Acts 21:27-23:25

New King James Version

²⁷ Now when the seven days were almost ended, ^(A)the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and ^(B)laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man ^(C)who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” ²⁹ (For they had ^[a]previously seen ^(D)Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

³⁰ And ^(E)all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. ³¹ Now as they were ^(F)seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the ^[b]garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ^32 (G)He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the ^(H)commander came near and took him, and ^(I)commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another.

So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks. ³⁵ When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. ³⁶ For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, ^(J)“Away with him!”

Addressing the Jerusalem Mob^(K)

³⁷ Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?”

He replied, “Can you speak Greek? ^38 (L)Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”

³⁹ But Paul said, ^(M)“I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no ^[c]mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.”

⁴⁰ So when he had given him permission, Paul stood on the stairs and ^(N)motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the ^(O)Hebrew language, saying,

Paul’s Defense at Jerusalem

22 “Brethren^(P) and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” ² And when they heard that he spoke to them in the ^(Q)Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.

Then he said: ^3 (R)“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city ^(S)at the feet of ^(T)Gamaliel, taught ^(U)according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and ^(V)was zealous toward God ^(W)as you all are today. ^4 (X)I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, ⁵ as also the high priest bears me witness, and ^(Y)all the council of the elders, ^(Z)from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus ^(AA)to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “Now ^(AB)it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. ⁷ And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ ⁸ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

⁹ “And ^(AC)those who were with me indeed saw the light ^[d]and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. ¹⁰ So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹ And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

¹² “Then ^(AD)a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, ^(AE)having a good testimony with all the ^(AF)Jews who dwelt there, ¹³ came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. ¹⁴ Then he said, ^(AG)‘The God of our fathers ^(AH)has chosen you that you should ^(AI)know His will, and ^(AJ)see the Just One, ^(AK)and hear the voice of His mouth. ^15 (AL)For you will be His witness to all men of ^(AM)what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, ^(AN)and wash away your sins, ^(AO)calling on the name of the Lord.’

¹⁷ “Now ^(AP)it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance ¹⁸ and ^(AQ)saw Him saying to me, ^(AR)‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ ¹⁹ So I said, ‘Lord, ^(AS)they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and ^(AT)beat those who believe on You. ^20 (AU)And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by ^(AV)consenting ^[e]to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ ²¹ Then He said to me, ‘Depart, ^(AW)for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”

Paul’s Roman Citizenship

²² And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, ^(AX)“Away with such a fellow from the earth, for ^(AY)he is not fit to live!” ²³ Then, as they cried out and ^[f]tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, ²⁴ the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. ²⁵ And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, ^(AZ)“Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

²⁶ When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”

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

He said, “Yes.”

²⁸ The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.”

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

²⁹ Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

The Sanhedrin Divided

³⁰ The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

The Jerusalem Jews Plot to Kill Paul

23 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, ^(BA)I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” ² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him ^(BB)to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and ^(BC)do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”

⁴ And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?”

⁵ Then Paul said, ^(BD)“I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ^(BE)‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”

⁶ But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, ^(BF)I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; ^(BG)concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”

⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. ^8 (BH)For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. ⁹ Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, ^(BI)“We find no evil in this man; ^[g]but ^(BJ)if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, ^(BK)let us not fight against God.”

¹⁰ Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

The Plot Against Paul

¹¹ But ^(BL)the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ^[h]“Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in ^(BM)Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at ^(BN)Rome.”

¹² And when it was day, ^(BO)some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had ^(BP)killed Paul. ¹³ Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. ¹⁴ They came to the chief priests and ^(BQ)elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you ^[i]tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

¹⁶ So when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸ So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.”

¹⁹ Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”

²⁰ And he said, ^(BR)“The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him. ²¹ But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.”

²² So the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”

Sent to Felix

²³ And he called for two centurions, saying, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to ^(BS)Caesarea at the third hour of the night; ²⁴ and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” ²⁵ He wrote a letter in the following manner: