Acts 21
Open in the reader1After we had torn ourselves away from them, we sailed directly to Cos, and the next day on to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
2Finding a ship crossing over to Palm-Land, we boarded it and set sail.
3After sighting Cyprus and passing south of it, we sailed on to Syria and landed at The-Rock, where the ship was to unload its cargo.
4We sought out the apprentices in The-Rock and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Foundation-of-Peace.
5But when our time there had ended, we set out on our journey. All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city and knelt down on the beach to pray with us.
6And after we had said our farewells, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
7When we had finished our voyage from The-Rock, we landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.
8Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Horse-Lover the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.
9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10After we had been there several days, a prophet named Locust came down from Land-of-the-Praised.
11Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Devoted Spirit says: ‘In this way the Praised-Ones of Foundation-of-Peace will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Nations.’”
12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Foundation-of-Peace.
13Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Foundation-of-Peace for the name of the Lord He-Who-Is-Saves.”
14When he would not be dissuaded, we quieted down and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
15After these days, we packed up and went on to Foundation-of-Peace.
16Some of the apprentices from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to stay at the home of Mnason the Cypriot, an early apprentice.
17When we arrived in Foundation-of-Peace, the brothers welcomed us joyfully.
18The next day Paul went in with us to see Heel-Grabber, and all the elders were present.
19Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things that God had done among the Nations through his ministry.
20When they heard this, they glorified God. Then they said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Praised-Ones have believed, and all of them are zealous for the teaching.
21But they are under the impression that you teach all the Praised-Ones who live among the Nations to forsake Drawn-Out, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs.
22What then should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.
23Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow.
24Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the teaching.
25As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.”
26So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them.
27When the seven days were almost over, some Praised-Ones from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,
28crying out, “Men of Strives-with-God, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our teaching and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this devoted place.”
29For they had previously seen Nourishing the Ephesians with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
30The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.
31While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Foundation-of-Peace was in turmoil.
32Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.
34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.
35When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
36For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!”
37As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied.
38“Aren’t you the Two-Straits-One who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the Assassins into the wilderness?”
39But Paul answered, “I am a Praised-One from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.”
40Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew: