Paul Arrested in the Temple
27 When
1the seven days were almost completed,
2the Jews from Asia,
3seeing 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
4is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and
5the law and
6this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and
7has defiled
8this holy place. ”
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For they had previously seen
9Trophimus 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
10dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.
31
11And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of
12the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
32
13He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
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Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him
14to be bound
15with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.
34
16Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into
17the barracks.
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And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,
36
for the mob of the people followed, crying out,
18“Away with him! ”
Paul Speaks to the People
37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you? ” And he said, “Do you know Greek?
38
Are you not
19the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out
20into the wilderness? ”
39
Paul replied,
21“I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people. ”
40
And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps,
22motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in
23the Hebrew language, saying: