Acts 20

1When the uproar had died down, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2He went through those parts, speaking at length to the disciples to encourage them, and came to Greece. 3He stayed there three months. Just as he was about to sail for Syria, the Jews laid a plot against him, so he made up his mind to go back through Macedonia. 4He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6We ourselves sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and five days later we joined them at Troas. We spent seven days there.

7On the first day of the week we met together to break bread. Paul spoke with the people there, because he intended to leave the next day, and his talk went on until midnight. 8There were plenty of lamps in the upstairs room where we had gathered. 9A young man named Eutychus sat in the window opening. Paul’s talk ran longer and longer, and Eutychus sank into a heavy sleep. Overcome by it, he fell from the third floor to the ground, and when they lifted him up he was dead. 10Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and held him close. “Do not be upset,” he said, “his life is in him.” 11Then he went back upstairs, broke the bread and ate. He went on talking with them a long time, until dawn, and then he left. 12They led the boy away alive, and they were greatly comforted.

13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we meant to take Paul on board. He had arranged it this way, because he wanted to go there on foot. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15We sailed from there and the next day arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed to Samos, and a day later we reached Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus so as not to lose time in the province of Asia. He was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if he could, by the day of Pentecost.

17From Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18When they had come, he said to them, “From the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, you have seen what kind of life I led among you the whole time. 19I worked as the Lord’s servant, with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that the plots of the Jews brought on me. 20You know how I held back nothing that was for your good, but made it known to you and taught you, in public and from house to house. 21To Jews and Greeks alike I bore solemn witness about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. 22And now, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem. What I will meet there I do not know, 23except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit bears witness to me that chains and hardships lie ahead of me. 24But I set no value on my life, as if it were precious to me. All I want is to run my course to the end and carry out the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus: to bear full witness to the gospel of the grace of God.

25And now I know this: you will not see my face again, not one of you among whom I have gone from place to place proclaiming the kingdom. 26So on this day I solemnly tell you: I am free from guilt for anyone’s blood. 27I never drew back from making known to you God’s whole plan. 28Be on your guard, for yourselves and for the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he won for himself through his own blood. 29Once I have gone, I know, savage wolves will force their way in among you, with no mercy for the flock. 30And from your own ranks people will stand up and speak twisted things, to lure the disciples into following them. 31So be watchful, and remember: for three years I did not stop, night or day, admonishing each one of you with tears. 32And now I place you in the care of God and of the message of his grace. That message has power to build you up and to give you your share among all who have been made holy. 33I never set my heart on anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34You know yourselves that I provided for my own needs, and for those who were with me, with these hands. 35In every way I set you an example: by working hard like this we must come to the aid of the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

36After saying this, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37They all wept freely. They threw their arms around Paul and kissed him again and again. 38Above all, they were pained by what he had said, that they would not see his face any more. Then they went with him down to the ship.