Acts 20:13-38

New International Version

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

¹³We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. ¹⁴When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. ¹⁵The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.^(A) ¹⁶Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus^(B) to avoid spending time in the province of Asia,^(C) for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem,^(D) if possible, by the day of Pentecost.^(E)

¹⁷From Miletus,^(F) Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders^(G) of the church. ¹⁸When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you,^(H) from the first day I came into the province of Asia.^(I) ¹⁹I served the Lord with great humility and with tears^(J) and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.^(K) ²⁰You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything^(L) that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹I have declared to both Jews^(M) and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance^(N) and have faith in our Lord Jesus.^(O)

²²“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem,^(P) not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me^(Q) that prison and hardships are facing me.^(R) ²⁴However, I consider my life worth nothing to me;^(S) my only aim is to finish the race^(T) and complete the task^(U) the Lord Jesus has given me^(V)—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.^(W)

²⁵“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom^(X) will ever see me again.^(Y) ²⁶Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.^(Z) ²⁷For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.^(AA) ²⁸Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock^(AB) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.^(AC) Be shepherds of the church of God,^[a]^(AD) which he bought^(AE) with his own blood.^[b]^(AF) ²⁹I know that after I leave, savage wolves^(AG) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.^(AH) ³⁰Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples^(AI) after them. ³¹So be on your guard! Remember that for three years^(AJ) I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.^(AK)

³²“Now I commit you to God^(AL) and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance^(AM) among all those who are sanctified.^(AN) ³³I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.^(AO) ³⁴You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.^(AP) ³⁵In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

³⁶When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.^(AQ) ³⁷They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.^(AR) ³⁸What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.^(AS) Then they accompanied him to the ship.^(AT)