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Greek: New Testament (NAS)
English: John Barach
Chapter 21
From the Islands to the Syrian Coast
1  Ὡς δὲ ἐγένετο ἀναχθῆναι ἡμᾶς ἀποσπασθέντας ἀπ' αὐτῶν, εὐθυδρομήσαντες ἤλθομεν εἰς τὴν Κῶ, τῇ δὲ ἑξῆς εἰς τὴν Ῥόδον κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Πάταρα, 2  καὶ εὑρόντες πλοῖον διαπερῶν εἰς Φοινίκην ἐπιβάντες ἀνήχθημεν. 3  ἀναφανείη δὲ τὴν Κύπρον καὶ καταλιπόντες αὐτὴν εὐώνυμον ἐπλέομεν εἰς Συρίαν καὶ κατήλθομεν εἰς Τύρον· ἐκεῖσε γὰρ τὸ πλοῖον ἦν ἀποφορτιζόμενον τὸν γόμον. 4  ἀνευρόντες δὲ τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐπεμείναμεν αὐτοῦ ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ, οἵτινες τῷ Παύλῳ ἔλεγον διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος μὴ ἐπιβαίνειν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα. 5  ὅτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἡμᾶς ἐξαρτίσαι τὰς ἡμέρας, ἐξελθόντες ἐπορευόμεθα προπεμπόντων ἡμᾶς πάντων σὺν γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις ἕως ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, καὶ θέντες τὰ γόνατα ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν προσευξάμενοι 6  ἀπησπασάμεθα ἀλλήλους καὶ ἐνέβημεν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς τὰ ἴδια.
1When we had finally torn ourselves away from them and set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3After catching sight of Cyprus and leaving it on our left, we sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unlade its cargo. 4Having searched for and found the disciples, we stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit, they kept telling Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem. 5But when our time there was finished, we left and continued our journey. All of them, with wives and children, escorted us out of the city; and after kneeling down on the beach and praying, 6we said our farewells to one another. Then we went up into the ship, and they returned to their own homes.
Prophecy and Resolve at Caesarea
7  Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν πλοῦν διανύσαντες ἀπὸ Τύρου κατηντήσαμεν εἰς Πτολεμαΐδα καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐμείναμεν ἡμέραν μίαν παρ' αὐτοῖς. 8  τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἐξελθόντες ἤλθομεν εἰς Καισάρειαν καὶ εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν οἶκον Φιλίππου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ, ὄντος ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ, ἐμείναμεν παρ' αὐτῷ. 9  τούτῳ δὲ ἦσαν θυγατέρες τέσσαρες παρθένοι προφητεύουσαι. 10  ἐπιμενόντων δὲ ἡμέρας πλείους κατῆλθέν τις ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας προφήτης ὀνόματι Ἅγαβος, 11  καὶ ἐλθὼν πρὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ ἄρας τὴν ζώνην τοῦ Παύλου, δήσας ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς πόδας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας εἶπεν, τάδε λέγει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὸν ἄνδρα οὗ ἐστιν ἡ ζώνη αὕτη, οὕτως δήσουσιν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ παραδώσουσιν εἰς χεῖρας ἐθνῶν.
7Completing the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and after greeting the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 8On the next day, we departed and came to Caesarea. We entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. 9Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10While we were staying there for a number of days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11He came to us, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands, saying, “Thus says the Holy Spirit: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”
12  ὡς δὲ ἠκούσαμεν ταῦτα, παρεκαλοῦμεν ἡμεῖς τε καὶ οἱ ἐντόπιοι τοῦ μὴ ἀναβαίνειν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ. 13  τότε ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Παῦλος, τί ποιεῖτε κλαίοντες καὶ συνθρύπτοντές μου τὴν καρδίαν; ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐ μόνον δεθῆναι ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἑτοίμως ἔχω ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ. 14  μὴ πειθομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ ἡσυχάσαμεν εἰπόντες, τοῦ κυρίου τὸ θέλημα γινέσθω.
