31. As they were trying to kill him, news came up to the commanding officer of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

32. Immediately he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. They, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, stopped beating Paul.

33. Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.

34. Some shouted one thing, and some another, among the crowd. When he couldn't find out the truth because of the noise, he commanded him to be brought into the barracks.

35. When he came to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd;

36. for the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him!"

37. As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he asked the commanding officer, "May I speak to you?"He said, "Do you know Greek?

38. Aren't you then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?"

39. But Paul said, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."

40. When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,

23. As they cried out, and threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

24. the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.

25. When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?"

26. When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, "Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!"

27. The commanding officer came and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?"He said, "Yes."

28. The commanding officer answered, "I bought my citizenship for a great price."Paul said, "But I was born a Roman."

29. Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

30. But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.