Acts 18:21

Myles Coverdale Bible

but bad them farwele, and sayde: I must nedes in eny wyse kepe this feast that commeth, at Ierusalem: but yf God wyl, I wil returne agayne vnto you. And he departed from Ephesus,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
but he said farewell and added, “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

King James Version (1611)
But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all meanes keepe this feast that commeth, in Hierusalem; but I will returne againe vnto you, if God will: and he sailed from Ephesus.

King James Version
But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

English Standard Version
But on taking leave of them he said, "I will return to you if God wills," and he set sail from Ephesus.

New American Standard Bible
but took leave of them and said, "I will return to you again if God wills," and he set sail from Ephesus.

New Century Version
But as he left, he said, "I will come back to you again if God wants me to." And so he sailed away from Ephesus.

Amplified Bible
but after telling them goodbye and saying, "I will return again if God is willing," he set sail from Ephesus.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
but taking leave of them and saying, "I will return to you again if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus.

Legacy Standard Bible
but taking leave of them and saying, "I will return to you again if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus.

Berean Standard Bible
But as he left, he said, "I will come back to you again if God is willing." And he set sail from Ephesus.

Contemporary English Version
He told them good-by and said, "If God lets me, I will come back."

Complete Jewish Bible
however, in his farewell he said, "God willing, I will come back to you." Then he set sail from Ephesus.

Darby Translation
but bade them farewell, saying, [I must by all means keep the coming feast at Jerusalem]; I will return to you again, if God will: and he sailed away from Ephesus.

Easy-to-Read Version
He left them and said, "I will come back to you again if God wants me to." And so he sailed away from Ephesus.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But bade the farewel, saying, I must needes keepe this feast that commeth, in Hierusalem: but I will returne againe vnto you, if God will. So he sailed from Ephesus.

George Lamsa Translation
Saying, I must by all means celebrate the coming feast as is my custom at Jerusalem; but I will return to you again, God willing.

Good News Translation
Instead, he told them as he left, "If it is the will of God, I will come back to you." And so he sailed from Ephesus.

Lexham English Bible
but saying farewell and telling them, "I will return to you again if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus.

Literal Translation
but took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep the coming feast at Jerusalem; but I will come again to you, God willing. And he sailed from Ephesus.

American Standard Version
but taking his leave of them, and saying, I will return again unto you if God will, he set sail from Ephesus.

Bible in Basic English
And went from them, saying, I will come back to you if God lets me; and he took ship from Ephesus.

Hebrew Names Version
but taking his leave of them, and saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Yerushalayim, but I will return again to you if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus.

International Standard Version
As he told them goodbye, he said, "I will come backI must at all costs keep the approaching festival in Jerusalem, but I will come back">[fn] to you again if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus.Acts 19:21; 20:16; 1 Corinthians 4:19; Hebrews 6:3; James 4:15;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
for he said, It behoveth me faithfully to perform the feast which cometh at Urishlem; and if Aloha willeth, I will come again to you. And Akilos and Priskila he left at Ephesos;

Murdock Translation
For he said: I must certainly keep the approaching feast at Jerusalem. But, if it please God, I will come again to you.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But bade them farewell, saying, I must needes at this feast that commeth be in Hierusalem: but I wyll returne agayne vnto you yf God wyll. And he sayled from Ephesus.

English Revised Version
but taking his leave of them, and saying, I will return again unto you, if God will, he set sail from Ephesus.

World English Bible
but taking his leave of them, and saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you if God wills," he set sail from Ephesus.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But took his leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep the approaching feast at Jerusalem, but I will return to you again, if God will.

Weymouth's New Testament
but took leave of them with the promise, "I will return to you, God willing." So he set sail from Ephesus.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
he consentide not, but he made `fare wel, and seide, Eft Y schal turne ayen to you, if God wole; and he wente forth fro Effesi.

Update Bible Version
but taking his leave of them, and saying, I will return again to you if God wills, he set sail from Ephesus.

Webster's Bible Translation
But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return to you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

New English Translation
but said farewell to them and added, "I will come back to you again if God wills." Then he set sail from Ephesus,

New King James Version
but took leave of them, saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; [fn] but I will return again to you, God willing." And he sailed from Ephesus.

New Living Translation
As he left, however, he said, "I will come back later, God willing." Then he set sail from Ephesus.

New Life Bible
As he left them, he said, (*"I must go to the special supper at Jerusalem.) I will return again to you if God wants me to." Then he got on a ship and left Ephesus.

New Revised Standard
but on taking leave of them, he said, "I will return to you, if God wills." Then he set sail from Ephesus.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
but, bidding them adieu, and saying - Again, will I return unto you, God willing, he sailed away from Ephesus;

Douay-Rheims Bible
But taking his leave and saying: I will return to you again, God willing, he departed from Ephesus.

Revised Standard Version
but on taking leave of them he said, "I will return to you if God wills," and he set sail from Ephesus.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
but bad the fare well sayinge. I must nedes at this feast that cometh be in Ierusalem: but I will returne agayne vnto you yf God will. And he departed from Ephesus

Young's Literal Translation
but took leave of them, saying, `It behoveth me by all means the coming feast to keep at Jerusalem, and again I will return unto you -- God willing.' And he sailed from Ephesus,

Mace New Testament (1729)
said he, in taking his leave, I must necessarily keep the approaching feast at Jerusalem: after which I will return to you if God permit.

Simplified Cowboy Version
But Paul did say, "I'll come back here if God lets me. You can count on that." Then he boarded the boat, and they sailed away from Ephesus.