12When we heard this, both we and the local people began urging him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14Since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
Arrival and Report to the Elders
15  Μετὰ δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας ἐπισκευασάμενοι ἀνεβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα· 16  συνῆλθον δὲ καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀπὸ Καισαρείας σὺν ἡμῖν, ἄγοντες παρ' ᾧ ξενισθῶμεν Μνάσωνι τινι Κυπρίῳ, ἀρχαίῳ μαθητῇ.
15After these days, we packed our gear and began the journey up to Jerusalem. 16Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us, bringing us to a certain Mnason of Cyprus—an early disciple—with whom we were to stay.
17  Γενομένων δὲ ἡμῶν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀσμένως ἀπεδέξαντο ἡμᾶς οἱ ἀδελφοί. 18  τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ εἰσῄει ὁ Παῦλος σὺν ἡμῖν πρὸς Ἰάκωβον, πάντες τε παρεγένοντο οἱ πρεσβύτεροι. 19  καὶ ἀσπασάμενος αὐτοὺς ἐξηγεῖτο καθ' ἓν ἕκαστον, ὧν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν διὰ τῆς διακονίας αὐτοῦ.
17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. 18On the following day, Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present. 19After greeting them, he began to report in detail, one by one, the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
The Request for Ritual Proof
20  οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐδόξαζον τὸν θεὸν εἶπόν τε αὐτῷ, θεωρεῖς ἀδελφέ, πόσαι μυριάδες εἰσὶν ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τῶν πεπιστευκότων καὶ πάντες ζηλωταὶ τοῦ νόμου ὑπάρχουσιν· 21  κατηχήθησαν δὲ περὶ σοῦ ὅτι ἀποστασίαν διδάσκεις ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως τοὺς κατὰ τὰ ἔθνη πάντας Ἰουδαίους λέγων μὴ περιτέμνειν αὐτοὺς τὰ τέκνα μηδὲ τοῖς ἔθεσιν περιπατεῖν. 22  τί οὖν ἐστιν; πάντως ἀκούσονται ὅτι ἐλήλυθας.
20When they heard this, they began glorifying God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many tens of thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealots for the Law. 21But they have been told about you that you are teaching all the Jews living among the Gentiles apostasy from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children and not to walk according to our customs. 22What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
23  τοῦτο οὖν ποίησον ὅ σοι λέγομεν· εἰσὶν ἡμῖν ἄνδρες τέσσαρες εὐχὴν ἔχοντες ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν. 24  τούτους παραλαβὼν ἁγνίσθητι σὺν αὐτοῖς καὶ δαπάνησον ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἵνα ξυρήσονται τὴν κεφαλήν, καὶ γνώσονται πάντες ὅτι ὧν κατήχηνται περὶ σοῦ οὐδέν ἐστιν ἀλλὰ στοιχεῖς καὶ αὐτὸς φυλάσσων τὸν νόμον. 25  περὶ δὲ τῶν πεπιστευκότων ἐθνῶν ἡμεῖς ἀπεστείλαμεν κρίναντες φυλάσσεσθαι αὐτοὺς τό τε εἰδωλόθυτον καὶ αἷμα καὶ πνικτὸν καὶ πορνείαν.
23Do this, therefore, what we tell you: We have four men who are under a vow. 24Take these men, go through the purification rites with them, and pay their expenses so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to the things they were told about you, but that you yourself live in line with the Law, keeping it. 25But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our decision that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
26  Τότε ὁ Παῦλος παραλαβὼν τοὺς ἄνδρας τῇ ἐχομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁγνισθείς, εἰσῄει εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν διαγγέλλων τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ ἁγνισμοῦ ἕως οὗ προσηνέχθη ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου αὐτῶν ἡ προσφορά.
26Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself along with them, he went into the temple to give notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the offering was presented for each one of them.
