Acts 21

New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel

Acts 21

1Now when it came to pass that we had put to sea, having withdrawn from them, running a straight course we came to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.Ὡς δὲ ἐγένετο ἀναχθῆναι ἡμᾶς ἀποσπασθέντας ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν, εὐθυδρομήσαντες ἤλθομεν εἰς τὴν Κῶν, τῇ δὲ ἑξῆς εἰς τὴν Ῥόδον, κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Πάταρα·

2And having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded it and put to sea.καὶ εὑρόντες πλοῖον διαπερῶν εἰς Φοινίκην, ἐπιβάντες ἀνήχθημεν.

3When we had sighted Cyprus, and had left it behind on the left, we sailed to Syria, and put in to harbor in Tyre, for the ship was unloading its cargo.ἀναφανέντες δὲ τὴν Κύπρον, καὶ καταλιπόντες αὐτὴν εὐώνυμον, ἐπλέομεν εἰς Συρίαν, καὶ κατήχθημεν εἰς Τύρον· ἐκεῖσε γὰρ ἦν τὸ πλοῖον ἀποφορτιζόμενον τὸν γόμον.

4And having discovered disciples, we stayed there seven days. They said to Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.καὶ ἀνευρόντες μαθητάς, ἐπεμείναμεν αὐτοῦ ἡμέρας ἑπτά· οἵτινες τῷ Παύλῳ ἔλεγον διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, μὴ ἀναβαίνειν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ.

5But when it came about that we had completed the days there, having gone out we departed, all of them accompanying us, together with their wives and children, until we were outside the city. And having bowed our knees on the shore, we prayed.ὅτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἡμᾶς ἐξαρτίσαι τὰς ἡμέρας, ἐξελθόντες ἐπορευόμεθα, προπεμπόντων ἡμᾶς πάντων σὺν γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις ἕως ἔξω τῆς πόλεως· καὶ θέντες τὰ γόνατα ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν προσηυξάμεθα.

6And having greeted one another, we went up into the ship, and they returned to their own homes.καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι ἀλλήλους, ἐπέβημεν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς τὰ ἴδια.

7And completing our voyage from Tyre, we arrived in Ptolemais, and having greeted the brothers, we stayed one day with them.Ἡμεῖς δέ, τὸν πλοῦν διανύσαντες ἀπὸ Τύρου, κατηντήσαμεν εἰς Πτολεμαΐδα, καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐμείναμεν ἡμέραν μίαν παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς.

8On the next day those accompanying Paul went forth and came to Caesarea, and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἐξελθόντες οἱ περὶ τὸν Παῦλον ἦλθον εἰς Καισάρειαν· καὶ εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸν οἶκον Φιλίππου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ, ὄντος ἐκ τῶν ἑπτά, ἐμείναμεν παρ᾽ αὐτῷ.

9Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.τούτῳ δὲ ἦσαν θυγατέρες παρθένοι τέσσαρες προφητεύουσαι.

10And while we remained there several days, a certain prophet from Judea named Agabus came down.ἐπιμενόντων δὲ ἡμῶν ἡμέρας πλείους, κατῆλθέ τις ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας προφήτης ὀνόματι Ἄγαβος.

11And coming to us and taking Paul's belt, and binding his feet and hands, he said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit: ‘The man whose belt this is, the Jews will bind in this way in Jerusalem, and they will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”καὶ ἐλθὼν πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἄρας τὴν ζώνην τοῦ Παύλου, δήσας τε αὐτοῦ τοὺς πόδας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας εἶπε, Τάδε λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, Τὸν ἄνδρα οὗ ἐστιν ἡ ζώνη αὕτη, οὕτω δήσουσιν ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ παραδώσουσιν εἰς χεῖρας ἐθνῶν.

12Now when we heard these things, both we and the local residents urged him not to go up to Jerusalem.ὡς δὲ ἠκούσαμεν ταῦτα, παρεκαλοῦμεν ἡμεῖς τε καὶ οἱ ἐντόπιοι, τοῦ μὴ ἀναβαίνειν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ.

13Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus.”ἀπεκρίθη τε ὁ Παῦλος, Τί ποιεῖτε κλαίοντες καὶ συνθρύπτοντές μου τὴν καρδίαν; ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐ μόνον δεθῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἑτοίμως ἔχω ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ.

14And when he remained unpersuaded, we were silent and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”μὴ πειθομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ, ἡσυχάσαμεν εἰπόντες, Τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Κυρίου γενέσθω.

