Acts 21:17-40

17After we arrived in Jerusalem, 1the brethren received us gladly. 18And the following day Paul went in with us to 23James, and all 4the elders were present. 19After he had greeted them, he 5began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his 6ministry. 20And when they heard it they began 7glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many 8thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all 9zealous for the Law; 21and they have been told about you, that you are 10teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them 11not to circumcise their children nor to 12walk according to 13the customs. 22What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who 1415are under a vow; 24take them and 16purify yourself along with them, and 17pay their expenses so that they may 18shave their 19heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. 25But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, 20having decided that they should abstain from 21meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.” 26Then Paul 22took the men, and the next day, 23purifying himself along with them, 24went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

27When 25the seven days were almost over, 26the Jews from 2728Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, 28crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! 29This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has 30defiled this holy place.” 29For they had previously seen 31Trophimus the 32Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30Then all the city was provoked, and 33the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they 34dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the 35commander of the 36Roman 37cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32At once he 38took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the 39commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33Then the 40commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be 41bound with 42two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. 34But among the crowd 43some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the 44facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into 45the barracks. 35When he got to 46the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the 47mob; 36for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, “48Away with him!”

37As Paul was about to be brought into 49the barracks, he said to the 50commander, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38Then you are not 51the Egyptian who some 52time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out 53into the wilderness?” 39But Paul said, “54I am a Jew of Tarsus in 55Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” 40When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on 56the stairs, 57motioned to the people with his hand; and when there 58was a great hush, he spoke to them in the 5960Hebrew dialect, saying,