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Acts of the Apostles
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English: New American Standard Bible |
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Acts of the Apostles 20 [Context] [Commentary] [Map] 
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| 17. |
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. |
| 18. |
And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, |
| 19. |
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; |
| 20. |
how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, |
| 21. |
solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 22. |
"And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, |
| 23. |
except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. |
| 24. |
"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. |
| 25. |
"And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. |
| 26. |
"Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. |
| 27. |
"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. |
| 28. |
"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. |
| 29. |
"I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; |
| 30. |
and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. |
| 31. |
"Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. |
| 32. |
"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. |
| 33. |
"I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. |
| 34. |
"You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. |
| 35. |
"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you 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.' " |
| 36. |
When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. |
| 37. |
And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, |
| 38. |
grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship. |
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NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE
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