Acts 21 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Paul Sails from Miletus

21 Now when ^(A)we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran ^(B)a straight course to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara; ² and having found a ship crossing over to ^(C)Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. ³ When we came in sight of ^(D)Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to ^(E)Syria and landed at ^(F)Tyre; for the ship was to unload its cargo there. ⁴ After looking up ^(G)the disciples, we stayed there for seven days; and they kept telling Paul, ^[a](H)through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem. ⁵ When ^[b]our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, ^(I)escorted us until we were out of the city. After ^(J)kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. ⁶ Then we boarded the ship, and they returned ^(K)home.

⁷ When we had finished the voyage from ^(L)Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting ^(M)the brothers and sisters, we stayed with them for a day. ⁸ On the next day we left and came to ^(N)Caesarea, and we entered the house of ^(O)Philip the ^(P)evangelist, who was ^(Q)one of the seven, and stayed with him. ⁹ Now this man had four virgin daughters who were ^(R)prophetesses. ¹⁰ As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named ^(S)Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ And he came to us and ^(T)took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This ^(U)is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will ^(V)bind the man who owns this belt and ^(W)hand him over to the Gentiles.’” ¹² When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him ^(X)not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For ^(Y)I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for ^(Z)the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, “^(AA)The will of the Lord be done!”

Paul in Jerusalem

¹⁵ After these days we got ready and ^(AB)started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of ^(AC)the disciples from ^(AD)Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of ^(AE)Cyprus, a ^(AF)disciple of long standing with whom we were to stay.

¹⁷ After we arrived in Jerusalem, ^(AG)the brothers and sisters received us gladly. ¹⁸ And the following day Paul went in with us to ^[c](AH)James, and all ^(AI)the elders were present. ¹⁹ After he had greeted them, he ^(AJ)began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ^(AK)ministry. ²⁰ And when they heard about them, they began ^(AL)glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many ^[d]thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all ^(AM)zealous for the Law; ²¹ and they have been told about you, that you are ^(AN)teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them ^(AO)not to circumcise their children nor to ^[e]walk according to ^(AP)the customs. ²² So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. ²³ Therefore, do ^[f]as we tell you: we have four men who ^(AQ)have a ^[g]vow upon themselves; ²⁴ take them along and ^(AR)purify yourself together with them, and ^[h]pay their expenses so that they may ^(AS)shave their ^[i]heads; and then everyone will know that there is nothing to what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also conform, keeping the Law. ²⁵ But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter, ^(AT)having decided that they should abstain from ^[j]meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is ^[k]strangled, and from sexual immorality.” ²⁶ Then Paul ^[l]took along the men, and the next day, after ^(AU)purifying himself together with them, he ^(AV)went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Paul Seized in the Temple

²⁷ When ^(AW)the seven days were almost over, ^(AX)the Jews from ^[m](AY)Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help! ^(AZ)This is the man who instructs everyone everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has ^(BA)defiled this holy place!” ²⁹ For they had previously seen ^(BB)Trophimus the ^(BC)Ephesian in the city with him, and they thought that Paul had brought him into the temple. ³⁰ Then the whole city was provoked and ^[n]the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they ^(BD)dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. ³¹ While they were intent on killing him, a report came up to the commander of the ^(BE)Roman ^[o]cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ³² He immediately ^(BF)took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to ^[p]the crowd; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered that he be ^(BG)bound with ^(BH)two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ But among the crowd, ^(BI)some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the ^[q]facts because of the uproar, he ordered that ^[r]Paul be brought into ^(BJ)the barracks. ³⁵ When Paul got to ^(BK)the stairs, it came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the ^[s]mob; ³⁶ for the multitude of people kept following them, shouting, “^(BL)Away with him!”

³⁷ As Paul was about to be brought into ^(BM)the barracks, he *said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Then you are not ^(BN)the Egyptian who some ^[t]time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out ^(BO)into the wilderness?” ³⁹ But Paul said, “^(BP)I am a Jew of Tarsus in ^(BQ)Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on ^(BR)the stairs, ^(BS)motioned to the people with his hand; and when there ^[u]was a great silence, he spoke to them in the ^[v](BT)Hebrew dialect, saying,

Footnotes

1. Acts 21:4 I.e., because of impressions made by the Spirit
2. Acts 21:5 Lit we had completed the days
3. Acts 21:18 Or Jacob
4. Acts 21:20 Lit ten thousands
5. Acts 21:21 I.e., observe or live by
6. Acts 21:23 Lit this which we
7. Acts 21:23 I.e., a sacred duty to fulfill
8. Acts 21:24 Lit spend on them
9. Acts 21:24 Lit head (a requirement of the vow)
10. Acts 21:25 Lit the thing
11. Acts 21:25 I.e., to retain the blood
12. Acts 21:26 Or took along the men the next day, and after purifying himself
13. Acts 21:27 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
14. Acts 21:30 Lit a running together of the people occurred
15. Acts 21:31 Normally 600 men (the number varied)
16. Acts 21:32 Lit them
17. Acts 21:34 Lit certainty
18. Acts 21:34 Lit he
19. Acts 21:35 Lit crowd
20. Acts 21:38 Lit days
21. Acts 21:40 Lit occurred
22. Acts 21:40 I.e., Jewish Aramaic

