17 From Miletus he sent to 1Ephesus and called to him 2the elders of the church.
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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,
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serving the Lord with allhumility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through4the plots of the Jews;
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how I 5did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
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solemnly6testifying to bothJews and Greeks of 7repentancetowardGod and 8faith in our LordJesusChrist.
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"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, 9I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there*,
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except that 10the HolySpiritsolemnly11testifies to me in everycity, saying that 12bonds and afflictionsawait me.
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"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.
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"And now, behold, I know that all of you, amongwhom I wentabout18preaching the kingdom, will nolongersee my face.
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"Therefore, I testify to you thisday that 19I aminnocent of the blood of allmen.
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"For I 20did not shrink from declaring to you the whole21purpose of God.
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"Be on guard for yourselves and for all22the flock, amongwhich the HolySpirit has made you overseers, to shepherd23the church of Godwhich24He purchased with His ownblood.
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"I know that after my departure25savagewolves will come in among you, not sparing26the flock;
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and from among your own selvesmen will arise, speakingperversethings, to drawaway27the disciplesafter them.
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"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of 28threeyears I did not cease to admonisheachone29with tears.
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"And now I 30commend you to God and to 31the word of His grace, which is able to 32build you up and to give you 33the inheritanceamongallthose who are sanctified.
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"You yourselvesknow that 35thesehandsministered to my own needs and to the 36men who were with me.
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"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.'"
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When he had saidthesethings, he 37knelt*down* and prayed with them all.
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And they began to weepaloud and 38embraced**Paul, and repeatedly kissed him,
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grievingespeciallyover39the wordwhich he had spoken, that they would not see his faceagain. And they were 40accompanying him to the ship.