Acts 21:18-31

18 On the following day Paul went in with us to ¹James, and all ²the elders were present.

19 After greeting them, ³he related one by one ⁴the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ⁵ministry.

20 And when they heard it, they ⁶glorified God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all ⁷zealous for the law,

21 and they have been told about you that you teach all ⁸the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, ⁹telling them ¹⁰not to circumcise their children or ¹¹walk according to ¹²our customs.

22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men ¹³who are under a vow;

24 take these men and ¹⁴purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, ¹⁵so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, ¹⁶we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled,^[a] and from sexual immorality."

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day ¹⁷he purified himself along with them and ¹⁸went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and ¹⁹the offering presented for each one of them.

Paul Arrested in the Temple

27 When ²⁰the seven days were almost completed, ²¹the Jews from Asia, ²²seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,

28 crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who ²³is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and ²⁴the law and ²⁵this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and ²⁶has defiled ²⁷this holy place."

29 For they had previously seen ²⁸Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and ²⁹dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

31 ³⁰And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of ³¹the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.