After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after
encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. When
he had gone through those regions and had given them much
encouragement, he came to Greece. There he spent three months, and
when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set
sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater the
Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians,
Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the
Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. These went on ahead and were
waiting for us at Troas, but we sailed away from Philippi after the
days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at
Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to
break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next
day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many
lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man
named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as
Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down
from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and
bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be
alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had
broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until
daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and
were not a little comforted.
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. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board
and went to Mitylene. And sailing from there we came the following
day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day
after that we went to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past
Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he
was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of
Pentecost.
Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the
church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from
the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all
humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through
the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you
anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from
house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance
toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold,
I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing
what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies
to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But
I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if
only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from
the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And
now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about
proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify
to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did
not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay
careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God,
which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my
departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the
flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking
twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be
alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or
day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God
and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to
give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I
coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know
that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were
with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in
this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to
receive.’”
And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with
them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they
embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because
of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again.
And they accompanied him to the ship.
