13 But 1we, goingahead to the ship, setsail for Assos, intending from there to takePaul on board; for so he had arranged it, intendinghimself to go by land.
14
And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.
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 2Miletus.
16
For Paul had decided to sailpast3Ephesusso that he would not have to spendtime in 4Asia; for he was hurrying5to be in Jerusalem, ifpossible, 6on the day of Pentecost.
Farewell to Ephesus
17 From Miletus he sent to 7Ephesus and called to him 8the elders of the church.
18
And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselvesknow, 9 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 through10the plots of the Jews;
20
how I 11did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
21
solemnly12testifying to bothJews and Greeks of 13repentancetowardGod and 14faith in our LordJesusChrist.
22
"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, 15I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there*,
23
except that 16the HolySpiritsolemnly17testifies to me in everycity, saying that 18bonds and afflictionsawait me.
24
"But 19I do not consider my life of anyaccount as dear to myself, so that I may 20finish my course and 21the ministrywhich I received from the LordJesus, to 22testifysolemnly of the gospel of 23the grace of God.
25
"And now, behold, I know that all of you, amongwhom I wentabout24preaching the kingdom, will nolongersee my face.
26
"Therefore, I testify to you thisday that 25I aminnocent of the blood of allmen.
27
"For I 26did not shrink from declaring to you the whole27purpose of God.
28
"Be on guard for yourselves and for all28the flock, amongwhich the HolySpirit has made you overseers, to shepherd29the church of Godwhich30He purchased with His ownblood.
29
"I know that after my departure31savagewolves will come in among you, not sparing32the flock;
30
and from among your own selvesmen will arise, speakingperversethings, to drawaway33the disciplesafter them.
31
"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of 34threeyears I did not cease to admonisheachone35with tears.
32
"And now I 36commend you to God and to 37the word of His grace, which is able to 38build you up and to give you 39the inheritanceamongallthose who are sanctified.
34
"You yourselvesknow that 41thesehandsministered to my own needs and to the 42men 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 43knelt*down* and prayed with them all.
37
And they began to weepaloud and 44embraced**Paul, and repeatedly kissed him,
38
grievingespeciallyover45the wordwhich he had spoken, that they would not see his faceagain. And they were 46accompanying him to the ship.