Paul Continues His Journey to Jerusalem
1After we had torn ourselves away from the Ephesian elders, we headed out to sea. We sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes. From there we continued on to Patara. 2We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia. So we went on board and headed out to sea. 3We came near Cyprus and passed to the south of it. Then we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre. There our ship was supposed to unload. 4We looked for the believers there and stayed with them for seven days. The believers tried to keep Paul from going on to Jerusalem. They were led by the Holy Spirit to do this. 5When it was time to leave, we continued on our way. All the believers, including their whole families, went with us out of the city. There on the beach we got down on our knees to pray. 6We said goodbye to each other. Then we went on board the ship. And they returned home.
7Continuing on from Tyre, we landed at Ptolemais. There we greeted the brothers and sisters. We stayed with them for a day. 8The next day we left and arrived at Caesarea. We stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist. He was one of the seven deacons. 9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10We stayed there several days. Then a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11He came over to us. Then he took Paul’s belt and tied his own hands and feet with it. He said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the owner of this belt. They will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
12When we heard this, we all begged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13He asked, “Why are you crying? Why are you breaking my heart? I’m ready to be put in prison. In fact, I’m ready to die in Jerusalem for the Lord Jesus.” 14We couldn’t change his mind. So we gave up. We said, “May what the Lord wants to happen be done.”
15After this, we started on our way to Jerusalem. 16Some of the believers from Caesarea went with us. They brought us to Mnason’s home. We were supposed to stay there. Mnason was from Cyprus. He was one of the first believers.
Paul Arrives in Jerusalem
17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters gave us a warm welcome. 18The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James. All the elders were there. 19Paul greeted them. Then he reported everything God had done among the Gentiles through his work.
20When they heard this, they praised God. Then they spoke to Paul. “Brother,” they said, “you see that thousands of Jews have become believers. All of them try very hard to obey the law. 21They have been told that you teach Jews to turn away from the Law of Moses. You teach this to the Jews who live among the Gentiles. They think that you teach those Jews not to circumcise their children. They think that you teach them to give up our Jewish ways. 22What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23So do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a promise to God. 24Take them with you. Join them in the Jewish practice that makes people pure and ‘clean.’ Pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that these reports about you are not true in any way. They will know that you yourself obey the law. 25We have already given written directions to the believers who are not Jews. They must not eat food that has been offered to statues of gods. They must not drink blood. They must not eat the meat of animals that have been choked to death. And they must not commit sexual sins.”
26The next day Paul took the men with him. They all made themselves pure and “clean” in the usual way. Then Paul went to the temple. There he reported the date when the days of cleansing would end. At that time the proper offering would be made for each of them.
Paul Is Arrested
27The seven days of cleansing were almost over. Some Jews from Asia Minor saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and grabbed Paul. 28“Fellow Israelites, help us!” they shouted. “This is the man who teaches everyone in all places against our people. He speaks against our law and against this holy place. Besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple. He has made this holy place ‘unclean.’ ” 29They said this because they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul. They thought Paul had brought him into the temple.
30The whole city was stirred up. People came running from all directions. They grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Right away the temple gates were shut. 31The people were trying to kill Paul. But news reached the commander of the Roman troops. He heard that people were making trouble in the whole city of Jerusalem. 32Right away he took some officers and soldiers with him. They ran down to the crowd. The people causing the trouble saw the commander and his soldiers. So they stopped beating Paul.
33The commander came up and arrested Paul. He ordered him to be held with two chains. Then he asked who Paul was and what he had done. 34Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another. But the commander couldn’t get the facts because of all the noise. So he ordered that Paul be taken into the fort. 35Paul reached the steps. But then the mob became so wild that he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”
Paul Speaks to the Crowd
37The soldiers were about to take Paul into the fort. Then he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”
“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who turned some of our people against their leaders? Didn’t you lead 4,000 terrorists out into the desert some time ago?”
39Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia. I am a citizen of an important city. Please let me speak to the people.”
40The commander told him he could. So Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When all of them were quiet, he spoke to them in the Aramaic language.
