¹⁹ But when^[a] her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and^[b] dragged them^[c] into the marketplace before the rulers. ²⁰ And when they^[d] had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, ²¹ and are proclaiming customs that are not permitted for us to accept or to practice, because we^[e] are Romans!” ²² And the crowd joined in attacking them, and the chief magistrates tore off their clothing and^[f] gave orders to beat them^[g] with rods. ²³ And after they^[h] had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them^[i] into prison, giving orders to the jailer to guard them securely. ²⁴ Having received such an order, he^[j] put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.^[k]

The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

²⁵ Now about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and^[l] singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened and all the bonds^[m] were unfastened. ²⁷ And after^[n] the jailer was awake and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his^[o] sword and^[p] was about to kill himself, because he^[q] thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, “Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here!” ²⁹ And demanding lights, he rushed in and, beginning to tremble,^[r] fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them outside and^[s] said, “Sirs, what must I do so that I can be saved?” ³¹ And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household!” ³² And they spoke the message of the Lord to him, together with all those in his house. ³³ And he took them at that very hour of the night and^[t] washed their^[u] wounds, and he himself was baptized at once, and all those of his household.^{[v] 34} And he brought them up into his^[w] house and^[x] set a meal before them,^[y] and rejoiced greatly that he had believed in God with his whole household.

Paul and Silas Receive an Official Apology

³⁵ And when it^[z] was day, the chief magistrates sent the police officers, saying, “Release those men.” ³⁶ And the jailer reported these words to Paul: “The chief magistrates have sent an order^[aa] that you should be released. So come out now and^[ab] go in peace!” ³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without due process—men who are Roman citizens—and^[ac] threw us^[ad] into prison, and now they are wanting to release us secretly? Certainly not! Rather let them come themselves and^[ae] bring us out!” ³⁸ So the police officers reported these words to the chief magistrates, and they were afraid when they^[af] heard that they were Roman citizens. ³⁹ And they came and^[ag] apologized to^[ah] them, and after they^[ai] brought them^[aj] out they asked them^[ak] to depart from the city. ⁴⁰ And when they^[al] came out of the prison, they went to Lydia and when they^[am] saw them,^[an] they encouraged the brothers and departed.

Paul Arrested in the Temple Courts

²⁷ But when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia^[a] who had seen him in the temple courts^[b] stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸ shouting, “Israelite men, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place! And furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!” ²⁹ (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they thought that Paul had brought into the temple.) ³⁰ And the whole city was stirred up, and the people came running together, and they seized Paul and^[c] dragged him outside of the temple courts,^[d] and immediately the doors were shut.

³¹ And as they^[e] were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the military tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ³² He^[f] immediately took along soldiers and centurions and^[g] ran down to them. And when^[h] they saw the military tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the military tribune came up and^[i] arrested him and ordered him^[j] to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what it was that he had done. ³⁴ But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and others another, and because^[k] he was not able to find out the truth on account of the commotion, he gave orders to bring him into the barracks.^{[l] 35} And when he came to the steps, it happened that he had to be carried by the soldiers on account of the violence of the crowd, ³⁶ for the crowd of people was following them,^[m] shouting, “Away with him!”

Paul Permitted to Address the Crowd

³⁷ And as he^[n] was about to be brought into the barracks,^[o] Paul said to the military tribune, “Is it permitted for me to say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Then you are not the Egyptian who before these days raised a revolt and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?”^{[p] 39} But Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no unimportant city. Now I ask you, allow me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ So when^[q] he permitted him,^[r] Paul, standing there on the steps, motioned with his^[s] hand to the people. And when there^[t] was a great silence, he addressed them^[u] in the Aramaic language, saying,