²⁶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day ^(A)he purified himself along with them and ^(B)went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and ^(C)the offering presented for each one of them.

Paul Arrested in the Temple

²⁷ When ^(D)the seven days were almost completed, ^(E)the Jews from Asia, ^(F)seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who ^(G)is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and ^(H)the law and ^(I)this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and ^(J)has defiled ^(K)this holy place.” ²⁹ For they had previously seen ^(L)Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. ³⁰ Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and ^(M)dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. ^31 (N)And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of ^(O)the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ^32 (P)He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him ^(Q)to be bound ^(R)with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. ^34 (S)Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into ^(T)the barracks. ³⁵ And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, ³⁶ for the mob of the people followed, crying out, ^(U)“Away with him!”

Paul Speaks to the People

³⁷ As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Are you not ^(V)the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out ^(W)into the wilderness?” ³⁹ Paul replied, ^(X)“I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.”