³⁴ Some shouted one thing and some another. Since he couldn’t find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that Paul be taken to the fortress.

¹⁰ As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.

³² Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there.

¹⁶ But Paul’s nephew—his sister’s son—heard of their plan and went to the fortress and told Paul.

Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship

²⁴ The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious.

Paul Speaks to the Crowd

³⁷ As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, “May I have a word with you?”

“Do you know Greek?” the commander asked, surprised.

Paul before the High Council

³⁰ The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council.^[a] He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.

²⁶ “But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no clear charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write.

³² They returned to the fortress the next morning, while the mounted troops took him on to Caesarea.