20 17 He did, however, send from Miletus to Ephesus and summon the elders of the congregation; 20 18 and when they joined him, he spoke as follows:
'You know how, from the day that I first set foot in the province of Asia, for the whole time that I was with you, 20 19 I served the Lord in all humility amid the sorrows and trials that came upon me through the machinations of the Jews. 20 20 You know that I kept back nothing that was for your good: I delivered the message to you; I taught you, in public and in your homes; 20 21 with Jews and Gentiles alike I insisted on repentance before God and trust in our Lord Jesus. 20 22 And now, as you see, I am on my way to Jerusalem, under the constraint of the Spirit. Or: under an inner compulsion. Of what will befall me there I know nothing, 20 23 except that in city after city the Holy Spirit assures me that imprisonment and hardships await me. 20 24 For myself, I set no store by life; I only want to finish the race, and complete the task which the Lord Jesus assigned to me, of bearing my testimony to the gospel of God's grace. 20 25 'One word more: I have gone about among you proclaiming the Kingdom, but now I know that none of you will see my face again. 20 26 That being so, I here and now declare that no man's fate can be laid at my door; for I have kept back nothing; 20 27 I have disclosed to you the whole purpose of God.
20 28 Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has given you charge, as shepherds of the church of the Lord, Some witnesses read: of God. which he won for himself by his own blood. Or, according to some witnesses: by the blood of his Own. 20 29 I know that when I am gone, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 20 30 Even from your own body there will be men coming forward who will distort the truth to induce the disciples to break away and follow them. 20 31 So be on the alert; remember how for three years, night and day, I never ceased to counsel each of you, and how I wept over you. 20 32 'And now I commend you to God and to his gracious word, which has power to build you up and give you your heritage among all who are dedicated to him. 20 33 I have not wanted anyone's money or clothes for myself; 20 34 you all know that these hands of mine earned enough for the needs of me and my companions. 20 35 I showed you that it is our duty to help the weak in this way, by hard work, and that we should keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, "Happiness lies more in giving than in receiving."'
20 36 As he finished speaking, he knelt down with them all and prayed. 20 37 Then there were loud cries of sorrow from them all, as they folded Paul in their arms and kissed him. 20 38 What distressed them most was his saying that they would never see his face again. So they escorted him to his ship.