Paul Goes to Jerusalem
1 After saying goodbye, we sailed straight to Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and from there sailed on to Patara. 2 We found a ship going to Phoenicia, so we got on board and sailed off.
3 We came within sight of Cyprus and then sailed south of it on to the port of Tyre in Syria, where the ship was going to unload its cargo. 4 We found the Lord's followers and stayed with them for a week. The Holy Spirit had told them to warn Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 But when the week was over, we started on our way again. All the men, together with their wives and children, walked with us from the town to the seashore. We knelt on the beach and prayed. 6 Then after saying goodbye to each other, we got into the ship, and they went back home.
7 We sailed from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the followers and stayed with them for a day. 8 The next day we went to Caesarea and stayed with Philip, the preacher. He was one of the seven men who helped the apostles, 9 and he had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10 We had been in Caesarea for several days, when the prophet Agabus came to us from Judea. 11 He took Paul's belt, and with it he tied up his own hands and feet. Then he told us, “The Holy Spirit says that some of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this belt. They will also hand him over to the Gentiles.” 12 After Agabus said this, we and the followers living there begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
13 But Paul answered, “Why are you crying and breaking my heart? I am not only willing to be put in jail for the Lord Jesus, but I am even willing to die for him in Jerusalem!”
14 Since we could not get Paul to change his mind, we gave up and prayed, “Lord, please make us willing to do what you want.”
15 Then we got ready to go to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the followers from Caesarea went with us and took us to stay in the home of Mnason. He was from Cyprus and had been a follower from the beginning.
Paul Visits James
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the Lord's followers gladly welcomed us. 18 Paul went with us to see James the next day, and all the church leaders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and told how God had used him to help the Gentiles. 20 Everyone who heard this praised God and said to Paul:
My friend, you can see how many tens of thousands of our people have become followers! And all of them are eager to obey the Law of Moses. 21 But they have been told that you are teaching those who live among the Gentiles to disobey this Law. They claim that you are telling them not to circumcise their sons or to follow our customs.
22 What should we do now that our people have heard you are here? 23 Please do what we ask, because four of our men have made special promises to God. 24 Join with them and prepare yourself for the ceremony that goes with the promises. Pay the cost for their heads to be shaved. Then everyone will learn that the reports about you are not true. They will know you do obey the Law of Moses.
25 Some while ago we told the Gentile followers what we think they should do. We instructed them not to eat anything offered to idols. They were told not to eat any meat with blood still in it or the meat of an animal that has been strangled. They were also told not to commit any terrible sexual sins.
26 The next day Paul took the four men with him and got himself ready at the same time they did. Then he went into the temple and told when the final ceremony would take place and when an offering would be made for each of them.
Paul Is Arrested
27 When the period of seven days for the ceremony was almost over, some of the Jewish people from Asia saw Paul in the temple. They got a large crowd together and started attacking him. 28 They were shouting, “Friends, help us! This man goes around everywhere, saying bad things about our nation and about the Law of Moses and about this temple. He has even brought shame to this holy temple by bringing in Gentiles.” 29 Some of them thought that Paul had brought Trophimus from Ephesus into the temple, because they had seen them together in the city.
30 The whole city was in an uproar, and the people turned into a mob. They grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Then suddenly the doors were shut. 31 The people were about to kill Paul when the Roman army commander heard that all Jerusalem was starting to riot. 32 So he quickly took some soldiers and officers and ran to where the crowd had gathered.
As soon as the mob saw the commander and soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 The army commander went over and arrested him and had him bound with two chains. Then he tried to find out who Paul was and what he had done. 34 Part of the crowd shouted one thing, and part of them shouted something else. But they were making so much noise that the commander could not find out a thing. Then he ordered Paul to be taken into the fortress. 35 As they reached the steps, the crowd became so wild that the soldiers had to lift Paul up and carry him. 36 The crowd followed and kept shouting, “Kill him! Kill him!”
Paul Speaks to the Crowd
37 When Paul was about to be taken into the fortress, he asked the commander, “Can I say something to you?”
“How do you know Greek?” the commander asked. 38 “Aren't you that Egyptian who started a riot not long ago and led 4,000 terrorists into the desert?”
39 “No!” Paul replied. “I am a Jew from Tarsus, an important city in Cilicia. Please let me speak to the crowd.”
40 The commander told him he could speak, so Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people. When they were quiet, he spoke to them in Aramaic:
1 Kad bijām no tiem šķīrušies un atstājuši krastu, mēs, taisnā ceļā brauk-dami, nonācām Kosā, nākošajā dienā Rodā, un no turienes Patarā;
2 Un, atraduši kuģi, kas devās uz Foinikiju, mēs iekāpām un aizbraucām.
3 Redzējuši Kipru un to atstājuši pa kreisi, mēs braucām uz Siriju un izkāpām malā Tirā, jo tur kuģim bija jāizkrauj krava.
4 Uzmeklējuši mācekļus, mēs tur palikām septiņas dienas; tie Pāvilam caur Garu sacīja, lai viņš neiet uz Jeruzālemi.
5 Savu laiku tur pavadījuši, mēs devāmies ceļā, un visi ar sievām un bērniem mūs pavadīja vēl ārpus pilsētas, un, nometušies ceļos krastmalā, mēs lūdzām Dievu.
6 Un, cits no cita atvadījušies, iekāpām kuģī, bet viņi griezās atpakaļ uz savām mājām.
7 Pabeiguši jūras braucienu, mēs no Tiras nonācām Ptolemaidā un, apsveikuši brāļus, pie tiem palikām vienu dienu.
8 Nākošajā dienā mēs devāmies ceļā un nonācām Cezarejā, un iegājuši evanģelista Filipa namā, kas bija viens no izvēlētajiem septiņiem, mēs palikām pie viņa.
