The Holy Bible


Acts 21 : 17 - 36

Chapter 21

17And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
18On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
19When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;
21but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.
22What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.
23Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow.
24Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.
25But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality."
26Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.
27Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
28crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."
29(For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.
31Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done.
34And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks.
35When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
36For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him!"


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