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22 They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”

23 As they cried out, threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air, 24 the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that. 25 When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”

26 When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”

27 The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?”

He said, “Yes.”

28 The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.”

Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

29 Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

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Paul and the Roman Commander

22 They listened to him up to this word, and then they lifted up their voices and said, “Away with such a man from the earth, for he is not fit to live!”

23 As they shouted and threw off their garments and threw dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks and examined with scourging, so that he might learn what crime they were alleging against him. 25 As they stretched him forward with straps, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to flog an uncondemned Roman citizen?”

26 On hearing this, the centurion reported to the commander, saying, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

He said, “Yes.”

28 The commander answered, “I bought my citizenship for a large sum.”

So Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”

29 Therefore those who were about to examine Paul immediately backed away from him. And the commander feared, knowing that he was a Roman citizen and because he had bound him.

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