9 Viņam bija četras meitas, jaunavas, kurām bija praviešu dāvanas.
10 Kad mēs vairāk dienu tur bijām palikuši, no Jūdejas atnāca kāds pravietis, vārdā Agabs,
11 Ieradās pie mums un, paņēmis Pāvila jostu, saistīja pats sev kājas un rokas, sacīdams: „Tā saka Svētais Gars: Tāpat jūdi saistīs Jeruzālemē vīru, kam šī josta pieder, un nodos pagānu rokās.“
12 Kad mēs to dzirdējām, mēs un šejienes iedzīvotāji lūdzām, lai viņš neiet uz Jeruzālemi.
13 Bet Pāvils atbildēja: „Ko jūs darāt, kam jūs raudat un laužat manu sirdi? Es esmu gatavs par Kunga Jēzus vārdu Jeruzālemē nevien uzņemties saites, bet ari mirt.“
14 Kad viņš neļāvās pierunāties, mēs apklusām, sacīdami: „Tā Kunga prāts lai notiek.“
15 Pēc šīm dienām mēs, sagatavojušies ceļam, gājām uz Jeruzālemi;
16 Arī daži māceķli no Cezarejas nāca mums lidz un noveda mūs mājas vietā pie kiprieša Mnasona, kāda veca mācekļa.
17 Kad mēs nonācām Jeruzālemē, brāļi mūs labprāt uzņēma.
18 Nākošajā dienā Pāvils ar mums aizgāja pie Jēkaba, un visi vecaji ari bija klāt.
19 Tos apsveicis, viņš pēc kārtas izstāstīja, ko Dievs pagāniem ar viņa kalpošanu bija darījis.
20 To dzirdējuši, viņi slavēja Dievu un viņam sacīja: „Brāli, tu redzi, cik tūkstoš jūdu ir kļuvuši ticīgi un visi ir dedzīgi bauslības piekritēji;
21 Bet tie dabūjuši zināt par tevi, ka tu visus jūdus, kas dzīvo pagānu vidū, mācot atkrist no Mozus, sacīdams, lai viņi neapgraiza savus bērnus un nedzīvo pēc tēvu ierašām.
22 Kas nu būs? Katrā ziņā viņi dzirdēs, ka tu esi atnācis.
23 Tāpēc dari, ko mēs tev sakām! Mums ir četri vīri, kas Dievam solījušies.
24 Ņem tos pie sevis, šķīsties ar tiem un samaksā par viņiem, lai viņi apcērp galvu, tad visi zinās, ka tie ir nieki, ko viņi par tevi dzirdējuši, un ka ari tu pats dzīvo pēc bauslības.
25 Bet par pagāniem, kas kļuvuši ticīgi, mēs esam lēmuši un rakstījuši, lai viņi sargās no elku upuriem, asinīm, nožņaugta un netiklības.“
26 Tad Pāvils, šos vīrus pie sevis ņēmis un nākošajā dienā ar tiem šķīstījies, iegāja svētnīcā un paziņoja, ka viņi turpinās šķīstīšanās laiku, līdz kamēr par ikvienu no viņiem būs atnests upuris.
27 Kad septiņas dienas gandrīz jau bija galā, Āzijas jūdi, redzēdami viņu svētnīcā, sakūdīja visus ļaudis un sagrāba viņu,
28 Saukdami: „Israēlieši, nāciet palīgā! Šis ir tas cilvēks, kas visur visus māca pret tautu, bauslību un pret šo vietu, un turklāt viņš ievedis grieķus svētnīcā un sagānījis šo svēto vietu.“
29 Jo viņi iepriekš bija redzējuši efezieti Trofimu kopā ar viņu pilsētā un domāja, ka Pāvils to ievedis svētnīcā.
30 Tad visu pilsētu pārņēma uztraukums, saskrēja ļaudis un, sagrābuši Pāvilu, vilka to no svētnīcas ārā; un tūdaļ durvis tika aizslēgtas.
31 Kad tie dzīrās viņu nonāvēt, rotas komandierim pienāca ziņa, ka visa Jeruzāleme esot nemiera pārņemta.
32 Paņēmis kareivjus un virsniekus, viņš tūdaļ steidzās pie tiem lejā; bet šie, ieraudzījuši komandieri un kareivjus, mitējās Pāvilu sist.
33 Komandieris piegāja klāt, saņēma viņu, pavēlēja ar divi važām saistīt un vaicāja, kas viņš esot un ko esot darījis.
34 Bet pūlī citi sauca šo, citi to; tā kā viņš troksnī nekā noteiktu nevarēja uzzināt, viņš pavēlēja Pāvilu aizvest karaspēka mītnē.
35 Bet, nonākot uz kāpnēm, kareivjiem vajadzēja viņu nešūs nest ļaužu uzmākšanās dēļ,
36 Jo ļaužu pulks sekoja saukdams: „Nost viņu!“
37 Pirms Pāvilu ieveda karaspēka mitnē, viņš komandierim jautāja: „Vai man ir atļauts tev ko teikt?“ Tas atbildēja: „Vai tu proti grieķiski?
38 Vai tik tu neesi tas ēģiptietis, kas priekš dažām dienām sacēlies un aizvedis tuksnesi četrus tūkstošus sikariešu?“
39 Bet Pāvils sacija: „Es esmu jūds, tarsietis, ievērojamās Kilikijas pilsētas pilsonis; es tevi lūdzu, atļauj man runāt uz ļaudīm.“
40 Viņa atļauju dabūjis, Pāvils nostājās uz kāpnēm un māja ļaudīm ar roku; kad visi bija apklusuši, viņš tos ebrēju valodā uzrunāja.