15Now after those days, having prepared, we went up to Jerusalem.Μετὰ δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας ἐπισκευασάμενοι ἀνεβαίνομεν εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ.

16Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought with them a certain Cypriot named Mnason, a long-standing disciple, with whom we would stay as a guest.συνῆλθον δὲ καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀπὸ Καισαρείας σὺν ἡμῖν, ἄγοντες παρ᾽ ᾧ ξενισθῶμεν, Μνάσωνί τινι Κυπρίῳ, ἀρχαίῳ μαθητῇ.

17And when we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers gladly received us.Γενομένων δὲ ἡμῶν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, ἀσμένως ἐδέξαντο ἡμᾶς οἱ ἀδελφοί.

18On the next day Paul was going in with us to James, and all the elders were present.τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ εἰσῄει ὁ Παῦλος σὺν ἡμῖν πρὸς Ἰάκωβον, πάντες τε παρεγένοντο οἱ πρεσβύτεροι.

19And having greeted them, he reported one by one those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.καὶ ἀσπασάμενος αὐτούς, ἐξηγεῖτο καθ᾽ ἓν ἕκαστον ὧν ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι διὰ τῆς διακονίας αὐτοῦ.

20And hearing this, they were glorifying the Lord, saying to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐδόξαζον τὸν Κύριον, εἰπόντες αὐτῷ, Θεωρεῖς, ἀδελφέ, πόσαι μυριάδες εἰσὶν Ἰουδαίων τῶν πεπιστευκότων· καὶ πάντες ζηλωταὶ τοῦ νόμου ὑπάρχουσι·

21and they have been informed about you, that you are teaching defection from Moses, to all the Jews who are among the Gentiles, saying for them not to circumcise their children nor to walk in our customs.κατηχήθησαν δὲ περὶ σοῦ, ὅτι ἀποστασίαν διδάσκεις ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως τοὺς κατὰ τὰ ἔθνη πάντας Ἰουδαίους, λέγων μὴ περιτέμνειν αὐτοὺς τὰ τέκνα, μηδὲ τοῖς ἔθεσι περιπατεῖν.

22What then? It is certainly necessary for an assembly to come together; for they will hear that you have come.τί οὖν ἐστι; πάντως δεῖ πλῆθος συνελθεῖν· ἀκούσονται γὰρ ὅτι ἐλήλυθας.

23Therefore do this, which we say to you: There are four men with us who have taken a vow upon themselves.τοῦτο οὖν ποίησον ὅ σοι λέγομεν· εἰσὶν ἡμῖν ἄνδρες τέσσαρες εὐχὴν ἔχοντες ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν·

24Take them and purify yourself with them, and pay for them that they may have their heads shaved, and that all may know that those things of which they have been informed about you are nothing, but that you are agreeing with and keeping the law yourself.τούτους παραλαβὼν ἁγνίσθητι σὺν αὐτοῖς, καὶ δαπάνησον ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς, ἵνα ξυρήσωνται τὴν κεφαλήν, καὶ γνῶσι πάντες ὅτι ὧν κατήχηνται περὶ σοῦ οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ στοιχεῖς καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν νόμον φυλάσσων.

25But as for the Gentile believers, we wrote, having judged that they should keep no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, and from anything strangled, and from sexual immorality.”περὶ δὲ τῶν πεπιστευκότων ἐθνῶν ἡμεῖς ἐπεστείλαμεν, κρίναντες μηδὲν τοιοῦτον τηρεῖν αὐτούς, εἰ μὴ φυλάσσεσθαι αὐτοὺς τό τε εἰδωλόθυτον καὶ τὸ αἷμα καὶ πνικτὸν καὶ πορνείαν.

26Then Paul, having taken the men, on the next day having been purified with them, entered into the temple, thus giving notice to the completion of the days of the purification, until the time when the offering was offered in behalf of each one of them.τότε ὁ Παῦλος παραλαβὼν τοὺς ἄνδρας, τῇ ἐχομένῃ ἡμέρᾳ σὺν αὐτοῖς ἁγνισθεὶς εἰσῄει εἰς τὸ ἱερόν, διαγγέλλων τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ ἁγνισμοῦ, ἕως οὗ προσηνέχθη ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου αὐτῶν ἡ προσφορά.

