³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, ^(A)uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” ³⁸ The police reported these words to the magistrates, and ^(B)they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.

³⁹ Paul replied, ^(A)“I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.”

²⁵ But when they had stretched him out for the whips,^[a] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog ^(A)a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” ²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” ²⁷ So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” ²⁸ The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” ²⁹ So those who were about ^(B)to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also ^(C)was afraid, ^(D)for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that ^(E)he had bound him.

^27 (A)This man was seized by the Jews and ^(B)was about to be killed by them ^(C)when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, ^(D)having learned that he was a Roman citizen.