Acts 21:1-16 - Paul Travels On To Jerusalem

¹ When we had torn ourselves away from them and set sail, we ran a straight course and came to Cos, and on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara; ² and after finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail. ³ After we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on our left (port side), we sailed on to Syria and put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload her cargo. ⁴ After looking up the disciples [in Tyre], we stayed there [with them] seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the [Holy] Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. ⁵ When our days there came to an end, we left and proceeded on our journey, while all of the disciples, with their wives and children, escorted us on our way until we were outside the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we told one another goodbye. ⁶ Then we boarded the ship, and they returned to their homes.

⁷ When we had completed the voyage from Tyre, we landed [twenty miles to the south] at Ptolemais, and after greeting the believers, we stayed with them for one day. ⁸ On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven [deacons], and stayed with him. ⁹ He had four virgin daughters who had the gift of prophecy.

¹⁰ As we were staying there for some time, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ And coming to [see] us, he took Paul’s [wide] band (belt, sash) and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this same way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this band, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles (pagans).’” ¹² Now when we had heard this, both we and the local residents began pleading with Paul trying to persuade him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart [like this]? For I am ready not only to be bound and imprisoned, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

¹⁴ And since he would not be dissuaded, we stopped pleading and fell silent, saying, “The Lord’s will be done!”

¹⁵ After this we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to [the house of] Mnason, a man from Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.