Chapter 21

1After tearing ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes, and from there we went to Patara.

2We found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, boarded it, and set sail.

3When Cyprus came into view, we passed it on our left and sailed toward Syria. We landed at Tyre because the ship was going to unload its cargo there.

4We found the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Guided by God’s Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem.

5When our time there was over, we left and continued our journey. All the disciples, including their wives and children, accompanied us outside the city. There on the beach, we knelt and prayed.

6Then we said goodbye to one another. We boarded the ship, and they returned home.

7We completed the voyage from Tyre and arrived at Ptolemais. We greeted the fellow believers and stayed with them for one day.

8The next day we left and went to Caesarea. We entered the home of Philip, who preached the good news and was one of the seven men appointed to serve the community, and we stayed with him.

9Philip had four unmarried daughters who spoke messages from God.

10After we had stayed there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

11He came to us, took Paul’s belt, and tied his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “God’s Holy Spirit says, ‘This is how the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this belt and hand him over to non-Jews.’”

12When we heard this, both we and the local believers pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.

13Paul answered, “Why are you crying and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be imprisoned in Jerusalem but also to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”

14Since Paul would not be persuaded, we stopped arguing and said, “May the Lord’s will be done.”

15After those days, we packed our things and went up to Jerusalem.

16Some disciples from Caesarea came with us. They took us to stay with Mnason, a man from Cyprus who had been a disciple for many years.

17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the fellow believers welcomed us gladly.

18The next day Paul went with us to see James, and all the community elders were there.

19Paul greeted them and gave a detailed account of everything God had done among the non-Jews through his work.

20When the elders heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul, “Our brother, you can see how many tens of thousands of Jews have become believers, and all of them are deeply committed to Moses’ law.

21The elders continued, “They have been told that you teach all Jews living among non-Jews to abandon Moses. They hear that you tell them not to circumcise their sons according to the Jewish covenant ritual or follow Jewish customs.

22“So what should be done? They are certain to hear that you have arrived.

23“Do what we tell you. We have four men here who have taken a religious vow.

24“Take these men with you, join them in the purification ceremony, and pay their expenses so that they can shave their heads when their vows are completed. Then everyone will know that the reports about you are false and that you yourself live in an orderly way and obey Moses’ law.

25“As for the non-Jews who have become believers, we sent them our decision: they must avoid meat from sacrifices offered to idols, consuming blood, eating meat from strangled animals, and sexual immorality.”

26So the next day Paul took the men and joined them in the purification ceremony. He entered the temple and announced when the days of purification would end and when the required offering would be presented for each man.

27When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and grabbed him.

28They shouted, “People of Israel, help us! This is the man who goes everywhere teaching everyone against our people, Moses’ law, and this temple. He has even brought non-Jews into the temple and has made this holy place impure!”

29They said this because they had previously seen Trophimus from Ephesus with Paul in the city. They assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

30The whole city was thrown into an uproar, and people came running from every direction. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and immediately shut the doors.

31While they were trying to kill Paul, a report reached the commander of the Roman garrison that all Jerusalem was in chaos.

32The commander immediately took soldiers and army officers and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw him and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

33The commander came forward, arrested Paul, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who Paul was and what he had done.

34People in the crowd shouted different answers. Because of the noise, the commander could not learn the truth, so he ordered the soldiers to take Paul into the barracks.

35When Paul reached the steps, the crowd became so violent that the soldiers had to carry him.

36The mass of people followed behind, shouting, “Get rid of him!”

37Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” The commander replied, “You know Greek?

38“Then you are not the Egyptian who recently started a revolt and led four thousand dagger-wielding assassins into the wilderness?”

39Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of a city of some importance. Please allow me to speak to the people.”

40The commander gave him permission. Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people with his hand. When they had become very quiet, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying: