Paul the Roman Citizen

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!(A) He’s not fit to live!”(B)

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks(C) and flinging dust into the air,(D) 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.(E) He directed(F) that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”(G)

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him(H) withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen,(I) in chains.(J)

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22 They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “(A)Away with such a man from the earth, for (B)he should not be allowed to live!” 23 And as they were shouting and (C)throwing off their cloaks and (D)tossing dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that he be brought into (E)the barracks, saying that he was to be (F)interrogated by flogging so that he would find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25 But when they stretched him out [a]with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it [b]lawful for you to flog (G)a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27 The commander came and said to [c]Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.” 29 Therefore, those who were about to (H)interrogate him immediately backed away from him; and the commander also (I)was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had [d](J)put him in chains.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 22:25 Or for the whip
  2. Acts 22:25 Interrogation by torture was a procedure used with slaves
  3. Acts 22:27 Lit him
  4. Acts 22:29 Lit bound him