Arrested in the Temple

²⁶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, ^(A)entered the temple ^(B)to announce the ^[a]expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

²⁷ Now when the seven days were almost ended, ^(C)the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and ^(D)laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man ^(E)who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” ²⁹ (For they had ^[b]previously seen ^(F)Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

³⁰ And ^(G)all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. ³¹ Now as they were ^(H)seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the ^[c]garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ^32 (I)He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the ^(J)commander came near and took him, and ^(K)commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another.

So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. ³⁵ When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. ³⁶ For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, ^(L)“Away with him!”

Addressing the Jerusalem Mob^(M)

³⁷ Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?”

He replied, “Can you speak Greek? ^38 (N)Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”

³⁹ But Paul said, ^(O)“I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no ^[d]mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.”

⁴⁰ So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and ^(P)motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the ^(Q)Hebrew language, saying,

Paul’s Defense at Jerusalem

22 “Brethren^(R) and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”