Atos 21

¹ AndNot only ordinary men, but even our friends, and such as are endued with the Spirit of God, sometimes go about to hinder the course of our calling: but it is our part to go forward without any stopping or staggering, after we are sure of our calling from God.it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the [day] following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:

² And we found a ship that went ouer vnto Phenice, and went aboard, and set forth.

³ And whe we had discouered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, & sailed toward Syria, and arriued at Tyrus: for there the ship vnladed ye burden.

⁴ And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through theThey foretold through the Spirit what dangers were about to befall Paul, and this they did as prophets: but they misdirected him away from Jerusalem because of a fleshly affection.Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

⁵ But when the dayes were ended, we departed & went our way, & they all accompanied vs with their wiues & children, euen out of the citie: and we kneeling downe on the shore, prayed.

⁶ Then when we had embraced one another, we tooke ship, and they returned home.

⁷ And when we had ended the course from Tyrus, we arriued at Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.

⁸ And the next [day] we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was [one] of theHe speaks of the seven deacons which he mentioned before in (Act_6:1-7).seven; and abode with him.

⁹ And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which didThey had a peculiar gift of foretelling things to come.prophesy.

¹⁰ And as we taried there many dayes, there came a certaine Prophet from Iudea, named Agabus.

¹¹ And when he was come vnto vs, he tooke Pauls girdle, and bound his owne hands & feete, and sayd, Thus sayth the holy Ghost, So shall the Iewes at Hierusalem binde the man that oweth this girdle, and shall deliuer him into the hands of the Gentiles.

¹² And when we had heard these things, both we and other of the same place besought him that he would not go vp to Hierusalem.

¹³ Then Paul answered, and sayd, What doe ye weeping and breaking mine heart? For I am ready not to be bound onely, but also to die at Hierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus.

¹⁴ The will of God bridles all affections in those who earnestly seek the glory of God.And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

¹⁵ And after those dayes we trussed vp our fardels, and went vp to Hierusalem.

¹⁶ There went with vs also certaine of the disciples of Cesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an olde disciple, with whome we should lodge.

¹⁷ And when we were come to Hierusalem, the brethren receiued vs gladly.

¹⁸ And the next day Paul went in with vs vnto Iames: and all the Elders were there assembled.

¹⁹ God is to be praised, who is the author of all good sayings and deeds.And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

²⁰ In things indifferent (of which sort the traditions of the Pharisees were not, but rather the ceremonies of the Law, until the time when Christian liberty was more fully revealed to the Jews) charity exhorts us to conform or apply ourselves willingly so far as we may, to our brethren who do not stubbornly and maliciously resist the truth (but are not thoroughly instructed), especially if the question pertains to a whole multitude.And when they heard [it], they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

²¹ Now they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Iewes, which are among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses, and sayest that they ought not to circumcise their sonnes, neither to liue after the customes.

²² What is then to be done? the multitude must needes come together: for they shall heare that thou art come.

²³ Doe therefore this that we say to thee. We haue foure men, which haue made a vowe,

²⁴ Them take, andThat is, consecrate thyself: for he does not speak here of the unclean, but of those who are subject to the vow of the Nazarites.purify thyself with them, andThat it may be known that you were not only present at the vow, but also a main participator in it: and therefore it is said afterwards that Paul declared the days of purification: for although the offerings for the Nazarites offerings were appointed, yet they might add somewhat unto them; see (Num_6:21).be at charges with them, that they may shave [their] heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but [that] thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

²⁵ For as touching ye Gentiles, which beleeue, we haue written, & determined that they obserue no such thing, but that they keepe themselues from things offred to idoles, and from blood, and from that that is strangled, and from fornication.

²⁶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple,The priests were to be informed of the accomplishment of the days of the purification, because there were sacrifices to be offered the same day that their vow was ended.to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

²⁷ A preposterous zeal is the cause of great confusion and great troubles.And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

²⁸ Crying, Men of Israel, helpe: this is the man that teacheth all men euery where against the people, and the Lawe, and this place: moreouer, he hath brought Grecians into the Temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

²⁹ For they had seene before Trophimus an Ephesian with him in the citie, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the Temple.

³⁰ Then all the citie was moued, and the people ran together: and they tooke Paul and drewe him out of the Temple, and forth with the doores were shut.

³¹ God finds some even amongst the wicked and profane themselves, to hinder the endeavours of the rest.And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

³² Who immediately tooke souldiers & Centurions, and ran downe vnto them: and when they sawe the chiefe Captaine and the souldiers, they left beating of Paul.

³³ Then the chiefe Captaine came neere and tooke him, and commaunded him to be bound with two chaines, and demaunded who he was, and what he had done.

³⁴ And one cryed this, another that, among the people. So when he could not know the certeintie for the tumult, he commaunded him to be led into the castell.

³⁵ And when hee came vnto the grieces, it was so that he was borne of the souldiers, for the violence of the people.

³⁶ For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.

³⁷ And as Paul should haue bene led into the castell, he sayd vnto the chiefe Captaine, May I speake vnto thee? Who sayd, Canst thou speake Greeke?

³⁸ Art not thou thatConcerning this Egyptian who assembled thirty thousand men, read Josephus, book 2, chap. 12.Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?

³⁹ Then Paul sayde, Doubtlesse, I am a man which am a Iewe, and citizen of Tarsus, a famous citie of Cilicia, and I beseech thee, suffer mee to speake vnto the people.

⁴⁰ And when he had giuen him licence, Paul stoode on the grieces, & beckened with the hand vnto the people: and when there was made great silence, hee spake vnto them in the Hebrewe tongue, saying,