False Accusation and Divine Protection in the Temple

²⁷ When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”

²⁹ For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

³⁰ The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

³¹ While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.

³² Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

³³ The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

³⁴ Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.

³⁵ When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.

³⁶ For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!”