LESSON 84
PAUL TRAVELS & EXHORTS
Acts 20:13-24 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
13 We went
on ahead of Paul and sailed for the city of Assos,
planning to meet him there. This is what he told us to do because he wanted to
go by land. 14 When he
caught up with us at Assos, we took him on board, and we all sailed to Mitylene. 15 The next
day, we sailed away from there and came to a place near the island of Chios. Then the next day, we sailed to the island of Samos. A day
later, we came to the city of Miletus. 16 Paul had already decided not to stop at Ephesus. He did not want
to stay too long in Asia. He was hurrying because he wanted to be in Jerusalem
on the day of Pentecost if possible. 17 In Miletus Paul sent a message back to Ephesus,
telling the elders of the church in Ephesus to come to him. 18 When they
came, Paul said to them, “You
know about my life from the first day I came to Asia. You know the way I
lived all the time I was with you. 19 The Jews planned things against me, and this gave me much trouble.
But you know that I always served the Lord, sometimes with tears. I never
thought about myself first. 20 I always did what was best
for you. I told you the Good News about Jesus in public before the people and
also taught in your homes. 21 I told everyone—Jewish and
non-Jewish people—to change and turn to God. I told them all to believe in our
Lord Jesus. 22 “But now I must obey the Spirit and
go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23 I know only that in every city the Holy Spirit
tells me that troubles and even jail wait for me. 24 I don’t care about my own life. The most important thing is that I finish my work. I want to finish
the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do—to tell people the Good News about
God’s grace.
