Acts 18:21

THE MESSAGE

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,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
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,

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 stayed a while longer in Corinth, but then it was time to take leave of his friends. Saying his good-byes, he sailed for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila with him. Before boarding the ship in the harbor town of Cenchrea, he had his head shaved as part of a vow he had taken. ¹⁹They landed in Ephesus, where Priscilla and Aquila got off and stayed. Paul left the ship briefly to go to the meeting place and preach to the Jews. They wanted him to stay longer, but he said he couldn't. But after saying good-bye, he promised, "I'll be back, God willing." From Ephesus he sailed to Caesarea. He greeted the church there, and then went on to Antioch, completing the journey. After spending a considerable time with the Antioch Christians, Paul set off again for Galatia and Phrygia, retracing his old tracks, one town after another, putting fresh heart into the disciples. A man named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a Jew, born in Alexandria, Egypt, and a terrific speaker, eloquent and powerful in his preaching of the Scriptures. He was well-educated in the way of the Master and fiery in his enthusiasm. Apollos was accurate in everything he taught about Jesus up to a point, but he only went as far as the baptism of John. He preached with power in the meeting place. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and told him the rest of the story. When Apollos decided to go on to Achaia province, his Ephesian friends gave their blessing and wrote a letter of recommendation for him, urging the disciples there to welcome him with open arms. The welcome paid off: Apollos turned out to be a great help to those who had become believers through God's immense generosity. He was particularly effective in public debate with the Jews as he brought out proof after convincing proof from the Scriptures that Jesus was in fact God's Messiah. ²²Corinth After Athens, Paul went to Corinth. That is where he discovered Aquila, a Jew born in Pontus, and his wife, Priscilla. They had just arrived from Italy, part of the general expulsion of Jews from Rome ordered by Claudius. Paul moved in with them, and they worked together at their common trade of tentmaking. But every Sabbath he was at the meeting place, doing his best to convince both Jews and Greeks about Jesus. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was able to give all his time to preaching and teaching, doing everything he could to persuade the Jews that Jesus was in fact God's Messiah. But no such luck. All they did was argue contentiously and contradict him at every turn. Totally exasperated, Paul had finally had it with them and gave it up as a bad job. "Have it your way, then," he said. "You've made your bed; now lie in it. From now on I'm spending my time with the other nations." He walked out and went to the home of Titius Justus, a God-fearing man who lived right next to the Jews' meeting place. But Paul's efforts with the Jews weren't a total loss, for Crispus, the meeting-place president, put his trust in the Master. His entire family believed with him. In the course of listening to Paul, a great many Corinthians believed and were baptized. One night the Master spoke to Paul in a dream: "Keep it up, and don't let anyone intimidate or silence you. No matter what happens, I'm with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you. You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city." That was all he needed to stick it out. He stayed another year and a half, faithfully teaching the Word of God to the Corinthians. But when Gallio was governor of Achaia province, the Jews got up a campaign against Paul, hauled him into court, and filed charges: "This man is seducing people into acts of worship that are illegal." Just as Paul was about to defend himself, Gallio interrupted and said to the Jews, "If this was a matter of criminal conduct, I would gladly hear you out. But it sounds to me like one more Jewish squabble, another of your endless hairsplitting quarrels over religion. Take care of it on your own time. I can't be bothered with this nonsense," and he cleared them out of the courtroom. Now the street rabble turned on Sosthenes, the new meeting-place president, and beat him up in plain sight of the court. Gallio didn't raise a finger. He could not have cared less. Paul stayed a while longer in Corinth, but then it was time to take leave of his friends. Saying his good-byes, he sailed for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila with him. Before boarding the ship in the harbor town of Cenchrea, he had his head shaved as part of a vow he had taken. They landed in Ephesus, where Priscilla and Aquila got off and stayed. Paul left the ship briefly to go to the meeting place and preach to the Jews. They wanted him to stay longer, but he said he couldn't. But after saying good-bye, he promised, "I'll be back, God willing." From Ephesus he sailed to Caesarea. He greeted the church there, and then went on to Antioch, completing the journey. ²³ After spending a considerable time with the Antioch Christians, Paul set off again for Galatia and Phrygia, retracing his old tracks, one town after another, putting fresh heart into 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
God came down to look over the city and the tower those people had built.

Genesis 18:1
God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them.

Exodus 33:5
God said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, ‘You're one hard-headed people. I couldn't stand being with you for even a moment—I'd destroy you. So take off all your jewelry until I figure out what to do with you.'" So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb on.

Jeremiah 17:1
"Judah's sin is engraved with a steel chisel, A steel chisel with a diamond point— engraved on their granite hearts, engraved on the stone corners of their altars. The evidence against them is plain to see: sex-and-religion altars and sacred sex shrines Anywhere there's a grove of trees, anywhere there's an available hill.

Micah 1:3
Look, here he comes! God , from his place! He comes down and strides across mountains and hills. Mountains sink under his feet, valleys split apart; The rock mountains crumble into gravel, the river valleys leak like sieves. All this because of Jacob's sin, because Israel's family did wrong. You ask, "So what is Jacob's sin?" Just look at Samaria—isn't it obvious? And all the sex-and-religion shrines in Judah— isn't Jerusalem responsible?

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.