保羅前往耶路撒冷
1我們和眾人道別之後，乘船直接駛往哥士，第二天到達羅底，從那裡前往帕大喇， 2在帕大喇遇到一艘開往腓尼基的船，就上了船。 3塞浦路斯遙遙在望，船從該島的南面繞過，一直駛向敘利亞。因為船要在泰爾卸貨，我們就在那裡上了岸， 4找到當地的門徒後，便和他們同住了七天。他們受聖靈的感動力勸保羅不要去耶路撒冷。 5時間到了，我們繼續前行，眾門徒和他們的妻子兒女送我們出城。大家跪在岸邊禱告之後，彼此道別。 6我們上了船，眾人也回家去了。
7我們從泰爾乘船抵達多利買，上岸探訪那裡的弟兄姊妹，和他們住了一天。 8第二天我們離開那裡，來到凱撒利亞，住在傳道人腓利家裡。他是當初選出的七位執事之一。 9腓利有四個未出嫁的女兒，都能說預言。 10過了幾天，一個名叫亞迦布的先知從猶太下來。 11他到了我們這裡，拿保羅的腰帶綁住自己的手腳，說：「聖靈說，『耶路撒冷的猶太人也要這樣捆綁這腰帶的主人，把他交給外族人。』」
12聽到這話，我們和當地的信徒都苦勸保羅不要去耶路撒冷。 13但保羅說：「你們為什麼這樣哭泣，令我心碎呢？我為主耶穌的名甘願受捆綁，甚至死在耶路撒冷。」
14我們知道再勸也無濟於事，只好對他說：「願主的旨意成就。」
15過了幾天，我們收拾行裝啟程上耶路撒冷。 16有幾個凱撒利亞的門徒和我們一起去，並帶我們到一個信主已久的塞浦路斯人拿孫家裡住宿。
保羅會見雅各和眾長老
17我們抵達耶路撒冷後，受到弟兄姊妹的熱烈歡迎。 18第二天，保羅和我們去見雅各，眾長老都在那裡。 19保羅向大家問安之後，便一一述說上帝如何藉著他傳福音給外族人。 20大家聽了，都同聲讚美上帝，又對保羅說：「弟兄，你知道數以萬計的猶太人信了主，他們都嚴守律法。 21他們聽見有人說你教導住在外族人中的猶太人背棄摩西的律法，不替孩子行割禮，也不遵守猶太人的規矩。 22他們一定會聽到你來這裡的消息，這該怎麼辦？ 23請你聽我們的建議，這裡有四位向上帝許過願的弟兄， 24你和他們一起去行潔淨禮，並由你替他們付費，讓他們可以剃頭，好叫眾人知道你嚴守律法，循規蹈矩，關於你的傳聞都是假的。 25至於那些外族信徒，我們已經寫信吩咐他們，不可吃祭過偶像的食物，不可吃血和勒死的牲畜，不可淫亂。」
保羅被捕
26於是，保羅和四位弟兄第二天行了潔淨禮，然後上聖殿報告他們潔淨期滿的日子，好在期滿後讓祭司為他們每個人獻祭物。 27當七日的潔淨期將滿的時候，有些從亞細亞來的猶太人發現保羅在聖殿裡，就煽動眾人去抓他。 28他們高喊：「以色列人快來幫忙！就是這人到處教唆人反對我們的民族、律法和聖殿。他還帶希臘人進聖殿，玷污這聖地。」 29這是因為他們在城裡見過一個名叫特羅非摩的以弗所人和保羅在一起，以為保羅一定把他帶進聖殿了。
30消息一傳開，全城轟動。眾人衝進聖殿把保羅拉出來，隨即關上殿門。 31正當他們要殺保羅的時候，有人把耶路撒冷發生騷亂的消息報告給羅馬軍營的千夫長， 32千夫長馬上帶著軍兵和幾個百夫長趕來了。眾人一見千夫長和軍隊，便停止毆打保羅。 33千夫長上前拿住保羅，命人用兩條鐵鏈把他鎖起來，問他是什麼人、做了什麼事。 34人群中有人這樣喊，有人那樣喊，情形混亂不堪，千夫長無法辨明真相，便命人將保羅帶回軍營。 35保羅剛走上臺階，眾人便兇猛地擁擠過來，士兵們只好把他舉起來抬著走。 36眾人擠在後面喊著說：「殺掉他！」
保羅的申辯
37士兵們抬著保羅來到軍營門口，保羅問千夫長：「我可以和你講幾句話嗎？」千夫長說：「你也懂希臘話嗎？ 38不久前煽動叛亂、帶著四千暴徒逃到曠野去的那個埃及人是你嗎？」 39保羅說：「我是猶太人，來自基利迦的大數，並非無名小城的人。請准許我向百姓講幾句話。」 40千夫長答應了，保羅就站在臺階上向眾人揮手示意，他們都安靜下來，保羅用希伯來話對他們說：
