The Bible in Basic English BBE
New International Version NIV
35 And when he came on to the steps, he was lifted up by the armed men, because of the force of the people;
35
When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers.
36 For a great mass of people came after them, crying out, Away with him!
36
The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”
37 And when Paul was about to be taken into the building, he said to the chief captain, May I say something to you? And he said, Have you a knowledge of Greek?
37
As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied.
38 Are you by chance the Egyptian who, before this, got the people worked up against the government and took four thousand men of the Assassins out into the waste land?
38
“Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?”
39 But Paul said, I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is not an unimportant town: I make a request to you to let me say a word to the people.
39
Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”
40 And when he let him do so, Paul, from the steps, made a sign with his hand to the people, and when they were all quiet, he said to them in the Hebrew language,
40
After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic :
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