Daily Text and Bible Reading: Monday, November 25 [Press play below]

20.1 When the uproar had subsided, Paul sent for the disciples, and after he had encouraged them and said farewell, he began his journey to Macedonia.
20.2 After going through those regions and giving many words of encouragement to the ones there, he arrived in Greece.
20.3 He spent three months there, but because a plot was hatched against him by the Jews when he was about to set sail for Syria, he made up his mind to return through Macedonia.
20.4 He was accompanied by Sopater the son of Pyrrhus of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy and, from the province of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
20.5 These men went on ahead and were waiting for us in Troas;
20.6 but we put out to sea from Philippi after the days of the Unleavened Bread, and within five days we came to them in Troas, and there we spent seven days.
20.7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to have a meal, Paul began addressing them, as he was going to depart the next day; and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
20.8 So there were quite a few lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together.
20.9 Seated at the window, a young man named Eutychus sank into a deep sleep while Paul kept talking, and overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead.
20.10 But Paul went downstairs, threw himself on him and embraced him, and said: “Stop making a commotion, for he is alive.”
20.11 He then went upstairs and began the meal and ate. He continued conversing for quite a while, until daybreak, and then he departed.
20.12 So they took the boy away alive and were comforted beyond measure.
20.13 We now went ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, where we were intending to take Paul aboard, for after giving instructions to this effect, he was intending to go there on foot.
20.14 So when he caught up with us in Assos, we took him aboard and went to Mitylene.
20.15 And sailing away from there the next day, we arrived off Chios, but the day after that, we touched at Samos, and on the following day, we arrived at Miletus.
20.16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so as not to spend any time in the province of Asia, for he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem on the day of the Festival of Pentecost if he possibly could.
20.17 However, from Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and called for the elders of the congregation.
20.18 When they came to him, he said to them: “You well know how I conducted myself among you from the first day I stepped into the province of Asia,
20.19 slaving for the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials that befell me by the plots of the Jews,
20.20 while I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.
20.21 But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and to Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.
20.22 And now look! bound in the spirit, I am traveling to Jerusalem, although not knowing what will happen to me there,
20.23 except that from city to city the holy spirit repeatedly bears witness to me, saying that imprisonment and tribulations are waiting for me.
20.24 Nevertheless, I do not consider my own life of any importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear thorough witness to the good news of the undeserved kindness of God.
20.25 “And now look! I know that none of you among whom I preached the Kingdom will ever see my face again.
20.26 So I call you to witness this very day that I am clean from the blood of all men,
20.27 for I have not held back from telling you all the counsel of God.
20.28 Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own Son.
20.29 I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness,
20.30 and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.
20.31 “Therefore keep awake, and bear in mind that for three years, night and day, I never stopped admonishing each one of you with tears.
20.32 And now I entrust you to God and to the word of his undeserved kindness, which word can build you up and give you the inheritance among all the sanctified ones.
20.33 I have desired no man’s silver or gold or clothing.
20.34 You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my own needs and the needs of those with me.
20.35 I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way, you must assist those who are weak and must keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, when he himself said: ‘There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.’”
20.36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
20.37 Indeed, quite a bit of weeping broke out among them all, and they embraced Paul and affectionately kissed him,
20.38 for they were especially pained at the word he had spoken that they would not see his face anymore. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
21.1 After tearing ourselves away from them and putting out to sea, we ran with a straight course and came to Cos, on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
21.2 When we found a ship that was crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and sailed away.
21.3 After coming in sight of the island of Cyprus, we left it behind on the left side and sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo.
21.4 We searched for and found the disciples and remained there for seven days. But through the spirit they repeatedly told Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem.
21.5 So when our time there was over, we left and started on our way, but they all, together with the women and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed
21.6 and said good-bye to one another. Then we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their homes.
21.7 We then completed the voyage from Tyre and arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed one day with them.
21.8 The next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelizer, who was one of the seven men, and we stayed with him.
21.9 This man had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
21.10 But after we had stayed there for quite a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
21.11 And he came to us and took Paul’s belt and tied his own feet and hands and said: “Thus says the holy spirit, ‘The man to whom this belt belongs will be bound like this by the Jews in Jerusalem, and they will give him into the hands of people of the nations.’”
21.12 Now when we heard this, both we and those who were there began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem.
21.13 Then Paul answered: “What are you doing by weeping and trying to weaken my resolve? Rest assured, I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
21.14 When he would not be dissuaded, we stopped objecting and said: “Let the will of Jehovah take place.”
21.15 Now after these days we prepared for the journey and started on our way to Jerusalem.
21.16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple at whose home we were to be guests.
21.17 When we got to Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.
21.18 But on the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
21.19 And he greeted them and began giving a detailed account of the things God did among the nations through his ministry.
21.20 After hearing this, they began to glorify God, but they said to him: “You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the Law.
21.21 But they have heard it rumored about you that you have been teaching all the Jews among the nations an apostasy from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to follow the customary practices.
21.22 What, then, is to be done about it? They are certainly going to hear that you have arrived.
21.23 So do what we tell you: We have four men who have put themselves under a vow.
21.24 Take these men with you and cleanse yourself ceremonially together with them and take care of their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to the rumors they were told about you, but that you are walking orderly and you are also keeping the Law.
21.25 As for the believers from among the nations, we have sent them our decision in writing that they should keep away from what is sacrificed to idols as well as from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
21.26 Then Paul took the men the next day and cleansed himself ceremonially along with them, and he went into the temple to give notice of when the days for the ceremonial cleansing would be completed and the offering should be presented for each one of them.
21.27 Now when the seven days were about to end, the Jews from Asia, on seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and they seized him,
21.28 shouting: “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our Law and this place. And what is more, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”
21.29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
21.30 The whole city was in an uproar, and the people came running together and seized Paul and dragged him outside the temple, and immediately the doors were closed.
21.31 While they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the army unit that all Jerusalem was in confusion;
21.32 and he immediately took soldiers and army officers and ran down to them. When they caught sight of the military commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
21.33 Then the military commander came near and took him into custody and ordered that he be bound with two chains; then he inquired who he was and what he had done.
21.34 But some in the crowd began shouting out one thing, and others something else. So being unable himself to learn anything for certain because of the disturbance, he commanded him to be brought to the soldiers’ quarters.
21.35 But when he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,
21.36 for a crowd of the people kept following, crying out: “Do away with him!”
21.37 As he was about to be led into the soldiers’ quarters, Paul said to the military commander: “Am I allowed to say something to you?” He said: “Can you speak Greek?
21.38 Are you not, then, the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a sedition and led the 4,000 dagger men out into the wilderness?”
21.39 Then Paul said: “I am, in fact, a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. So I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.”
21.40 After he gave permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned with his hand to the people. When a great silence fell, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying: