Scripture Reference Window
   Browser "Back" or "Alt+Left_Arrow" to return.

Acts 21:15-30 ALT
(15) Then after these days, having prepared, we began going up to Jerusalem. (16) And also [some] of the disciples from Caesarea went along with us, bringing [us] to a certain Mnason, a Cyprian, an early disciple, with whom we would stay as guests. (17) Now we having come to be [fig., having arrived] in Jerusalem, the brothers [and sisters] received us gladly. (18) Then on the next [day] Paul had gone in with us to James, and all the elders were present. (19) And having embraced them, he began reporting one by one each of [the things] which God did among the Gentiles through his ministry. (20) So having heard, they began glorifying the Lord, having said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are of Jews having believed, and all are zealots for the Law. (21) "But they are informed about you, that you are teaching apostasy from Moses to all Jews among the Gentiles, saying [for] them not to be circumcising their children nor to be walking [fig., conducting themselves] [according to] the customs. (22) "What then is [to be done]? It is certainly necessary [for] the congregation to come together, for they will hear that you have come. (23) "Therefore, do this which we say to you: [there] are four men with us having a vow on themselves; (24) these having taken, be purified with them and pay their expenses for them, so that they shall shave the head, and all may know that [the things] of which they have been informed about you are nothing, _but_ you are keeping in line with [fig., living in conformity with] and you yourself are keeping the Law. (25) "But concerning the ones having believed of [the] Gentiles, _we_ wrote, having judged [that they need] to be observing no such [thing], except to be keeping themselves both [from] the [meat] sacrificed to idols and [from] blood and [from anything] strangled and [from] sexual sin." (26) Then Paul, having taken the men on the following day, having been purified with them, had gone into the temple announcing the completion of the days of the purification, until which [time] the offering was offered on behalf of each one of them. (27) Now when the seven days were about to be coming to an end, the Jews from Asia having seen him in the temple began stirring up all the crowd, and they laid their hands on him, (28) crying out, "Men, Israelites, help! This is the man, the one teaching all [people] everywhere against the people and the Law and this place! And further, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place!" (29) (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they were assuming that Paul brought into the temple.) (30) And all the city was moved [fig., aroused], and [there] was a rushing together of the people, and having taken hold of Paul, they began dragging him outside of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

Acts 21:15-30 CEV
(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. (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 the Jewish 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 Jewish customs. (22) What should we do now that our people have heard that 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 that 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. (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.

Acts 21:15-30 NWT
15 Now after these days we prepared for the journey and began going up to Jerusalem. 16 But some of the disciples from Caesare'a also went with us, to bring us to the man at whose home we were to be entertained, a certain Mna'son of Cy'prus, an early disciple. 17 When we got into Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 But on the following [day] Paul went in with us to James; and all the older men were present. 19 And he greeted them and began giving in detail an account of the things God did among the nations through his ministry. 20 After hearing this they began to glorify God, and they said to him: "You behold, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews; and they are all zealous for the Law. 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 neither to circumcise their children nor to walk in the [solemn] customs. 22 What, then, is to be done about it? In any case they are going to hear you have arrived. 23 Therefore do this which we tell you: We have four men with a vow upon themselves. 24 Take these men along and cleanse yourself ceremonially with them and take care of their expenses, that they may have their heads shaved. And so everybody will know that there is nothing to the rumors they were told about you, but that you are walking orderly, you yourself also keeping the Law. 25 As for the believers from among the nations, we have sent out, rendering our decision that they should keep themselves from what is sacrificed to idols as well as from blood and what is strangled and from fornication." 26 Then Paul took the men along the next day and cleansed himself ceremonially with them and went into the temple, to give notice of the days to be fulfilled for the ceremonial cleansing, until the offering should be presented for each one of them. 27 Now when the seven days were about to be concluded, the Jews from Asia on beholding him in the temple began to throw all the crowd into confusion, and they laid their hands upon him, 28 crying out: "Men of Israel, help! This is the man that teaches everybody everywhere against the people and the Law and this place and, what is more, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place." 29 For they had previously seen Troph'imus the Ephe'sian in the city with him, but they were imagining Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 And the whole city was set in an uproar, and a running together of the people occurred; and they laid hold of Paul and dragged him outside the temple. And immediately the doors were closed.

Please use browser back arrow to return to previous page. | Home


You will note the reference windows often include more than one translation of the Bible. The reason is to strive to gain the best possible understanding of the original Hebrew and Greek. Since we don't speak those languages, we rely on those who have come before and made the effort to translate those texts into English for us. Considering several translations gives the benefit of the understanding of several translation committees or individuals.
The Translations we quote are:

ALT - Analytical Literal Translation

ASV - American Standard Version (by the American revision committee in 1897).

Darby - 1889 Darby Bible

DRB - 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible

BBE - 1965 Bible in Basic English

LITV - Literal Translation of the Holy Bible

KJV - King James Version

MKJV - Modern King James Version

NWT - New World Translation

Webster - 1833 Webster Bible

RV - Revised Version

YLT - Young's Literal Translation