⁶ and even tried to desecrate the temple;^(A) so we seized him.

¹² My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple,^(A) or stirring up a crowd^(B) in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city.

¹⁰ The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.^(A)

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!^(B) As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”^(C)

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹² The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy^(D) and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.^{(E) 13} More than forty men were involved in this plot. ¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.^{(F) 15} Now then, you and the Sanhedrin^(G) petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

Paul Arrested

²⁷ When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,^{(A) 28} shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”^{(B) 29} (They had previously seen Trophimus^(C) the Ephesian^(D) in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

³⁰ The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul,^(E) they dragged him^(F) from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. ³¹ While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³² He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.^(G)

³⁷ You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples^(A) nor blasphemed our goddess.

⁷ The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die,^(A) because he claimed to be the Son of God.”^(B)

⁸ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,

³¹ Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected.

²³ As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks^(A) and flinging dust into the air,^(B)