17
From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
18
When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.
19
I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.
20
You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.
21
I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22
“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
23
I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
25
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.
26
Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.
27
For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.