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Acts 21:17-40 (AMP)

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¹⁷ When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received and welcomed us gladly. ¹⁸ On the next day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders of the church were present . ¹⁹ After saluting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ And upon hearing it, they adored and exalted and praised and thanked God. And they said to , You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and all of them are enthusiastic upholders of the Law. ²¹ Now they have been informed about you that you continually teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn back from and forsake Moses, advising them not to circumcise their children or pay any attention to the observance of the customs. ²² What then should be done? A multitude will come together, for they will surely hear that you have arrived. ²³ Therefore do just what we tell you. With us are four men who have taken a vow upon themselves. ²⁴ Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses , so that they may have their heads shaved. Thus everybody will know that there is no truth in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself walk in observance of the Law. ²⁵ But with regard to the Gentiles who have believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ), we have sent them a letter with our decision that they should keep themselves free from anything that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and which have been strangled and from all impurity and sexual immorality. ²⁶ Then Paul took the men with him and the following day purifying himself along with them. And they entered the temple to give notice when the days of purification (the ending of each vow) would be fulfilled and the usual offering could be presented on behalf of each of them. ²⁷ When the seven days were drawing to a close, some of the Jews from Asia, who had caught sight of Paul in the temple, incited all the rabble and laid hands on him, ²⁸ Shouting, Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everybody everywhere against the people and the Law and this place! Moreover, he has also brought Greeks into the temple; he has desecrated and polluted this holy place! ²⁹ For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and they supposed that he had brought the man into the temple . ³⁰ Then the whole city was aroused and thrown into confusion, and the people rushed together; they laid hands on Paul and dragged him outside the temple, and immediately the gates were closed. ³¹ Now while they were trying to kill him, word came to the commandant of the regular Roman garrison that the whole of Jerusalem was in a state of ferment. ³² So immediately he took soldiers and centurions and hurried down among them; and when the people saw the commandant and the troops, they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the commandant approached and arrested Paul and ordered that he be secured with two chains. He then inquired who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ Some in the crowd kept shouting back one thing and others something else, and since he could not ascertain the facts because of the furor, he ordered that Paul be removed to the barracks. ³⁵ And when came to mount the steps, he was actually being carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; ³⁶ For the mass of the people kept following them, shouting, Away with him! ³⁷ Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commandant, May I say something to you? And the man replied, Can you speak Greek? ³⁸ Are you not then the Egyptian who not long ago stirred up a rebellion and led those 4,000 men who were cutthroats out into the wilderness (desert)? ³⁹ Paul answered, I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant or undistinguished city. I beg you, allow me to address the people. ⁴⁰ And when the man had granted him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, gestured with his hand to the people; and there was a great hush. Then he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying:

Definition(s):
Jerusalem (Je-roo-sa-lem): vision of peace
Tarsus (Tar-suss): winged; feathered
Trophimus (Troh-fimm-us): well educated; well brought up
Hebrew (He-brew):
On (Onn):
So (Soh):