Paul and the Roman Tribune

22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, (A)“Away with such a fellow from the earth! For (B)he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into (C)the barracks, saying that he should be (D)examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 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 (E)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 (F)to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also (G)was afraid, (H)for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that (I)he had bound him.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 22:25 Or when they had tied him up with leather strips

22 Up to this point they listened to him, but then they began to shout, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! He’s not fit to go on living!” 23 While they were yelling, tossing their coats around, and throwing dirt into the air, 24 the tribune ordered Paul[a] to be taken into the barracks and told the soldiers[b] to beat and question him in order to find out why the people[c] were yelling at him like this.

25 But when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul asked the centurion[d] who was standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t been condemned?”

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and told him, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”

27 So the tribune went and asked Paul,[e] “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes,” he said.

28 Then the tribune replied, “I paid a lot of money for this citizenship of mine.”

Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.” 29 Immediately those who were about to examine him stepped back, and the tribune was afraid when he found out that Paul[f] was a Roman citizen and that he had tied him up.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 22:24 Lit. him
  2. Acts 22:24 Lit. them
  3. Acts 22:24 Lit. why they
  4. Acts 22:25 A Roman centurion commanded about 100 men.
  5. Acts 22:27 Lit. him
  6. Acts 22:29 Lit. he