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ Paul after yt he had taried a good whyle, toke his leue of the brethren, and sayled in to Syria, Priscilla & Aquila bearinge him company. And he shore his heade at Cenchrea (for he had a vowe) ¹⁹ & came downe to Ephesus, & lefte them there. But he himselfe wete in to the synagoge, and reasoned with the Iewes. ²⁰ And they desyred him, that he wolde tary with them a longer season. And he cosented not, ²¹ but bad them farwele, and sayde: I must nedes in eny wyse kepe this feast that commeth, at Ierusalem: but yf God wyl, I wil returne agayne vnto you. And he departed from Ephesus, ²² and came to Cesarea, and wente vp, and saluted ye congregacion, and toke his iourney downe to Antioche, ²³ and taried there a certayne tyme, and departed, and walked thorow all ye countre of Galatia and Phrigia by ordre, and strengthed all the disciples.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

bade: Acts 15:29, Luke 9:61, 2 Corinthians 13:11

I must: Acts 20:16, Deuteronomy 16:1

if God: Acts 19:21, Acts 21:14, Matthew 26:39, Romans 1:10, Romans 15:32, 1 Corinthians 4:19, Philippians 2:19-24, Hebrews 6:3, James 4:15

Reciprocal: Acts 18:22 - the church Romans 15:25 - General 1 Corinthians 16:7 - if

Cross-References

Genesis 11:5
Then came ye LORDE downe, to se ye cite & tower, yt ye childre of me had buylded.

Genesis 11:7
Come on, let vs go downe, & cofounde their tonge eue there, yt one vnderstonde not what another saieth.

Genesis 18:1
Annd the LORDE apeared vnto him in the Okegroue of Mamre, as he sat in his tent dore in the heate of ye daie.

Genesis 18:24
Peradueture there maye be fiftie righteous within ye cite: wilt thou destroye those, and not spare the place, for fiftie righteous sake that are therin?

Exodus 3:8
and am come downe to delyuer them from the power of the Egipcians, and to carye them out of that lode, in to a good and wyde londe, euen in to a londe that floweth with mylke and hony: namely, vnto the place of the Cananites, Hethites, Amorites, Pheresites, Heuytes & Iebusites.

Exodus 33:5
And ye LORDE sayde vnto Moses: Speake vnto the children of Israel: Ye are a styfnecked people, I must once come sodenly vpon the, and make an ende of the. And now put of thy goodly araye from the, yt I maie knowe what to do vnto the.

Deuteronomy 8:2
and thynke vpon all ye waie thorow the which the LORDE thy God hath led the this fortye yeares in the wyldernesse, that he mighte chasten the, and proue the, to wete whath were in thyne herte, whether thou woldest kepe his comaundemetes or no.

Deuteronomy 13:3
Thou shalt not herken vnto the wordes of soch a prophet or dreamer. For ye LORDE youre God proueth you, to wete whether ye loue him with all youre hert, & with all youre soule.

Joshua 22:22
The mightie God ye LORDE, the mightie God the LORDE knoweth, and Israel knoweth also, yf this be a trangressynge or trespacynge agaynst the LORDE, then let it not helpe vs this daye:

Job 34:22
There is no darcknes ner thicke shadowe, yt can hyde the wicked doers from him.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But bade them farewell, saying,.... As follows:

I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem; which perhaps was the passover, since that often went by the name of the feast: the why he must by all means keep it, was not because it was obligatory upon him; nor did he always observe it, as appears from his long stay at Corinth, and other places; and besides, as a Christian, he had nothing to do with it; but either because of his vow, Acts 18:18 or because he knew he should have an opportunity of preaching the Gospel to great numbers; the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions omit this clause:

but I will return again unto you, if God will; he promises to return to them, but not peremptorily as knowing that he was altogether subject to the will of God, who disposes and orders all things according to his sovereign pleasure; see James 4:15 and he sailed from Ephesus; which was near the Aegean sea: such was the situation of Ephesus, according to Apollonius f; who says, that it stood out to the sea, which encompassed the land on which it was built; so Pausanias g relates, that Lysimachus passing into Asia by shipping, took the kingdom of Antigonus from him, and built the city the Ephesians now inhabit near the sea; so Josephus h reports of Herod and Agrippa, that travelling by land to Phrygia Major, they came to Ephesus, and again, διεπλευσιν, "they sailed from Ephesus" to Samos.

f Philostrat. Vita Apollonii, l. 8. c. 3. g Attica sive, l. 1. p. 16. h Antiqu. l. 16. c. 2. sect. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Keep this feast - Probably the Passover is here referred to. Why he was so anxious to celebrate that feast at Jerusalem, the historian has not informed us. It is probable, however, that he wished to meet as many of his countrymen as possible, and to remove, if practicable, the prejudices which had everywhere been raised against him, Acts 21:20-21. Perhaps, also, he supposed that there would be many Christian converts present, whom he might meet also.

But I will return ... - This he did Acts 19:1, and remained there three years, Acts 20:31.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 18:21. I must - keep this feast — Most likely the passover, at which he wished to attend for the purpose of seeing many of his friends, and having the most favourable opportunity to preach the Gospel to thousands who would attend at Jerusalem on that occasion. The whole of this clause, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem, is wanting in ABE, six others; with the Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, and Vulgate. Griesbach leaves it in the text, with the mark of doubtfulness; and Professor White, in his Crisews, says, probabiliter delenda. Without this clause the verse will read thus: But he bade them farewell, saying, I will return again unto you, if God will. And this he did before the expiration of that same year, Acts 19:1, and spent three years with them, Acts 20:31, extending and establishing the Church at that place.