Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
27 The seven days were almost over. The Jewish leaders from Asia Minor saw Paul in the temple. They got all the people there excited. They caught hold of him.
28 They shouted, `All you men of Israel, come and help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere not to respect our people. He says we need not obey the law or respect this temple. And what is more, he has brought Greek people into the temple. He has made this holy place unclean.'
29 They said this because they had seen a man from Ephesus named Trophimus. He was in the city with Paul. And they thought that Paul had brought him into the temple.
30 So all the people in the city were excited. They came running. They caught Paul and took him out of the temple by force. Then the doors were shut behind them.
31 They were trying to kill him. The officer in charge of the soldiers heard that all the people of Jerusalem were making trouble.
32 Right away he took some soldiers and officers with him and ran down to the people. When the people saw them they stopped beating Paul.
33 Then the officer came up and took Paul. He had him tied with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.
34 Some of the crowd shouted one thing and some of them shouted something else. The captain could not find out what was true. The people were shouting too much. So he told his soldiers to take Paul into their army house.
35 When Paul came to the steps, the soldiers carried him because the people were fighting to get him.
36 They were all following, shouting, `Kill him!'
37-38 ust as the soldiers were going to take Paul into their army house, he said to the officer, `May I tell you something?' `So, you speak the Greek language!' said the officer. `I thought you were the man from the country of Egypt who made trouble a while ago. I thought you were the one who led four thousand bad men into the desert.'
39 Paul said, `I am a Jew. I was born in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. I belong to a great city. Please let me talk to these people.'
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