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we had torn ourselves from them, we set sail and went by a direct route to Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 When we found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus, and passing it on the left, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4 So we found some disciples there, and stayed with them for seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. 5 When our days there were ended, we left and continued on our journey. All the disciples there, along with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city. There we kneeled down on the beach and prayed, 6 and said goodbye to each other. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.
7 When we had completed our journey from Tyre, we arrived in Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. 8 The next day we left and came to Caesarea; and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. 9 This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
10 After we had stayed there are a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 He came to us, and taking Paul’s belt, he tied his own hands and feet with it, and said, “This is what Holy Spirit says, ‘In this same way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’.”
12 When we heard this, both we and the people there pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
14 Since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “The will of the Lord be done.”
15 After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to the home of Mnason, a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples, with whom we were to stay.
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to visit James, and the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he told in detail the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 When they heard this, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 But they have been told that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs. 22 So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. We have four men who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there no truth in these reports they have heard about you, but that you yourself are also careful to obey the law. 25 But with regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to announce the date for the completion of the days of purification, when the offering would be made for each of them. 27 When the seven days were nearly over, the Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. So they stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he has also brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.
30 Then the whole city became stirred up, and the people came running from all directions, and they seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple. Then the gates were immediately shut. 31 As they were trying to kill him, word came to the commander of the Roman garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. When the rioters saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33 Then the commander came up and arrested Paul, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the mob shouted one thing, some another. Since he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul reached the steps, the mob became so violent that he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Away with him!”
37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I say something to you?”
He replied, “Do you speak Greek? 38 Aren’t you the Egyptian who raised a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”
39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. I beg you, let me speak to the people.”
40 After the commander gave Paul permission, he stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When they were all silent, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language: 22:1 “Men, brothers, and fathers, listen now to my defence before you.”