The Riot in the Temple
27  Ὡς δὲ ἔμελλον αἱ ἑπτὰ ἡμέραι συντελεῖσθαι, οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀσίας Ἰουδαῖοι θεασάμενοι αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ συνέχεον πάντα τὸν ὄχλον καὶ ἐπέβαλον ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὰς χεῖρας 28  κράζοντες, ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, βοηθεῖτε· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τοῦ τόπου τούτου πάντας πανταχῇ διδάσκων, ἔτι τε καὶ Ἕλληνας εἰσήγαγεν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ κεκοίνωκεν τὸν ἅγιον τόπον τοῦτον. 29  ἦσαν γὰρ προεωρακότες Τρόφιμον τὸν Ἐφέσιον ἐν τῇ πόλει σὺν αὐτῷ, ὃν ἐνόμιζον ὅτι εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν εἰσήγαγεν ὁ Παῦλος.
27When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple. They stirred up the entire crowd and laid hands on him, 28shouting, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place; furthermore, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place!” 29(For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)
30  ἐκινήθη τε ἡ πόλις ὅλη καὶ ἐγένετο συνδρομὴ τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενοι τοῦ Παύλου εἷλκον αὐτὸν ἔξω τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ εὐθέως ἐκλείσθησαν αἱ θύραι. 31  ζητούντων τε αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι ἀνέβη φάσις τῷ χιλιάρχῳ τῆς σπείρης ὅτι ὅλη συγχύννεται Ἰερουσαλήμ. 32  ὃς ἐξαυτῆς παραλαβὼν στρατιώτας καὶ ἑκατοντάρχας κατέδραμεν ἐπ' αὐτούς, οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες τὸν χιλίαρχον καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐπαύσαντο τύπτοντες τὸν Παῦλον.
30The whole city was provoked, and the people came running together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31While they were seeking to kill him, a report went up to the commander of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in chaos. 32He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33  τότε ἐγγίσας ὁ χιλίαρχος ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκέλευσεν δεθῆναι ἁλύσεσι δυσί, καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο τίς εἴη καὶ τί ἐστιν πεποιηκώς. 34  ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλο τι ἐπεφώνουν ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ. μὴ δυναμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ γνῶναι τὸ ἀσφαλὲς διὰ τὸν θόρυβον ἐκέλευσεν ἄγεσθαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν. 35  ὅτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀναβαθμούς, συνέβη βαστάζεσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν διὰ τὴν βίαν τοῦ ὄχλου, 36  ἠκολούθει γὰρ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ κράζοντες, αἶρε αὐτόν.
33Then the commander came up, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He began to inquire who he was and what he had done. 34But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and some another. Since he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35When Paul reached the stairs, it happened that he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob, 36for the multitude of people followed, shouting, “Away with him!”
Paul’s Defense to the Commander
37  Μέλλων τε εἰσάγεσθαι εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν ὁ Παῦλος λέγει τῷ χιλιάρχῳ, εἰ ἔξεστίν μοι εἰπεῖν τι πρὸς σέ; ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Ἑλληνιστὶ γινώσκεις; 38  οὐκ ἄρα σὺ εἶ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος ὁ πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀναστατώσας καὶ ἐξαγαγὼν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον τοὺς τετρακισχιλίους ἄνδρας τῶν σικαρίων;
37As Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” The commander replied, “Do you know Greek? 38Then you aren’t the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?”
39  εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Παῦλος, ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος μέν εἰμι Ἰουδαῖος, Ταρσεὺς τῆς Κιλικίας, οὐκ ἀσήμου πόλεως πολίτης· δέομαι δέ σου, ἐπίτρεψόν μοι λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν λαόν. 40  ἐπιτρέψαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ Παῦλος ἑστὼς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν κατέσεισεν τῇ χειρὶ τῷ λαῷ. πολλῆς δὲ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ λέγων,
39Paul answered, “I am a Jewish man, a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia—no insignificant city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” 40When he had given permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned with his hand to the people. When a great silence had fallen, he addressed them in the Hebrew dialect, saying: