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Acts 21:15-40
New American Standard Bible
Acts 21:15-40
New American Standard Bible
Paul in Jerusalem
15 After these days we got ready and (A)started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of (B)the disciples from (C)Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of (D)Cyprus, a (E)disciple of long standing with whom we were to stay.
17 After we arrived in Jerusalem, (F)the brothers and sisters received us gladly. 18 And the following day Paul went in with us to [a](G)James, and all (H)the elders were present. 19 After he had greeted them, he (I)began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his (J)ministry. 20 And when they heard about them, they began (K)glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many [b]thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all (L)zealous for the Law; 21 and they have been told about you, that you are (M)teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them (N)not to circumcise their children nor to [c]walk according to (O)the customs. 22 So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Therefore, do [d]as we tell you: we have four men who (P)have a [e]vow upon themselves; 24 take them along and (Q)purify yourself together with them, and [f]pay their expenses so that they may (R)shave their [g]heads; 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. 25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we sent a letter, (S)having decided that they should abstain from [h]meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is [i]strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul [j]took along the men, and the next day, after (T)purifying himself together with them, he (U)went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.
Paul Seized in the Temple
27 When (V)the seven days were almost over, (W)the Jews from [k](X)Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! (Y)This 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 (Z)defiled this holy place!” 29 For they had previously seen (AA)Trophimus the (AB)Ephesian in the city with him, and they thought that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then the whole city was provoked and [l]the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they (AC)dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 While they were intent on killing him, a report came up to the commander of the (AD)Roman [m]cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He immediately (AE)took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to [n]the crowd; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered that he be (AF)bound with (AG)two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. 34 But among the crowd, (AH)some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the [o]facts because of the uproar, he ordered that [p]Paul be brought into (AI)the barracks. 35 When Paul got to (AJ)the stairs, it came about that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the [q]mob; 36 for the multitude of people kept following them, shouting, “(AK)Away with him!”
37 As Paul was about to be brought into (AL)the barracks, he *said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Then you are not (AM)the Egyptian who some [r]time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out (AN)into the wilderness?” 39 But Paul said, “(AO)I am a Jew of Tarsus in (AP)Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” 40 When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on (AQ)the stairs, (AR)motioned to the people with his hand; and when there [s]was a great silence, he spoke to them in the [t](AS)Hebrew dialect, saying,
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 21:18 Or Jacob
- Acts 21:20 Lit ten thousands
- Acts 21:21 I.e., observe or live by
- Acts 21:23 Lit this which we
- Acts 21:23 I.e., a sacred duty to fulfill
- Acts 21:24 Lit spend on them
- Acts 21:24 Lit head (a requirement of the vow)
- Acts 21:25 Lit the thing
- Acts 21:25 I.e., to retain the blood
- Acts 21:26 Or took along the men the next day, and after purifying himself
- Acts 21:27 I.e., west coast province of Asia Minor
- Acts 21:30 Lit a running together of the people occurred
- Acts 21:31 Normally 600 men (the number varied)
- Acts 21:32 Lit them
- Acts 21:34 Lit certainty
- Acts 21:34 Lit he
- Acts 21:35 Lit crowd
- Acts 21:38 Lit days
- Acts 21:40 Lit occurred
- Acts 21:40 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
Acts 21:15-40
New International Version
Acts 21:15-40
New International Version
15 After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.(A) 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea(B) accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus(C) and one of the early disciples.
Paul’s Arrival at Jerusalem
17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters(D) received us warmly.(E) 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James,(F) and all the elders(G) were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles(H) through his ministry.(I)
20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous(J) for the law.(K) 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses,(L) telling them not to circumcise their children(M) or live according to our customs.(N) 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow.(O) 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites(P) and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved.(Q) Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”(R)
26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.(S)
Paul Arrested
27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,(T) 28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”(U) 29 (They had previously seen Trophimus(V) the Ephesian(W) in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)
30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul,(X) they dragged him(Y) 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.(Z)
33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound(AA) with two(AB) chains.(AC) Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another,(AD) and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.(AE) 35 When Paul reached the steps,(AF) 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!”(AG)
Paul Speaks to the Crowd(AH)
37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks,(AI) 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(AJ) some time ago?”(AK)
39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus(AL) in Cilicia,(AM) 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(AN) to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic[a]:(AO)
Footnotes
- Acts 21:40 Or possibly Hebrew; also in 22:2
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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