Common English Bible CEB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 When the riot was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, said good-bye, and left for the province of Macedonia.
1
When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, said goodbye, and left for Macedonia.
2 He traveled through that region with a message of encouragement. When he came to Greece,
2
He went through that region and spoke many words of encouragement to the people. Then he went to Greece
3 he stayed for three months. Because the Jews hatched a plot against Paul as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided instead to return through Macedonia.
3
and stayed there for three months. When Paul was going to board a ship for Syria, he found out that the Jews were plotting to kill him. So he decided to go back through Macedonia.
4 He was accompanied by Sopater, Pyrrhus' son from Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
4
Sopater (son of Pyrrhus) from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia accompanied Paul.
5 They went on ahead and waited for us in Troas.
5
All these men went ahead and were waiting for us in Troas.
6 We sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread and met them five days later in Troas, where we stayed for a week.
6
After the Festival of Unleavened Bread, we boarded a ship at Philippi. Five days later we joined them in Troas and stayed there for seven days.
7 On the first day of the week, as we gathered together for a meal, Paul was holding a discussion with them. Since he was leaving the next day, he continued talking until midnight.
7
On Sunday we met to break bread. Paul was discussing [Scripture] with the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he kept talking until midnight.
8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we had gathered.
8
(Many lamps were lit in the upstairs room where we were meeting.)
9 A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window. He was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third floor and died.
9
A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. As Paul was talking on and on, Eutychus was gradually falling asleep. Finally, overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was dead when they picked him up.
10 Paul went down, fell on him and embraced him, then said, "Don't be alarmed. He's alive!"
10
Paul went to him, took him into his arms, and said, "Don't worry! He's alive!"
11 Then Paul went back upstairs and ate. He talked for a long time—right up until daybreak—then he left.
11
Then Eutychus went upstairs again, broke the bread, and ate. Paul talked with the people for a long time, until sunrise, and then left.
12 They took the young man away alive, and they were greatly comforted.
12
The people took the boy home. They were greatly relieved that he was alive.
13 We went on to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we intended to take Paul on board. Paul had arranged this, since he intended to make his way there by land.
13
We went ahead to the ship and sailed for the city of Assos. At Assos, we were going to pick up Paul. He had made these arrangements, since he had planned to walk overland to Assos.
14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.
14
When Paul met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to the city of Mitylene.
15 The next day we sailed from there and arrived opposite Chios. On the day after, we sailed to Samos, and on the following day we came to Miletus.
15
We sailed from there. On the following day we approached the island of Chios. The next day we went by the island of Samos, and on the next day we arrived at the city of Miletus.
16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he wouldn't need to spend too much time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by Pentecost Day.
16
Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia. He was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost, if that was possible.
17 From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus calling for the church's elders to meet him.
17
From Miletus Paul sent messengers to the city of Ephesus and called the spiritual leaders of the church to meet with him [in Miletus].
18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You know how I lived among you the whole time I was with you, beginning with the first day I arrived in the province of Asia.
18
When they were with him, he said to them, "You know how I spent all my time with you from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia.
19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears in the midst of trials that came upon me because of the Jews' schemes.
19
I humbly served the Lord, often with tears in my eyes. I served the Lord during the difficult times I went through when the Jews plotted against me.
20 You know I held back nothing that would be helpful so that I could proclaim to you and teach you both publicly and privately in your homes.
20
I didn't avoid telling you anything that would help you, and I didn't avoid teaching you publicly and from house to house.
21 You know I have testified to both Jews and Greeks that they must change their hearts and lives as they turn to God and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
21
I warned Jews and Greeks to change the way they think and act and to believe in our Lord Jesus.
22 Now, compelled by the Spirit, I'm going to Jerusalem. I don't know what will happen to me there.
22
"I am determined to go to Jerusalem now. I don't know what will happen to me there.
23 What I do know is that the Holy Spirit testifies to me from city to city that prisons and troubles await me.
23
However, the Holy Spirit warns me in every city that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me.
24 But nothing, not even my life, is more important than my completing my mission. This is nothing other than the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus: to testify about the good news of God's grace.
24
But I don't place any value on my own life. I want to finish the race I'm running. I want to carry out the mission I received from the Lord Jesus--the mission of testifying to the Good News of God's kindness.
25 "I know that none of you will see me again—you among whom I traveled and proclaimed the kingdom.
25
"Now I know that none of you whom I told about the kingdom [of God]will see me again.
26 Therefore, today I testify to you that I'm not responsible for anyone's fate.
26
Therefore, I declare to you today that I am not responsible for the [spiritual] death of any of you.
27 I haven't avoided proclaiming the entire plan of God to you.
27
I didn't avoid telling you the whole plan of God.
28 Watch yourselves and the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as supervisors, to shepherd God's church, which he obtained with the death of his own Son.
28
Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops to be shepherds for God's church which he acquired with his own blood.
29 I know that, after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and won't spare the flock.
29
I know that fierce wolves will come to you after I leave, and they won't spare the flock.
30 Some of your own people will distort the word in order to lure followers after them.
30
Some of your own men will come forward and say things that distort the truth. They will do this to lure disciples into following them.
31 Stay alert! Remember that for three years I constantly and tearfully warned each one of you. I never stopped warning you!
31
So be alert! Remember that I instructed each of you for three years, day and night, at times with tears in my eyes.
32 Now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all whom God has made holy.
32
"I am now entrusting you to God and to his message that tells how kind he is. That message can help you grow and can give you the inheritance that is shared by all of God's holy people.
33 I haven't craved anyone's silver, gold, or clothing.
33
"I never wanted anyone's silver, gold, or clothes.
34 You yourselves know that I have provided for my own needs and for those of my companions with my own hands.
34
You know that I worked to support myself and those who were with me.
35 In everything I have shown you that, by working hard, we must help the weak. In this way we remember the Lord Jesus' words: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
35
I have given you an example that by working hard like this we should help the weak. We should remember the words that the Lord Jesus said, 'Giving gifts is more satisfying than receiving them.'"
36 After he said these things, he knelt down with all of them to pray.
36
When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.
37 They cried uncontrollably as everyone embraced and kissed Paul.
37
Everyone cried a lot as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him.
38 They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see him again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
38
The thought of not seeing Paul again hurt them most of all. Then they took Paul to the ship.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.