Part 27

020:021 and urging upon both Jews and Greeks the necessity of turning to God and of believing in Jesus our Lord.

020:022 "And now, impelled by a sense of duty, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,

020:023 except that the Holy Spirit, at town after town, testifies to me that imprisonment and suffering are awaiting me.

020:024 But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.

020:025 "And now, I know that none of you among whom I have gone in and out proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom will any longer see my face.

020:026 Therefore I protest to you to-day that I am not responsible for the ruin of any one of you.

020:027 For I have not shrunk from declaring to you God's whole truth.

020:028 "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has placed you to take the oversight for Him and act as shepherds to the Church of God, which He has bought with His own blood.

020:029 I know that, when I am gone, cruel wolves will come among you and will not spare the flock;

020:030 and that from among your own selves men will rise up who will seek with their perverse talk to draw away the disciples after them.

020:031 Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears.

020:032 "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace. He is able to build you up and to give you your inheritance among His people.

020:033 No one's silver or gold or clothing have I coveted.

020:034 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me.

020:035 In all things I have set you an example, showing you that, by working as I do, you ought to help the weak, and to bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, "`It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

020:036 Having spoken thus, Paul knelt down and prayed with them all;

020:037 and with loud lamentation they all threw their arms round his neck, and kissed him lovingly,

020:038 grieved above all things at his having told them that after that day they were no longer to see his face. And they went with him to the ship.

021:001 When, at last, we had torn ourselves away and had set sail, we ran in a straight course to Cos; the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

021:002 Finding a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and put to sea.

021:003 After sighting Cyprus and leaving that island on our left, we continued our voyage to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo.

021:004 Having searched for the disciples and found them, we stayed at Tyre for seven days; and, taught by the Spirit, they repeatedly urged Paul not to proceed to Jerusalem.

021:005 When, however, our time was up, we left and went on our way, all the disciples and their wives and children coming to see us off. Then, after kneeling down on the beach and praying,

021:006 we took leave of one another; and we went on board, while they returned home.

021:007 As for us, our voyage was over when having sailed from Tyre we reached Ptolemais. here we inquired after the welfare of the brethren, and remained a day with them.

021:008 On the morrow we left Ptolemais and went on to Caesarea, where we came to the house of Philip the Evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

021:009 Now Philip had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses;

021:010 and during our somewhat lengthy stay a Prophet of the name of Agabus came down from Judaea.