Acts 20:19
New International Version
I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.

New Living Translation
I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.

English Standard Version
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;

Berean Standard Bible
I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.

Berean Literal Bible
serving the Lord with all humility and tears, and trials having befallen me in the plots of the Jews;

King James Bible
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

New King James Version
serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;

New American Standard Bible
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;

NASB 1995
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;

NASB 1977
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;

Legacy Standard Bible
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;

Amplified Bible
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials which came on me because of the plots of the Jews [against me];

Christian Standard Bible
serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews—

American Standard Version
serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“As I served God in much humility and in tears, and in those trials that have come upon me by the treachery of the Jews.”

Contemporary English Version
Some of the Jews plotted against me and caused me a lot of sorrow and trouble. But I served the Lord and was humble.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Serving the Lord with all humility, and with tears, and temptations which befell me by the conspiracies of the Jews;

English Revised Version
serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I humbly served the Lord, often with tears in my eyes. I served the Lord during the difficult times I went through when the Jews plotted against me.

Good News Translation
With all humility and many tears I did my work as the Lord's servant during the hard times that came to me because of the plots of some Jews.

International Standard Version
I served the Lord with all humility, with tears, and with trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.

Literal Standard Version
serving the LORD with all humility, and many tears, and temptations, that befell me in the counsels of the Jews against [me];

Majority Standard Bible
I served the Lord with great humility and with many tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.

New American Bible
I served the Lord with all humility and with the tears and trials that came to me because of the plots of the Jews,

NET Bible
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots of the Jews.

New Revised Standard Version
serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.

New Heart English Bible
serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews;

Webster's Bible Translation
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

Weymouth New Testament
serving the Lord in all humility, and with tears, and amid trials which came upon me through the plotting of the Jews--

World English Bible
serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews;

Young's Literal Translation
serving the Lord with all humility, and many tears, and temptations, that befell me in the counsels of the Jews against me;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Farewell to the Ephesians
18When they came to him, he said, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews. 20I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house,…

Cross References
Acts 9:24
but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.

Acts 20:3
where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

Acts 20:31
Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

Acts 21:27
When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

Romans 12:11
Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

2 Corinthians 11:26
In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,


Treasury of Scripture

Serving the LORD with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

Serving.

Acts 27:23
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

John 12:26
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Romans 1:1,9
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, …

with all.

1 Corinthians 15:9,10
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God…

2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

2 Corinthians 7:5
For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

many.

Acts 20:31
Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Psalm 119:136
Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

Jeremiah 9:1
Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

temptations.

1 Corinthians 4:9-13
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men…

2 Corinthians 4:7-11
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us…

2 Corinthians 11:23-30
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft…

by the.

Acts 20:3
And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.

Acts 9:23-25
And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: …

Acts 13:50,51
But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts…

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Although Amid Befell Counsels Designs Evil Great Humility Jews Lying Mind Plots Plotting Pride Served Serving Severely Sorrow Tears Temptations Trials Troubles Wait Work
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Although Amid Befell Counsels Designs Evil Great Humility Jews Lying Mind Plots Plotting Pride Served Serving Severely Sorrow Tears Temptations Trials Troubles Wait Work
Acts 20
1. Paul goes to Macedonia, and thence to Troas.
7. He celebrates the Lord's supper, and preaches.
9. Eutychus having fallen down dead is raised to life.
13. Paul continues his travels;
17. and at Miletum he calls the elders together, tells them what shall befall to himself,
28. commits God's flock to them,
29. warns them of false teachers,
32. commends them to God,
36. prays with them, and departs.














(19) Serving the Lord with all humility of mind . . .--The participle exactly answers to the epithet of the "servant" or "slave" of Christ which St. Paul so often uses of himself (Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1). The "tears," too, are characteristic of the Apostle, whose intense sensitiveness and sympathy had not been hardened into a Stoic apathy, and therefore found vent in a form which the Stoic would have scorned as unmanly. (Comp. Acts 20:31; 2Corinthians 2:4.) Epictetus (Enchirid. c. 2) barely allowed a follower of wisdom to mourn outwardly with those who mourned, and added the warning: "Take heed that thou mourn not inwardly." . . . Verse 19. - Lowliness for humility, A.V.; tears for many tears, A.V. and T.R.; with trials for temptations, A.V.; plots for lying in wait, A.V. Plots (ἐπιβουλαῖς); comp. ver. 3, and note. There is no special account of Jewish plots in St. Luke's narrative of St. Paul's sojourn at Ephesus. But from Acts 19:9, 13, and probably 33, we may gather how hostile the unbelieving Jews were to him.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
I served
δουλεύων (douleuōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1398: To be a slave, be subject to, obey, be devoted. From doulos; to be a slave to.

the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord
Κυρίῳ (Kyriō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

with
μετὰ (meta)
Preposition
Strong's 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.

great
πάσης (pasēs)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

humility
ταπεινοφροσύνης (tapeinophrosynēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 5012: Humility, lowliness of mind, modesty. From a compound of tapeinos and the base of phren; humiliation of mind, i.e. Modesty.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[with] tears,
δακρύων (dakryōn)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 1144: A tear. Or dakruon dak'-roo-on; of uncertain affinity; a tear.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

in the trials
πειρασμῶν (peirasmōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3986: From peirazo; a putting to proof (of good), experience (of evil), solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication, adversity.

I faced
συμβάντων (symbantōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 4819: To happen, occur, meet. From sun and the base of basis; to walk together, i.e. Concur.

through
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
ταῖς (tais)
Article - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

plots
ἐπιβουλαῖς (epiboulais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1917: A plot, design against. From a presumed compound of epi and boulomai; a plan against someone, i.e. A plot.

of the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Jews.
Ἰουδαίων (Ioudaiōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 2453: Jewish. From Iouda; Judaean, i.e. Belonging to Jehudah.


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NT Apostles: Acts 20:19 Serving the Lord with all humility (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
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