Cross references

1. Acts 21:1 : [we] Acts 16:10; 21:1-18
2. Acts 21:1 : Acts 16:11
3. Acts 21:2 : Acts 11:19; 21:3
4. Acts 21:3 : Acts 4:36; 21:16
5. Acts 21:3 : Matt 4:24
6. Acts 21:3 : Acts 12:20; 21:7
7. Acts 21:4 : Acts 11:26; 21:16
8. Acts 21:4 : Acts 20:23; 21:11
9. Acts 21:5 : Acts 15:3
10. Acts 21:5 : Luke 22:41; Acts 9:40; 20:36
11. Acts 21:6 : John 19:27
12. Acts 21:7 : Acts 12:20; 21:3
13. Acts 21:7 : Acts 1:15; 21:17
14. Acts 21:8 : Acts 8:40; 21:16
15. Acts 21:8 : Acts 6:5; 8:5
16. Acts 21:8 : Eph 4:11; 2 Tim 4:5
17. Acts 21:8 : Acts 6:5; 8:5
18. Acts 21:9 : Luke 2:36; Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 11:5
19. Acts 21:10 : Acts 11:28
20. Acts 21:11 : 1 Kin 22:11; Is 20:2; Jer 13:1-11; 19:1, 11; John 18
21. Acts 21:11 : Acts 8:29
22. Acts 21:11 : Acts 9:16; 21:33
23. Acts 21:11 : Matt 20:19
24. Acts 21:12 : Acts 21:15
25. Acts 21:13 : Acts 20:24
26. Acts 21:13 : Acts 5:41; 9:16
27. Acts 21:14 : Luke 22:42
28. Acts 21:15 : Acts 21:12
29. Acts 21:16 : Acts 21:4
30. Acts 21:16 : Acts 8:40
31. Acts 21:16 : Acts 4:36; 21:3
32. Acts 21:16 : Acts 15:7
33. Acts 21:17 : Acts 1:15; 21:7
34. Acts 21:18 : Acts 12:17
35. Acts 21:18 : Acts 11:30
36. Acts 21:19 : Acts 14:27
37. Acts 21:19 : Acts 1:17
38. Acts 21:20 : Matt 9:8
39. Acts 21:20 : Acts 15:1; 22:3; Rom 10:2; Gal 1:14
40. Acts 21:21 : Acts 21:28
41. Acts 21:21 : Acts 15:19ff; 1 Cor 7:18f
42. Acts 21:21 : Acts 6:14
43. Acts 21:23 : Num 6:13-21; Acts 18:18
44. Acts 21:24 : John 11:55; Acts 21:26; 24:18
45. Acts 21:24 : Acts 18:18
46. Acts 21:25 : Acts 15:19f, 29
47. Acts 21:26 : John 11:55; Acts 21:24; 24:18
48. Acts 21:26 : Num 6:13; Acts 24:18
49. Acts 21:27 : Num 6:9, 13-20
50. Acts 21:27 : Acts 20:19; 24:18
51. Acts 21:27 : Acts 16:6
52. Acts 21:28 : Acts 6:13
53. Acts 21:28 : Matt 24:15; Acts 6:13f; 24:6
54. Acts 21:29 : Acts 20:4
55. Acts 21:29 : Acts 18:19
56. Acts 21:30 : 2 Kin 11:15; Acts 16:19; 26:21
57. Acts 21:31 : Acts 10:1
58. Acts 21:32 : Acts 23:27
59. Acts 21:33 : Acts 20:23; 21:11; 22:29; 26:29; 28:20; Eph 6:20; 2 Tim 1:16; 2:9
60. Acts 21:33 : Acts 12:6
61. Acts 21:34 : Acts 19:32
62. Acts 21:34 : Acts 21:37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32
63. Acts 21:35 : Acts 21:40
64. Acts 21:36 : Luke 23:18; John 19:15; Acts 22:22
65. Acts 21:37 : Acts 21:34; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32
66. Acts 21:38 : Acts 5:36
67. Acts 21:38 : Matt 24:26
68. Acts 21:39 : Acts 9:11; 22:3
69. Acts 21:39 : Acts 6:9
70. Acts 21:40 : Acts 21:35
71. Acts 21:40 : Acts 12:17
72. Acts 21:40 : John 5:2; Acts 1:19; 22:2; 26:14