English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

1Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

2And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them,

2There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome.

3and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.

3Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.

4And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.

4Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike.

5When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.

5And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.

6And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

6But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”

7And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. His house was next door to the synagogue.

7Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue.

8Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household. And many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized.

8Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.

9And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,

9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!

10for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”

10 For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.”

11And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

11So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.

12But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal,

12But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the governor for judgment.

13saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.”

13They accused Paul of “persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.”

14But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint.

14But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to accept your case.

15But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.”

15But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish law, take care of it yourselves. I refuse to judge such matters.”

16And he drove them from the tribunal.

16And he threw them out of the courtroom.

17And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of this.

17The crowd then grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio paid no attention. Paul Returns to Antioch of Syria

18After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.

18Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him.

19And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

19They stopped first at the port of Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews.

20When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined.

20They asked him to stay longer, but he declined.

21But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.

21As he left, however, he said, “I will come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

22When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch.

22The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch.

23After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

23After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers. Apollos Instructed at Ephesus

24Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.

24Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt.

25He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

25He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism.

26He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

26When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

27And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,

27Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed.

28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

28He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.