Acts 20:13-38

English Standard Version

¹³ But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. ¹⁴ And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. ¹⁵ And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and^[a] the day after that we went to Miletus. ¹⁶ For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening ^(A)to be at Jerusalem, if possible, ^(B)on the day of Pentecost.

Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders

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

^(D)“You yourselves know ^(E)how I lived among you the whole time ^(F)from the first day that I set foot in Asia, ^19 (G)serving the Lord ^(H)with all humility and with ^(I)tears and with trials that happened to me through ^(J)the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I ^(K)did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and ^(L)teaching you in public and from house to house, ^21 (M)testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of ^(N)repentance toward God and of ^(O)faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.^{[b] 22} And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained ^(P)by^[c] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that ^(Q)the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that ^(R)imprisonment and ^(S)afflictions await me. ²⁴ But ^(T)I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only ^(U)I may finish my course and ^(V)the ministry ^(W)that I received from the Lord Jesus, ^(X)to testify to ^(Y)the gospel of ^(Z)the grace of God. ²⁵ And now, behold, ^(AA)I know that none of you among whom I have gone about ^(AB)proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶ Therefore ^(AC)I testify to you this day that ^(AD)I am innocent of the blood of all, ²⁷ for ^(AE)I did not shrink from declaring to you ^(AF)the whole counsel of God. ^28 (AG)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ^(AH)the flock, in which ^(AI)the Holy Spirit has made you ^(AJ)overseers, ^(AK)to care for ^(AL)the church of God,^[d] which he ^(AM)obtained ^(AN)with his own blood.^{[e] 29} I ^(AO)know that after my departure ^(AP)fierce wolves will come in among you, ^(AQ)not sparing the flock; ³⁰ and ^(AR)from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore ^(AS)be alert, remembering that ^(AT)for three years I did not cease night or day ^(AU)to admonish every one ^(AV)with tears. ³² And now ^(AW)I commend you to God and to ^(AX)the word of his grace, which is able to ^(AY)build you up and to give you ^(AZ)the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ^33 (BA)I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. ^34 (BB)You yourselves know that ^(BC)these hands ministered to my necessities and ^(BD)to those who were with me. ³⁵ In all things ^(BE)I have shown you that ^(BF)by working hard in this way we must ^(BG)help the weak and ^(BH)remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed ^(BI)to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ And when he had said these things, ^(BJ)he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ And ^(BK)there was much weeping on the part of all; ^(BL)they embraced Paul and ^(BM)kissed him, ³⁸ being sorrowful most of all because of ^(BN)the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And ^(BO)they accompanied him to the ship.