Acts 20:17-34

English Standard Version

Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called ^(A)the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁸And when they came to him, he said to them:

^(B)“You yourselves know ^(C)how I lived among you the whole time ^(D)from the first day that I set foot in Asia, ¹⁹^(E)serving the Lord ^(F)with all humility and with ^(G)tears and with trials that happened to me through ^(H)the plots of the Jews; ²⁰how I ^(I)did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and ^(J)teaching you in public and from house to house, ²¹^(K)testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of ^(L)repentance toward God and of ^(M)faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.^[a] ²²And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained ^(N)by^[b] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³except that ^(O)the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that ^(P)imprisonment and ^(Q)afflictions await me. ²⁴But ^(R)I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only ^(S)I may finish my course and ^(T)the ministry ^(U)that I received from the Lord Jesus, ^(V)to testify to ^(W)the gospel of ^(X)the grace of God. ²⁵And now, behold, ^(Y)I know that none of you among whom I have gone about ^(Z)proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶Therefore ^(AA)I testify to you this day that ^(AB)I am innocent of the blood of all, ²⁷for ^(AC)I did not shrink from declaring to you ^(AD)the whole counsel of God. ²⁸^(AE)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ^(AF)the flock, in which ^(AG)the Holy Spirit has made you ^(AH)overseers, ^(AI)to care for ^(AJ)the church of God,^[c] which he ^(AK)obtained ^(AL)with his own blood.^[d] ²⁹I ^(AM)know that after my departure ^(AN)fierce wolves will come in among you, ^(AO)not sparing the flock; ³⁰and ^(AP)from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹Therefore ^(AQ)be alert, remembering that ^(AR)for three years I did not cease night or day ^(AS)to admonish every one ^(AT)with tears. ³²And now ^(AU)I commend you to God and to ^(AV)the word of his grace, which is able to ^(AW)build you up and to give you ^(AX)the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³^(AY)I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. ³⁴^(AZ)You yourselves know that ^(BA)these hands ministered to my necessities and ^(BB)to those who were with me.