Acts 21:30-40

New International Version

³⁰ The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul,^(A) they dragged him^(B) 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.^(C)

³³ The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound^(D) with two^(E) chains.^(F) Then he asked who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another,^(G) and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.^{(H) 35} When Paul reached the steps,^(I) the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. ³⁶ The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”^(J)

Paul Speaks to the Crowd^(K)

³⁷ As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks,^(L) he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”

“Do you speak Greek?” he replied. ³⁸ “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness^(M) some time ago?”^(N)

³⁹ Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus^(O) in Cilicia,^(P) a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”

⁴⁰ After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned^(Q) to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic^[a]:^(R)