Acts 21:27–25:11

27 And when athe seven days were almost ended, bthe Jews which were of cAsia, bdwhen they saw him in the temple, estirred up all the people, and flaid hands on him, 28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and gthe law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hhath polluted this holy place. 29 (For they had seen before with him in the city iTrophimus an kEphesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was moved, and the people lran together: and mthey took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. 31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto nthe chief captain of the oband, that all Jerusalem ewas in an uproar. 32 pWho immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw nthe chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. 33 Then nthe chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him qto be bound with rtwo chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into sthe castle. 35 And when he came upon tthe stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, uAway with him.

37 And as Paul was to be led into sthe castle, he said unto the nchief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? 38 vArt not thou that Egyptian, which *before these days wmadest an uproar, and leddest out into xthe wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? 39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of yTarsus, a city in zCilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. 40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on tthe stairs, and abeckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in bthe Hebrew tongue, saying,

22 aMen, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in bthe Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) 3 I am verily a man which am ca Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city dat the feet of eGamaliel, and taught according to fthe perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and gwas zealous toward God, has ye all are this day. 4 And iI persecuted kthis way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all lthe estate of the elders: mfrom whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6 nAnd it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they oheard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 And pone Ananias, a qdevout man according to the law, rhaving a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 sCame unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14 And he said, tThe God of our fathers hath uchosen thee, that thou shouldest wknow his will, and xsee that yJust One, and shouldest zhear the voice of his mouth. 15 For thou shalt be his awitness bunto all men of what cthou hast seen and heard. 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and dbe baptized, and ewash away thy sins, fcalling on the name of the Lord. 17 And it came to pass, that, gwhen I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in ha trance; 18 And isaw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: kfor they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19 And I said, Lord, they know that lI imprisoned and mbeat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20 And when the blood of thy nmartyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and oconsenting unto his death, and pkept the raiment of them that slew him. 21 And he said unto me, Depart: qfor I will send thee rfar hence unto the Gentiles.

22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then slifted up their voices, and said, tAway with such a fellow from the earth: for uit is not fit that he should live. 23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into xthe castle, and bade that he should be yexamined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a zRoman, and zuncondemned? 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum aobtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. 29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have ||examined him: and the chief captain also bwas afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from chis bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their dcouncil to appear, and brought Paul edown, and set him before them.

23 And Paul, aearnestly beholding bthe council, said, Men and brethren, I have clived din all good conscience before God until this day. 2 And the high priest ddAnanias commanded them that stood by him to esmite him on the mouth. 3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou fwhited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten gcontrary to the law? 4 And hthey that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest? 5 Then said Paul, iI wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, jThou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. 6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were kSadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in bthe council, Men and brethren, lI am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: mof the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. 7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the kSadducees: and the multitude was divided. 8 For the kSadducees nsay that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. 9 And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, oWe find no evil in this man: but pif a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, qlet us not fight against God. 10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded qqthe soldiers to rgo down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into sthe castle.

11 And tthe night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for uas thou hast vtestified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also wat Rome. 12 And when it was day, xcertain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves ||under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a ygreat curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 15 Now therefore ye with bthe council signify to the chief captain that he zbring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would inquire something more aperfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him. 16 And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their blying in wait, he went and entered into cthe castle, and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. 18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. 19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? 20 And he said, dThe Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into ethe council, das though they would inquire somewhat of him more aperfectly. 21 But do not thou yield unto them: for there flie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves gwith an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. 22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, hSee thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me. 23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to iCaesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; 24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe …