Acts 21:27–28:31

27  And when the seven days were nearly completed, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, set all the crowd in a tumult, and laid hands upon him, 28  crying, Israelites, help! this is the man who teaches all everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place, and has brought Greeks too into the temple, and profaned this holy place. 29  For they had before seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. 30  And the whole city was moved, and there was a concourse of the people; and having laid hold on Paul they drew him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31  And as they were seeking to kill him, a representation came to the chiliarch of the band that the whole of Jerusalem was in a tumult; 32  who, taking with him immediately soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them. But they, seeing the chiliarch and the soldiers, ceased beating Paul. 33  Then the chiliarch came up and laid hold upon him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he might be, and what he had done. 34  And different persons cried some different thing in the crowd. But he, not being able to know the certainty on account of the uproar, commanded him to be brought into the fortress. 35  But when he got upon the stairs it was so that he was borne by the soldiers on account of the violence of the crowd. 36  For the multitude of the people followed, crying, Away with him. 37  But as he was about to be led into the fortress, Paul says to the chiliarch, Is it allowed me to say something to thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek? 38  Thou art not then that Egyptian who before these days raised a sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the assassins? 39  But Paul said, I am a Jew of Tarsus, citizen of no insignificant city of Cilicia, and I beseech of thee, allow me to speak to the people. 40  And when he had allowed him, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people; and a great silence having been made, he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Chapter 22

1  Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you. 2  And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,

3  I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the exactness of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye are all this day; 4  who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women; 5  as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished. 6  And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me. 7  And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom thou persecutest. 9  But they that were with me beheld the light, and were filled with fear, but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me. 10  And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do. 11  And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus. 12  And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt there, 13  coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And I, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him. 14  And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth; 15  for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard. 16  And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name. 17  And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy, 18  and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19  And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee; 20  and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him. 21  And he said to me, Go, for I will send thee to the nations afar off.

22  And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live. 23  And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air, 24  the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him. 25  But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned? 26  And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman. 27  And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art thou a Roman? And he said, Yes. 28  And the chiliarch answered, I, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was also free born. 29  Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30  And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty of the matter why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.

Chapter 23

1  And Paul, fixing his eyes on the council, said, Brethren, I have walked in all good conscience with God unto this day. 2  But the high priest Ananias ordered those standing by him to smite his mouth. 3  Then Paul said to him, God will smite thee, whited wall. And thou, dost thou sit judging me according to the law, and breaking the law commandest me to be smitten? 4  And those that stood by said, Dost thou rail against the high priest of God? 5  And Paul said, I was not conscious, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evilly of the ruler of thy people.

6  But Paul, knowing that the one part of them were of the Sadducees and the other of the Pharisees, cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, son of Pharisees: I am judged concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead. 7  And when he had spoken this, there was a tumult of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided. 8  For Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but Pharisees confess both of them. 9  And there was a great clamour, and the scribes of the Pharisees’ part rising up contended, saying, We find nothing evil in this man; and if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel… 10  And a great tumult having arisen, the chiliarch, fearing lest Paul should have been torn in pieces by them, commanded the troop to come down and take him by force from the midst of them, and to bring him into the fortress. 11  But the following night the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good courage; for as thou hast testified the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so thou must bear witness at Rome also.

12  And when it was day, the Jews, having banded together, put themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they should kill Paul. 13  And they were more than forty who had joined together in this oath; 14  and they went to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have cursed ourselves with a curse to taste nothing until we kill Paul. 15  Now therefore do ye with the council make a representation to the chiliarch so that he may bring him down to you, as about to determine more precisely what concerns him, and we, before he draws near, are ready to kill him. 16  But Paul’s sister’s son, having heard of the lying in wait, came and entered into the fortress and reported it to Paul. 17  And Paul, having called one of the centurions, said, Take this youth to the chiliarch, for he has something to report to him. 18  He therefore, having taken him with him, led him to the chiliarch, and says, The prisoner Paul called me to him and asked me to lead this youth to thee, who has something to say to thee. 19  And the chiliarch having taken him by the hand, and having gone apart in private, inquired, What is it that thou hast to report to me? 20  And he said, The Jews have agreed together to make a request to thee, that thou mayest bring Paul down to-morrow into the council, as about to inquire something more precise concerning him. 21  Do not thou then be persuaded by them, for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who have put themselves under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they kill him; and now they are ready waiting the promise from thee. 22  The chiliarch then dismissed the youth, commanding him, Utter to no one that thou hast represented these things to me. 23  And having called to him certain two of the centurions, he said, Prepare two hundred soldiers that they may go as far as Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred light-armed footmen, for the third hour of the night. 24  And he ordered them to provide beasts, that they might set Paul on them and carry him safe through to Felix the governor, 25  having written a letter, couched in this form: 26  Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor …