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Acts 20

1After the uproar ended, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, said farewell, and left for Macedonia. 2He traveled through those regions and encouraged them with many words, then came to Greece 3and spent three months there. When a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4Sopater son of Pyrrhus, from Berea, accompanied him, along with Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. 5These men came and were waiting for us at Troas. 6We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, reached them at Troas in five days, and stayed there seven days.

7On the first day of the week, when we were gathered to break bread, Paul reasoned with them. Since he intended to leave the next day, he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were gathered. 9A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window and sinking into a deep sleep as Paul went on speaking. Overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead. 10Paul went down, fell upon him, and embraced him, saying, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11Then he went upstairs, broke the bread, and ate. After conversing for a long time until dawn, he left. 12They brought the boy alive and were greatly comforted.

13We went ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for that was how he had arranged it: he intended to go on foot. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and came to Mitylene. 15Sailing from there, on the next day we came opposite Chios; the following day we put in at Samos, and the day after that we came to Miletus. 16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia. He was hurrying to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, if possible.

17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the assembly. 18When they came to him, he said, “You know how I was with you the whole time, from the first day I set foot in Asia, 19serving the Lord as a slave with all humility and tears and the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews. 20I did not hold back from telling you anything beneficial and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. 22And now, look, bound in spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will meet me there, 23except that in city after city the Holy Spirit testifies to me that bonds and afflictions await me. 24But I count my life as worth nothing to myself, so that I may finish my course and the service I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace.

25“And now, look, I know that none of you among whom I went about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all, 27for I did not hold back from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock among whom the Holy Spirit has placed you as overseers, to shepherd the assembly of God, which he acquired through his own blood. 29I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Even from among your own selves men will arise, speaking twisted things to draw the disciples away after themselves. 31Therefore stay awake, remembering that for three years, night and day, I did not stop admonishing each one with tears. 32And now I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance among all who have been made holy. 33I coveted no one's silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands served my needs and those who were with me. 35In everything I showed you that by laboring in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

36After saying these things, he knelt down with them all and prayed. 37They all wept greatly, fell upon Paul's neck, and kissed him, 38grieving especially over the word he had spoken, that they would no longer see his face. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Translation notes 6

20:5–7 — We and the journey. The narrator returns to “we.” The text does not name that narrator here. Verse 5 follows the source's “came”; a closely related Greek reading says “went ahead.” “Break bread” retains the meal expression also found in Luke 24:35.

20:9–12 — Eutychus. The narrator says he was picked up dead and later brought alive. Paul's words are not used to rewrite the first statement as a mistaken diagnosis. “Life” translates the word also often rendered “soul”; “boy” and “young man” reflect different contextual descriptions of Eutychus.

20:19–24 — Service, spirit, and course. “Serving … as a slave” preserves the ownership force of the verb. “Bound in spirit” can mean constrained by the Holy Spirit or inwardly bound in his own spirit; the following verse explicitly names the Holy Spirit. The image of finishing a course is retained. No prediction is added to reconcile this journey with Luke's account of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem.

20:26–28 — Blood, flock, and oversight. “Clean from the blood” expresses freedom from responsibility. The elders addressed in verse 17 are described here as overseers who shepherd the assembly. The Greek base reads “of God”; other witnesses have “of the Lord” or “of the Lord and God.” The final words can also mean “through the blood of his own,” with “Son” understood. “Through his own blood” follows the straightforward adjective construction; the alternative is significant and remains open.

20:32 — Able to build. The relative description can attach to God or to the word of grace. The reading connects it with the word; the alternative does not require a different Greek text.

20:35–38 — Giving and farewell. The saying is attributed to Jesus here but is not inserted into Luke, which does not record these exact words. Falling on someone's neck and kissing are gestures of farewell; compare the embrace in Luke 15:20 without making the situations identical.