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:
Pāvila ceļojums uz Jeruzālemi
1 Šķīrušies no viņiem, mēs taisnā ceļā nonācām Kosā, pēc tam Rodā un no turienes Patarā. 2 Atraduši kuģi, kas devās uz Foinīkiju, mēs uzkāpām uz klāja un devāmies ceļā. 3 Kad ieraudzījām Kipru, atstājām to pa kreisi un devāmies tālāk uz Sīriju un piestājām Tīrā, jo tur no kuģa bija jāizkrauj krava. 4 Sastapuši mācekļus, palikām tur septiņas dienas; mācekļi, Gara mudināti, brīdināja Pāvilu, lai viņš neiet uz Jeruzālemi. 5 Kad šīs dienas bija pagājušas, mēs devāmies prom, un visi ar sievām un bērniem mūs pavadīja, līdz bijām izgājuši ārā no pilsētas. Tur, nometušies ceļos, jūras krastā lūdzām Dievu. 6 Tad mēs atvadījāmies un uzkāpām uz kuģa, bet ļaudis atgriezās mājās. 7 Mēs atstājām Tīru un jūras ceļu pabeidzām Ptolemaīdā. Tur, apsveicinājušies ar brāļiem, palikām pie viņiem vienu dienu. 8 Nākamajā rītā mēs devāmies ceļā un nonācām Cēzarejā. Iegājuši evaņģēlista Filipa namā – viņš bija viens no tiem septiņiem –, mēs palikām pie viņa. 9 Viņam bija četras meitas, jaunavas, kas pravietoja. 10 Mēs bijām tur uzkavējušies jau vairākas dienas, kad atnāca kāds pravietis no Jūdejas, vārdā Hagabs. 11 Viņš ienāca pie mums un, noņēmis Pāvilam jostu, sasēja sev rokas un kājas un teica: “Tā saka Svētais Gars: jūdi Jeruzālemē tieši tāpat sasies vīru, kam šī josta pieder, un nodos to pagānu rokās.” 12 To dzirdējuši, gan mēs, gan vietējie lūdzāmies, lai viņš neiet uz Jeruzālemi. 13 Bet Pāvils atbildēja: “Ko jūs darāt, raudādami un manu sirdi plosīdami? Es esmu gatavs ne tikai tam, ka mani Jeruzālemē sasien, bet esmu gatavs pat mirt Kunga Jēzus vārda dēļ.” 14 Tā kā viņš mūs neklausīja, mēs rimāmies, sacīdami: “Lai notiek Kunga griba.” 15 Pēc tam mēs sagatavojāmies ceļam un devāmies uz Jeruzālemi. 16 Ar mums kopā gāja daži mācekļi no Cēzarejas, kas mūs aizveda un izmitināja pie kāda sena mācekļa kiprieša Mnāsona.
Pāvila vizīte pie Jēkaba
17 Kad nonācām Jeruzālemē, brāļi mūs ar prieku uzņēma. 18 Nākamajā dienā Pāvils kopā ar mums iegāja pie Jēkaba, un tur ieradās visi presbiteri. 19 Viņš tos sveicināja un pēc kārtas izstāstīja visu, ko Dievs pagāniem bija darījis caur viņa kalpošanu. 20 To dzirdējuši, viņi slavēja Dievu un viņam sacīja: “Redzi, brāl, cik daudzi tūkstoši ticīgo ir Jūdejā, un viņi visi ir dedzīgi Mozus bauslībā. 21 Bet par tevi klīst runas, ka tu jūdiem, kas dzīvo starp pagāniem, māci atkrišanu no Mozus, ka viņiem nav jāapgraiza savi bērni, nedz jādzīvo pēc tēvu paradumiem. 22 Kā nu ir? Katrā ziņā viņi dzirdēs, ka tu esi atnācis. 23 Tad nu izdari, ko mēs tev lūgsim: mums šeit ir četri vīri, kas devuši solījumu. 24 Ej un šķīsties kopā ar viņiem un iemaksā par viņiem, lai viņiem var apcirpt matus uz galvas un lai visi zina, ka tie ir nieki, ko par tevi dzirdējuši, un ka tu arī pats dzīvo stingri, ievērodams Mozus likumu. 25 Par pagānu ticīgajiem mēs savu spriedumu esam darījuši zināmu – lai sargās no elku upuriem, asinīm, žņaugtu dzīvnieku gaļas un netiklības.” 26 Tad nākamajā dienā Pāvils, šos vīrus ņēmis un kopā ar viņiem šķīstījies, iegāja templī un paziņoja šķīstīšanās dienu piepildījumu, kad arī par ikvienu no viņiem tiks atnests upuris.
Pāvilu templī apcietina
27 Gāja jau septītā diena, kad jūdi no Āzijas, viņu templī ieraudzījuši, sakūdīja ļaužu pūli un sagrāba viņu, kliegdami: 28 “Israēlieši, palīgā! Šis ir tas cilvēks, kas visur māca pret mūsu tautu, pret Mozus likumu un šo vietu. Viņš vēl arī grieķus ir ievedis templī un apgānījis šo svēto vietu.” 29 Viņi bija redzējuši efesieti Trofimu kopā ar viņu pilsētā un domāja, ka Pāvils viņu ir ievedis templī. 30 Visa pilsēta saviļņojās, ļaudis saskrēja kopā, sagrāba Pāvilu un izvilka viņu ārā no tempļa, un durvis tūlīt tika aizslēgtas. 31 Kad tie jau dzīrās viņu nogalināt, ziņa, ka visa Jeruzāleme ir nemieru pilna, nonāca līdz kohortas tribūnam. 32 Paņēmis kareivjus un centurionus, viņš nekavējoties steidzās pie tiem. Ieraudzījuši tribūnu un kareivjus, tie pārstāja sist Pāvilu. 33 Tribūns, pienācis klāt, viņu arestēja un pavēlēja saistīt ar divām ķēdēm. Viņš taujāja, kas viņš tāds ir un ko nodarījis. 34 Daži ļaužu pūlī sauca vienu, daži ko citu. Trokšņa dēļ neko skaidri nevarēdams saprast, tribūns pavēlēja viņu aizvest uz karaspēka nometni. 35 Kad viņš bija nonācis līdz kāpnēm, pūlis tā spiedās virsū, ka kareivjiem vajadzēja viņu nešus nest, 36 jo aiz viņiem nāca liels ļaužu pūlis, saucot: “Nost ar viņu!”
Pāvils lūdz atļauju aizstāvības runai
37 Kad kareivji jau grasījās ievest Pāvilu karaspēka nometnē, viņš jautāja tribūnam: “Vai man ir ļauts tev ko teikt?” Tas teica: “Vai tu proti grieķiski? 38 Vai tik tu neesi tas ēģiptietis, kas pirms nedaudz dienām sadumpojās un izveda tuksnesī četrus tūkstošus sikariešu vīru?” 39 Bet Pāvils atbildēja: “Es esmu jūds, tarsietis no Kilikijas un ievērojamas pilsētas pilsonis. Es tevi lūdzu, atļauj man runāt uz tautu.” 40 Atļauju saņēmis, Pāvils nostājās uz kāpnēm un māja ļaudīm ar roku. Kad beidzot iestājās klusums, viņš aramiešu valodā sacīja:
