Paul
Paul's Farewell Address to the Elders from Ephesus
In Miletus, Paul calls the elders of the congregation from Ephesus to him. He reminds them of his service among them, tells that he is bound by the Spirit and going to Jerusalem where chains await, and warns against ravenous wolves who will come into the flock. He commits them to God and the word of His grace, and they take a tearful farewell at the ship.
Acts 20,17-38
17From Miletus he sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the church.
Ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Μιλήτου πέμψας εἰς Ἔφεσον μετεκαλέσατο τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς ἐκκλησίας.
18When they arrived, he said to them: "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time, from the first day I set foot in Asia,
ὡς δὲ παρεγένοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε ἀπὸ πρώτης ἡμέρας ἀφʼ ἧς ἐπέβην εἰς τὴν Ἀσίαν πῶς μεθʼ ὑμῶν τὸν πάντα χρόνον ἐγενόμην,
19serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.
δουλεύων τῷ κυρίῳ μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης ⸀καὶ δακρύων καὶ πειρασμῶν τῶν συμβάντων μοι ἐν ταῖς ἐπιβουλαῖς τῶν Ἰουδαίων·
20I held back nothing that was for your good, but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly and from house to house,
ὡς οὐδὲν ὑπεστειλάμην τῶν συμφερόντων τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι ὑμῖν καὶ διδάξαι ὑμᾶς δημοσίᾳ καὶ κατʼ οἴκους,
21testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.
διαμαρτυρόμενος Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν τὴν ⸀εἰς θεὸν μετάνοιαν καὶ ⸀πίστιν εἰς τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ⸀Ἰησοῦν.
22And now, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,
καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ⸂δεδεμένος ἐγὼ⸃ τῷ πνεύματι πορεύομαι εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ συναντήσοντά ⸀μοι μὴ εἰδώς,
23except that in city after city the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions await me.
πλὴν ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον κατὰ πόλιν διαμαρτύρεταί ⸀μοι λέγον ὅτι δεσμὰ ⸂καὶ θλίψεις με⸃ μένουσιν·
24But I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus: to testify to the gospel of God's grace.
ἀλλʼ οὐδενὸς ⸀λόγου ⸀ποιοῦμαι τὴν ⸀ψυχὴν τιμίαν ἐμαυτῷ ὡς ⸀τελειῶσαι τὸν δρόμον ⸀μου καὶ τὴν διακονίαν ἣν ἔλαβον παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, διαμαρτύρασθαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ.
25And now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.
Καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι οὐκέτι ὄψεσθε τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὑμεῖς πάντες ἐν οἷς διῆλθον κηρύσσων τὴν ⸀βασιλείαν.
26Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all people,
⸀διότι μαρτύρομαι ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ ὅτι καθαρός ⸀εἰμι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος πάντων,
27for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι ⸂πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῖν⸃.
28Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.[^1]
[^1]: Or "with the blood of his own Son"; the Greek phrase can be read either way.
⸀προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους, ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ ⸀θεοῦ, ἣν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ ⸂αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου⸃.
29I know that after I am gone, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
ἐγὼ ⸀οἶδα ὅτι εἰσελεύσονται μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου,
30Even from your own number men will rise up, speaking twisted things, to draw the disciples away after themselves.
καὶ ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀναστήσονται ἄνδρες λαλοῦντες διεστραμμένα τοῦ ἀποσπᾶν τοὺς μαθητὰς ὀπίσω ⸀ἑαυτῶν·
31So be on your guard, and remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.
διὸ γρηγορεῖτε, μνημονεύοντες ὅτι τριετίαν νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν οὐκ ἐπαυσάμην μετὰ δακρύων νουθετῶν ἕνα ἕκαστον.
32And now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.
καὶ τὰ νῦν παρατίθεμαι ⸀ὑμᾶς τῷ ⸀θεῷ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ, τῷ δυναμένῳ ⸀οἰκοδομῆσαι καὶ δοῦναι ⸀τὴν κληρονομίαν ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις πᾶσιν.
33I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothing.
ἀργυρίου ἢ χρυσίου ἢ ἱματισμοῦ οὐδενὸς ἐπεθύμησα·
34You yourselves know that these hands of mine provided for my own needs and for those who were with me.
αὐτοὶ γινώσκετε ὅτι ταῖς χρείαις μου καὶ τοῖς οὖσι μετʼ ἐμοῦ ὑπηρέτησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὗται.
35In everything I showed you that by such hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
πάντα ὑπέδειξα ὑμῖν ὅτι οὕτως κοπιῶντας δεῖ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι τῶν ἀσθενούντων, μνημονεύειν τε τῶν λόγων τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπεν Μακάριόν ἐστιν μᾶλλον διδόναι ἢ λαμβάνειν.
36When he had said this, he knelt down with them all and prayed.
Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν θεὶς τὰ γόνατα αὐτοῦ σὺν πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς προσηύξατο.
37They all wept loudly as they embraced Paul and kissed him,
ἱκανὸς δὲ ⸂κλαυθμὸς ἐγένετο⸃ πάντων, καὶ ἐπιπεσόντες ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον τοῦ Παύλου κατεφίλουν αὐτόν,
38grieving most of all over his words that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
ὀδυνώμενοι μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ ᾧ εἰρήκει ὅτι οὐκέτι μέλλουσιν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ θεωρεῖν. προέπεμπον δὲ αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον.