Acts 20:1–38

¹Now after the uproar had subsided, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had encouraged them and bidden them farewell, he went forth to journey into Mac‧e‧do′ni‧a.²After going through those parts and encouraging the ones there with many a word, he came into Greece.³And when he had spent three months there, because a plot was hatched against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he made up his mind to return through Mac‧e‧do′ni‧a.⁴There were accompanying him Sop′a‧ter the son of Pyr′rhus of Be‧roe′a, Ar‧is‧tar′chus and Se‧cun′dus of the Thes‧sa‧lo′ni‧ans, and Ga′ius of Der′be, and Timothy, and from the [district of] Asia Tych′i‧cus and Troph′i‧mus.⁵These went on and were waiting for us in Tro′as;⁶but we put out to sea from Phi‧lip′pi after the days of the unfermented cakes, and we came to them in Tro′as within five days; and there we spent seven days.

⁷On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to have a meal, Paul began discoursing to them, as he was going to depart the next day; and he prolonged his speech until midnight.⁸So there were quite a few lamps in the upper chamber where we were gathered together.⁹Seated at the window, a certain young man named Eu′ty‧chus fell into a deep sleep while Paul kept talking on, and, collapsing in sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead.¹⁰But Paul went downstairs, threw himself upon him and embraced him and said: “STOP​ raising a clamor, for his soul is in him.”¹¹He now went upstairs and began the meal and took food, and after conversing for quite a while, until daybreak, he at length departed.¹²So they took the boy away alive and were comforted beyond measure.

¹³We now went ahead to the boat and set sail to As′sos, where we were intending to take Paul aboard, for, after giving instructions to this effect, he himself was intending to go on foot.¹⁴So when he caught up with us in As′sos, we took him aboard and went to Mit‧y‧le′ne;¹⁵and, sailing away from there the succeeding day, we arrived opposite Chi′os, but the next day we touched at Sa′mos, and on the following day we arrived at Mi‧le′tus.¹⁶For Paul had decided to sail past Eph′e‧sus, in order that he might not spend any time in the [district of] Asia; for he was hastening to get to Jerusalem on the day of the [festival of] Pentecost if he possibly could.

¹⁷However, from Mi‧le′tus he sent to Eph′e‧sus and called for the older men of the congregation.¹⁸When they got to him he said to them: “YOU​ well know how from the first day that I stepped into the [district of] Asia I was with you the whole time,¹⁹slaving for the Lord with the greatest lowliness of mind and tears and trials that befell me by the plots of the Jews;²⁰while I did not hold back from telling ​YOU​ any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching ​YOU​ publicly and from house to house.²¹But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and to Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.²²And now, look! bound in the spirit, I am journeying to Jerusalem, although not knowing the things that will happen to me in it,²³except that from city to city the holy spirit repeatedly bears witness to me as it says that bonds and tribulations are waiting for me.²⁴Nevertheless, I do not make my soul of any account as dear to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received of the Lord Jesus, to bear thorough witness to the good news of the undeserved kindness of God.

²⁵“And now, look! I know that all of ​YOU​ among whom I went preaching the kingdom will see my face no more.²⁶Hence I call ​YOU​ to witness this very day that I am clean from the blood of all men,²⁷for I have not held back from telling ​YOU​ all the counsel of God.²⁸Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed ​YOU​ overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own [Son].²⁹I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among ​YOU​ and will not treat the flock with tenderness,³⁰and from among ​YOU​ yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.

³¹“Therefore keep awake, and bear in mind that for three years, night and day, I did not quit admonishing each one with tears.³²And now I commit ​YOU​ to God and to the word of his undeserved kindness, which [word] can build ​YOU​ up and give ​YOU​ the inheritance among all the sanctified ones.³³I have coveted no man’s silver or gold or apparel.³⁴YOU​ yourselves know that these hands have attended to the needs of me and of those with me.³⁵I have exhibited to ​YOU​ in all things that by thus laboring ​YOU​ must assist those who are weak, and must bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, when he himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.’”

³⁶And when he had said these things, he kneeled down with all of them and prayed.³⁷Indeed, quite a bit of weeping broke out among them all, and they fell upon Paul’s neck and tenderly kissed him,³⁸because they were especially pained at the word he had spoken that they were going to behold his face no more. So they proceeded to conduct him to the boat.