27Now when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, were stirring up all the crowd and put their hands on him,Ὡς δὲ ἔμελλον αἱ ἑπτὰ ἡμέραι συντελεῖσθαι, οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀσίας Ἰουδαῖοι, θεασάμενοι αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, συνέχεον πάντα τὸν ὄχλον, καὶ ἐπέβαλον τὰς χεῖρας ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν,

28crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who is teaching all people everywhere against the people and the Law and this place; and furthermore he has brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”κράζοντες, Ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, βοηθεῖτε. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τοῦ τόπου τούτου πάντας πανταχοῦ διδάσκων· ἔτι τε καὶ Ἕλληνας εἰσήγαγεν εἰς τὸ ἱερόν, καὶ κεκοίνωκε τὸν ἅγιον τόπον τοῦτον.

29For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.ἦσαν γὰρ ἑωρακότες Τρόφιμον τὸν Ἐφέσιον ἐν τῇ πόλει σὺν αὐτῷ, ὃν ἐνόμιζον ὅτι εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν εἰσήγαγεν ὁ Παῦλος.

30And all the city was aroused; and there was a mob forming among the people, and taking hold of Paul they were dragging him outside the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.ἐκινήθη τε ἡ πόλις ὅλη, καὶ ἐγένετο συνδρομὴ τοῦ λαοῦ· καὶ ἐπιλαβόμενοι τοῦ Παύλου εἷλκον αὐτὸν ἔξω τοῦ ἱεροῦ· καὶ εὐθέως ἐκλείσθησαν αἱ θύραι.

31And seeking to kill him, a report went up to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem had been stirred up,ζητούντων δὲ αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι, ἀνέβη φάσις τῷ χιλιάρχῳ τῆς σπείρης, ὅτι ὅλη συγκέχυται Ἱερουσαλήμ·

32who immediately having taken along soldiers and centurions, ran down among them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.ὃς ἐξαυτῆς παραλαβὼν στρατιώτας καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους, κατέδραμεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς· οἱ δέ, ἰδόντες τὸν χιλίαρχον καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας, ἐπαύσαντο τύπτοντες τὸν Παῦλον.

33And the commander, approaching, took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he was inquiring who he might be and what he had done.ἐγγίσας δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος ἐπελάβετο αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκέλευσε δεθῆναι ἁλύσεσι δυσί· καὶ ἐπυνθάνετο τίς ἂν εἴη, καὶ τί ἐστι πεποιηκώς.

34But others among the crowd were crying out one thing and some another; and because he was unable to ascertain the truth because of the noise, he commanded him to be brought into the barracks.ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλο τι ἐβόων ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ· μὴ δυνάμενος δὲ γνῶναι τὸ ἀσφαλὲς διὰ τὸν θόρυβον, ἐκέλευσεν ἄγεσθαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν.

35But when he arrived at the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd.ὅτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀναβαθμούς, συνέβη βαστάζεσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν διὰ τὴν βίαν τοῦ ὄχλου.

36For the multitude of the people was following, calling out, “Take him away!”ἠκολούθει γὰρ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ κρᾶζον, Αἶρε αὐτόν.

37Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “Is it permitted for me to speak to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek?Μέλλων τε εἰσάγεσθαι εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν ὁ Παῦλος λέγει τῷ χιλιάρχῳ, Εἰ ἔξεστί μοι εἰπεῖν πρός σε; ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Ἑλληνιστὶ γινώσκεις;

38Are you not then the Egyptian who rose up before these days, and led forth the four thousand men of the assassins into the wilderness?”οὐκ ἄρα σὺ εἶ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος ὁ πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀναστατώσας καὶ ἐξαγαγὼν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον τοὺς τετρακισχιλίους ἄνδρας τῶν σικαρίων;

39But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city; and I request of you, permit me to speak to the people.”εἶπε δὲ ὁ Παῦλος, Ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος μέν εἰμι Ἰουδαῖος, Ταρσεὺς τῆς Κιλικίας, οὐκ ἀσήμου πόλεως πολίτης· δέομαι δέ σου, ἐπίτρεψόν μοι λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν λαόν.

40And permitting him, Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying,ἐπιτρέψαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ, ὁ Παῦλος ἑστὼς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν κατέσεισε τῇ χειρὶ τῷ λαῷ· πολλῆς δὲ σιγῆς γενομένης, προσεφώνει τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ λέγων,

The Fathers on Acts 21

Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Acts 21:18–19

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

“And the day following Paul went in with us unto James: and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.”

Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →

On Acts 21:39–40

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

“But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying.”

Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →