| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1After we had torn ourselves away from them, we sailed directly to Cos, and the next day on to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. | 1After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. |
| 2Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded it and set sail. | 2There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. |
| 3After sighting Cyprus and passing south of it, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo. | 3We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo. |
| 4We sought out the disciples in Tyre and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. | 4We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. |
| 5But when our time there had ended, we set out on our journey. All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city and knelt down on the beach to pray with us. | 5When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, |
| 6And after we had said our farewells, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. | 6and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home. |
| 7When we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. | 7The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed for one day. |
| 8Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven. | 8The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. |
| 9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. | 9He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. |
| 10After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. | 10Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. |
| 11Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ” | 11He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’” |
| 12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. | 12When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. |
| 13Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” | 13But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” |
| 14When he would not be dissuaded, we fell silent and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” | 14When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” Paul Arrives at Jerusalem |
| 15After these days, we packed up and went on to Jerusalem. | 15After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. |
| 16Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to stay at the home of Mnason the Cypriot, an early disciple. | 16Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early believers. |
| 17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us joyfully. | 17When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly. |
| 18The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present. | 18The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. |
| 19Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. | 19After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. |
| 20When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. | 20After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, “You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously. |
| 21But they are under the impression that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs. | 21But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They’ve heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. |
| 22What then should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. | 22What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. |
| 23Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow. | 23“Here’s what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow. |
| 24Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the law. | 24Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws. |
| 25As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.” | 25“As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.” Paul Is Arrested |
| 26So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them. | 26So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them. |
| 27When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, | 27The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, |
| 28crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” | 28yelling, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles. ” |
| 29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple. | 29(For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.) |
| 30The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. | 30The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him. |
| 31While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil. | 31As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. |
| 32Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. | 32He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul. |
| 33The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. | 33Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done. |
| 34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. | 34Some shouted one thing and some another. Since he couldn’t find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that Paul be taken to the fortress. |
| 35When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. | 35As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him. |
| 36For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!” | 36And the crowd followed behind, shouting, “Kill him, kill him!” Paul Speaks to the Crowd |
| 37As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. | 37As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, “May I have a word with you?” “Do you know Greek?” the commander asked, surprised. |
| 38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the ‘Assassins’ into the wilderness?” | 38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins out into the desert?” |
| 39But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.” | 39“No,” Paul replied, “I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people.” |
| 40Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew: | 40The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic. |
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