Acts 21:17-40

17After we arrived in Jerusalem, 1the brothers and sisters 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 about them, 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 abandon Moses, telling them 11not to circumcise their children nor to 12walk according to 13the customs. 22So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23Therefore, do 14as we tell you: we have four men who 15have a 16vow upon themselves; 24take them along and 17purify yourself together with them, and 18pay their expenses so that they may 19shave their 20heads; and then everyone will know that there is nothing to what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also conform, keeping the Law. 25But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter, 21having decided that they should abstain from 22meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is 23strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26Then Paul 24took along the men, and the next day, after 25purifying himself together with them, he 26went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

27When 27the seven days were almost over, 28the Jews from 2930Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, 28crying out, “Men of Israel, help! 31This is the man who instructs everyone everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has 32defiled this holy place!” 29For they had previously seen 33Trophimus the 34Ephesian in the city with him, and they thought that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30Then the whole city was provoked and 35the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they 36dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31While they were intent on killing him, a report came up to the commander of the 37Roman 38cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32He immediately 39took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to 40the crowd; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered that he 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 that 45Paul be brought into 46the barracks. 35When Paul got to 47the stairs, it came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the 48mob; 36for the multitude of people kept following them, shouting, “49Away with him!”

37As Paul was about to be brought into 50the barracks, he said to the commander, “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 silence, he spoke to them in the 5960Hebrew dialect, saying,