Acts 20:31
New International Version
So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

New Living Translation
Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.

English Standard Version
Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore stay awake, remembering that three years night and day I never ceased admonishing each one with tears.

King James Bible
Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

New King James Version
Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore, be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

NASB 1995
“Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

NASB 1977
“Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore be watchful, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

Amplified Bible
Therefore be continually alert, remembering that for three years, night or day, I did not stop admonishing and advising each one [of you] with tears.

Christian Standard Bible
Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.”

American Standard Version
Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Therefore be vigilant, and remember that for three years I have not been silent by night and by day, while with tears I was warning each one of you.”

Contemporary English Version
Be on your guard! Remember how day and night for three years I kept warning you with tears in my eyes.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore watch, keeping in memory, that for three years I ceased not, with tears to admonish every one of you night and day.

English Revised Version
Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So be alert! Remember that I instructed each of you for three years, day and night, at times with tears in my eyes.

Good News Translation
Watch, then, and remember that with many tears, day and night, I taught every one of you for three years.

International Standard Version
So be alert! Remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped tearfully warning each of you.

Literal Standard Version
Therefore, watch, remembering that three years, night and day, I did not cease with tears warning each one;

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

New American Bible
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.

NET Bible
Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.

New Revised Standard Version
Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Weymouth New Testament
Therefore be on the alert; and remember that, night and day, for three years, I never ceased admonishing every one, even with tears.

World English Bible
Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

Young's Literal Translation
'Therefore, watch, remembering that three years, night and day, I did not cease with tears warning each one;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Farewell to the Ephesians
30Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them. 31Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 3:21
But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself."

Acts 19:8
Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

Acts 19:10
This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.

Acts 20:19
I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.

Acts 24:17
After several years, then, I returned to Jerusalem to bring alms to my people and to present offerings.

Philippians 3:18
For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Colossians 1:28
We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.


Treasury of Scripture

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

watch.

Matthew 13:25
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Mark 13:34-37
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch…

Luke 21:36
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

by.

Acts 19:8,10
And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God…

warn.

Ezekiel 3:17-20
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me…

Matthew 3:7
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

1 Corinthians 4:14
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

night.

Acts 20:7,11
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight…

1 Thessalonians 2:9,10
For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God…

2 Thessalonians 3:8
Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

with.

Acts 20:19
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:

Jump to Previous
Admonish Admonishing Alert Cease Ceased Guard Mind Night Period Remember Remembering Resting Space Stopped Teaching Tears Three Warn Warning Watch Weeping
Jump to Next
Admonish Admonishing Alert Cease Ceased Guard Mind Night Period Remember Remembering Resting Space Stopped Teaching Tears Three Warn Warning Watch Weeping
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.














(31) Therefore watch . . .--The word was, as it were, an echo from our Lord's teaching (Matthew 24:42; Matthew 25:13, et al.), which could hardly have been unknown to St. Paul. Here, however, it receives a fresh significance from its connection with the term episcopi. They who were the bishops, the overseers, the watchers of the flock, ought, above all others, to set an example of vigilance.

By the space of three years.--Strictly speaking, the narrative of the Acts accounts for three months' preaching in the synagogue (Acts 19:8), two years in the school of Tyrannus (Acts 19:10), and an undefined period embracing the time immediately before and after the tumult of Demetrius. This would be enough to warrant him describing the time of his ministry, speaking roughly, as extending over three years.

To warn every one night and day with tears.--Comp. Note on Acts 20:19. . . .

Verse 31. - Wherefore watch ye for therefore watch, A.V.; remembering for and remember, A.V.; admonish for warn, A.V. By the space of three years (τριετίαν). The word is only found here in the New Testament; but it is used in the LXX. of Isaiah 15:5 and 2 Chronicles 31:16, and in classical Greek. We have here one of the few chronological data in the Acts. Three years includes the whole of his sojourn at Ephesus as his headquarters. There were first the three months during which he preached in the synagogue; then the two years which he spent in preaching in the school of Tyrannus, and which terminated with the incident of burning the books of magic (Acts 19:8, 10, 19). Then there was an indefinite time described in Acts 19:22 as "for a while" (αὐτὸς ἐπέσχε χρόνον), during which he was busy making plans, probably writing letters, sending off Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia, and perhaps making missionary expeditions in the neighborhood. This may have occupied three or four months longer, and made up a term of two years and six, seven, or eight months, which would quite justify the term τριετία. Every one. Each one separately, not merely the whole flock together. A weighty lesson for every one who has the cure of souls (comp. John 10:3). Night and day. The night is mentioned first, in accordance with Hebrew usage (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, etc.; comp. the word νυχθήμερον in 2 Corinthians 11:25) St. Paul enforces the word "Watch," so appropriate to shepherds who watch over their flocks by night (Luke 2:8), by his own example of admonishing by night as well as day.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Therefore
διὸ (dio)
Conjunction
Strong's 1352: Wherefore, on which account, therefore. From dia and hos; through which thing, i.e. Consequently.

be alert
γρηγορεῖτε (grēgoreite)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1127: (a) I am awake (in the night), watch, (b) I am watchful, on the alert, vigilant. From egeiro; to keep awake, i.e. Watch.

[and] remember
μνημονεύοντες (mnēmoneuontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3421: From a derivative of mneme; to exercise memory, i.e. Recollect; by implication, to punish; also to rehearse.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

for three years
τριετίαν (trietian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5148: A space of three years. From a compound of treis and etos; a three years' period.

I never stopped
ἐπαυσάμην (epausamēn)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3973: A primary verb; to stop, i.e. Restrain, quit, desist, come to an end.

warning
νουθετῶν (nouthetōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3560: To admonish, warn, counsel, exhort. From the same as nouthesia; to put in mind, i.e. to caution or reprove gently.

each
ἕκαστον (hekaston)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1538: Each (of more than two), every one. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every.

[of you]
ἕνα (hena)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1520: One. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one.

night
νύκτα (nykta)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3571: The night, night-time. A primary word; 'night'.

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

day
ἡμέραν (hēmeran)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

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.

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


Links
Acts 20:31 NIV
Acts 20:31 NLT
Acts 20:31 ESV
Acts 20:31 NASB
Acts 20:31 KJV

Acts 20:31 BibleApps.com
Acts 20:31 Biblia Paralela
Acts 20:31 Chinese Bible
Acts 20:31 French Bible
Acts 20:31 Catholic Bible

NT Apostles: Acts 20:31 Therefore watch remembering that for a period (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 20:30
Top of Page
Top of Page