17 From Miletus he sent to 1Ephesus and called to him 2the elders of the church.
18
And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselvesknow, 3 from the firstday that I setfoot in Asia, how I was with you the wholetime,
19
serving the Lord with allhumility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through4the plots of the Jews;
20
how I 5did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
21
solemnly6testifying to bothJews and Greeks of 7repentancetowardGod and 8faith in our LordJesusChrist.
22
"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, 9I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there*,
23
except that 10the HolySpiritsolemnly11testifies to me in everycity, saying that 12bonds and afflictionsawait me.
24
"But 13I do not consider my life of anyaccount as dear to myself, so that I may 14finish my course and 15the ministrywhich I received from the LordJesus, to 16testifysolemnly of the gospel of 17the grace of God.
25
"And now, behold, I know that all of you, amongwhom I wentabout18preaching the kingdom, will nolongersee my face.
26
"Therefore, I testify to you thisday that 19I aminnocent of the blood of allmen.
27
"For I 20did not shrink from declaring to you the whole21purpose of God.