GodsWord - Acts - 20

20:1  When the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, said goodbye, and left for Macedonia.

20:2  He went through that region and spoke many words of encouragement to the people. Then he went to Greece

20:3  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.

20:4  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.

20:5  All these men went ahead and were waiting for us in Troas.

20:6  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.

20:7  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.

20:8  (Many lamps were lit in the upstairs room where we were meeting.)

20:9  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.

20:10  Paul went to him, took him into his arms, and said, "Don't worry! He's alive!"

20:11  Then Eutychus went upstairs again, broke the bread, and ate. Paul talked with the people for a long time, until sunrise, and then left.

20:12  The people took the boy home. They were greatly relieved that he was alive.

20:13  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.

20:14  When Paul met us in Assos, we took him on board and went to the city of Mitylene.

20:15  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.

20:16  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.

20:17  From Miletus Paul sent messengers to the city of Ephesus and called the spiritual leaders of the church to meet with him in Miletus.

20:18  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.

20:19  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.

20:20  I didn't avoid telling you anything that would help you, and I didn't avoid teaching you publicly and from house to house.

20:21  I warned Jews and Greeks to change the way they think and act and to believe in our Lord Jesus.

20:22  "I am determined to go to Jerusalem now. I don't know what will happen to me there.

20:23  However, the Holy Spirit warns me in every city that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me.

20:24  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.

20:25  "Now I know that none of you whom I told about the kingdom of Godwill see me again.

20:26  Therefore, I declare to you today that I am not responsible for the spiritual death of any of you.

20:27  I didn't avoid telling you the whole plan of God.

20:28  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.

20:29  I know that fierce wolves will come to you after I leave, and they won't spare the flock.

20:30  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.

20:31  So be alert! Remember that I instructed each of you for three years, day and night, at times with tears in my eyes.

20:32  "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.

20:33  "I never wanted anyone's silver, gold, or clothes.

20:34  You know that I worked to support myself and those who were with me.

20:35  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.'"

20:36  When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.

20:37  Everyone cried a lot as they put their arms around Paul and kissed him.

20:38  The thought of not seeing Paul again hurt them most of all. Then they took Paul to the ship.