15
Sailing from there, we arrived the following day oppositeChios; and the next day we crossedover to Samos; and the day following we came to 1Miletus.
16
For Paul had decided to sailpast2Ephesusso that he would not have to spendtime in 3Asia; for he was hurrying4to be in Jerusalem, ifpossible, 5on the day of Pentecost.
Farewell to Ephesus
17 From Miletus he sent to 6Ephesus and called to him 7the elders of the church.
18
And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselvesknow, 8 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 through9the plots of the Jews;
20
how I 10did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
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solemnly11testifying to bothJews and Greeks of 12repentancetowardGod and 13faith in our LordJesusChrist.
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"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, 14I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there*,
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except that 15the HolySpiritsolemnly16testifies to me in everycity, saying that 17bonds and afflictionsawait me.
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"But 18I do not consider my life of anyaccount as dear to myself, so that I may 19finish my course and 20the ministrywhich I received from the LordJesus, to 21testifysolemnly of the gospel of 22the grace of God.
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"And now, behold, I know that all of you, amongwhom I wentabout23preaching the kingdom, will nolongersee my face.
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"Therefore, I testify to you thisday that 24I aminnocent of the blood of allmen.
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"For I 25did not shrink from declaring to you the whole26purpose of God.
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"Be on guard for yourselves and for all27the flock, amongwhich the HolySpirit has made you overseers, to shepherd28the church of Godwhich29He purchased with His ownblood.
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"I know that after my departure30savagewolves will come in among you, not sparing31the flock;
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and from among your own selvesmen will arise, speakingperversethings, to drawaway32the disciplesafter them.
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"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of 33threeyears I did not cease to admonisheachone34with tears.
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"And now I 35commend you to God and to 36the word of His grace, which is able to 37build you up and to give you 38the inheritanceamongallthose who are sanctified.
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"You yourselvesknow that 40thesehandsministered to my own needs and to the 41men who were with me.
35
"In everything I showed you that by workinghard in thismanner you musthelp the weak and remember the words of the LordJesus, that He Himselfsaid, 'It is moreblessed to givethan to receive.'"
36
When he had saidthesethings, he 42knelt*down* and prayed with them all.
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And they began to weepaloud and 43embraced**Paul, and repeatedly kissed him,
38
grievingespeciallyover44the wordwhich he had spoken, that they would not see his faceagain. And they were 45accompanying him to the ship.