, we started urging Paul — we and the people who were there — not to go to Jerusalem. 13 But Paul said, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready, not only to be tied up, but even to die in Jerusalem for the sake of the name of our Master Isa.” 14 When we couldn't persuade him, we quieted down and said, “May the Lord's will be done.”

15 After this we got ourselves ready and traveled to Jerusalem. 16 Some disciples from Caesarea were accompanying us; they took us to the house of Mnason the Cypriot, a longtime disciple, to stay at his place.

In Jerusalem

17 When we arrived in Jerusalem,* the brothers welcomed us with joy. 18 The next day we went with Paul to visit Yaqub,* and all the elders were gathered at his place. 19 Paul greeted them and reported to them in detail what Allah had done among the other ethnic groups through his ministry.

20 When they heard this, they praised Allah. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, that thousands of Jews have believed, and they are fanatics for the religious law. 21 They have heard that you are teaching the Jews who live among the other ethnic groups to turn away from Musa, and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or practice the familiar customs. 22 No doubt they will hear that you have come here, so what's to be done, then? 23 Do what we tell you: We have four men who are under a vow. 24 Take them, purify yourself with them, and pay for them to shave their heads. Then everyone will know that what they heard about you is not true, because you yourself comply with the religious law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have sent them our decision that they should abstain from eating food which was offered to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from extramarital sex.”

26 So Paul took the men the next day and purified himself with them. Then he went to the Temple complex to register the end date of the days of purification and the time for presenting the offering for each one of them.

Paul's Arrest

27 When the seven days were near their end, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple complex. They stirred up all the people and seized him, 28 screaming, “Help, Children of Israel! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our doctrine, and this place. Moreover, he brought foreigners into the Temple of Allah and defiled this holy place.”* 29 For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian with Paul in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him with him into the Temple of Allah.

30 The whole city was agitated, and people came running from every direction. When they seized Paul, they dragged him out of the Temple complex, and the gates were closed immediately. 31 While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman battalion heard that the city of Jerusalem was all in an uproar. 32 At once he took some officers and soldiers and ran to the crowd. When they saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came and arrested him, and ordered him bound with two chains. He began asking, “Who is he, and what has he done?” 34 Some began shouting one thing, and some another. The commander was unable to discern the truth of the matter because of the uproar of the people, so he ordered them to take Paul to the fortress.* 35 As Paul reached the stairs, the soldiers lifted him up to save him from the violence of the crowd, 36 because the people were following him, shouting, “The death penalty!”

37 As the soldiers were taking Paul to the fortress, he said to the commander, “Would you allow me to tell you something?” The commander answered, “Do you speak Greek? 38 Aren't you the Egyptian who stirred up turmoil and led four thousand killers out into the desert a while ago?” 39 Paul replied, “I'm a Jew from Tarsus, the famous city in Cilicia. Please allow me to address the people.” 40 The commander gave him permission. So Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people with his hand. When they all had quieted down, he said to them in the Hebrew language:

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Definitions

 *21:2 Phoenicia: an ancient name for Lebanon.

 *21:7 Acca: Or Acre. At that time the city was also called Ptolemais in Greek, as well as Akka. By ship it was forty kilometers (twenty-five miles) south of Sur.

 *21:8 the Seven: the seven men first appointed to manage the distribution of aid to widows. See Acts 6:1-6.

 *21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem: AD 57.

 *21:18 Yaqub: Yaqub the brother of Isa the Messiah, also known as Yaqub the Just.

 *21:28 Gentiles were allowed to pray in the outer court of the Temple but it was forbidden for them to enter the inner courts unless they had converted to Judaism. It was believed that they would defile the Temple.