Acts 21:19-38

¹⁹And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

²⁰And when they heard it , they glorified the Lord, and said to him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

²¹And they are informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying, That they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

²²What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

²³Do therefore this that we say to thee: we have four men who have a vow on them;

²⁴Take them, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

²⁵As concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from lewdness.

²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them, entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an offering should be offered for every one of them.

²⁷And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews who were from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

²⁸Crying out, Men of Israel, help. This is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further, hath brought Greeks also into the temple; and hath polluted this holy place.

²⁹(For they had seen before with him in the city, Trophimus, an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

³⁰And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul and drew him out of the temple. And forthwith the doors were shut.

³¹And as they went about to kill him, tidings came to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

³²Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating Paul.

³³Then the chief captain came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains: and inquired who he was, and what he had done.

³⁴And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

³⁵And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne by the soldiers, for the violence of the people.

³⁶For the multitude of the people followed, crying, Away with him.

³⁷And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said to the chief captain, May I speak to thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

³⁸Art not thou that Egyptian, who before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?