18
And the following day Paulwent in with us to 1James, and all2the elders were present.
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After he had greeted them, he 3began to relateone by one the things whichGod had doneamong the Gentilesthrough his 4ministry.
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And when they heard it they began 5glorifyingGod; and they said to him, "You see, brother, howmanythousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all6zealous for the Law;
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and they have been toldabout you, that you are 7teachingall the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsakeMoses, telling them 8not to circumcise their childrennor to walk according to 9the customs.
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"What, then, is to be done? They will certainlyhear that you have come.
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"Thereforedothis that we tell you. We have fourmen who 10are under* a vow;
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take them and 11purify yourself along with them, and pay their expensesso that they may 12shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been toldabout you, but that you yourselfalsowalkorderly, keeping the Law.
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"But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, 13having decided that they should abstain from meatsacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication."
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ThenPaultook the men, and the nextday, 14purifying himself along with them, 15went into the templegivingnotice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for eachone of them.
Paul Seized in the Temple
27When16the sevendays were almostover, 17the Jews from 18Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laidhands on him,
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crying out, "Men of Israel, come to our aid! 19This is the man who preaches to allmeneverywhereagainst our people and the Law and thisplace; and besides he has evenbroughtGreeks into the temple and has 20defiledthisholyplace."
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For they had previouslyseen21Trophimus the 22Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
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Thenall the city was provoked, and the peoplerushedtogether, and takinghold of Paul they 23dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.
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While they were seeking to kill him, a reportcame up to the commander of the 24Roman cohort that allJerusalem was in confusion.
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At once he 25tookalong some soldiers and centurions and randown to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stoppedbeatingPaul.
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Then the commandercame up and tookhold of him, and ordered him to be 26bound with 27twochains; and he began askingwho he was and what he had done.
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But among the crowd28some were shouting one thing and someanother, and when he could not find out the factsbecause of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into 29the barracks.
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When he got to 30the stairs, he was carried by the soldiersbecause of the violence of the mob;
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for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, "31Away with him!"
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As Paul was about to be brought into 32the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I saysomething to you?" And he said, "Do you knowGreek?
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"Then you are not 33the Egyptian who sometimeagostirred up a revolt and led the fourthousandmen of the Assassins out 34into the wilderness?"
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But Paulsaid, "35I am a Jew of Tarsus in 36Cilicia, a citizen of noinsignificantcity; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."
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When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on 37the stairs, 38motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a greathush, he spoke to them in the 39Hebrewdialect, saying,