Acts 21:8-40 ▼

8 And having gone out on the next day, we came to Caesarea; and having entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, being of the Seven, we stayed with him.

9 And with this man there were four daughters, virgins, prophesying.

10 And in our remaining many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

11 And having come to us and having taken Paul’s belt, having bound his feet and hands, he said, “Thus the Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man whose belt this is, and they will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”

12 And when we had heard these things, both we and those of that place were begging him not to go up to Jerusalem.

13 Then Paul answered, “What are you? doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I have readiness not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

14 And he not being persuaded, we were silent, having said, “The will of the Lord be done.”

15 And after these days, having packed the baggage, we were going up to Jerusalem.

16 And some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us, bringing a certain Mnason, a Cypriot, an early disciple with whom we would lodge.

17 Now of us having arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.

18 And on the following day, Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders arrived.

19 And having greeted them, he began to relate, one by one, each of the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 And those having heard were glorifying God, and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads there are among the Jews having believed, and they are all zealous ones of the law.

21 Now they have been informed about you that you teach all Jews among the Gentiles apostasy from Moses, telling them not to circumcise the children nor to walk in the customs.

22 What then is it? Certainly they will hear that you have come.

23 Therefore do this that we say to you. With us there are four men having a vow on themselves.

24 Having taken these, be purified with them and bear expense for them, so that they will shave the head. And all will know that what they have been informed about you is nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the law.

25 Now concerning those of the Gentiles having believed, we wrote, having adjudged, to keep themselves from both the things sacrificed to idols and blood, and from what is strangled and sexual immorality.”

26 Then Paul, having taken the men on the following day, having been purified with them, entered into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of the purification until the offering was offered for each one of them.

27 Now when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia, having seen him in the temple, began stirring up all the crowd, and they laid the hands upon him,

28 crying out, “Men, Israelites, help! This is the man who is teaching all those everywhere against the people and the law and this place. And besides, he has also brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”

29 For it was they having previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they were supposing that Paul had brought into the temple.

30 And the whole city was provoked, and there was a rushing together of the people. And having laid hold of Paul, they dragged him outside the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

31 And in their seeking to kill him, a report came to the commander of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar,

32 who at once, having taken with him soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them. And having seen the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

33 Then having drawn near, the commander laid hold of him and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and he began inquiring who he might be and what it is he has been doing.

34 They were crying out in the crowd one thing, but others another. And he, not being able to know the facts on account of the uproar, ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

35 And when he came to the stairs, it happened that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd.

36 For the multitude of the people were following, crying out, “Away with him!”

37 And being about to be brought into the barracks, Paul says to the commander, “Is it permitted to me to say something to you?” And he was saying, “Do you know Greek?

38 Are you not, then, the Egyptian, the one before these days having led a revolt and having led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?”

39 But Paul said, “I am indeed a Jew, a man of Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. Now I implore you, allow me to speak to the people.”

40 And he having allowed him, Paul, having stood on the stairs, made a sign with the hand to the people. And a great silence having taken place, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying: