19. And after greeting them, he began to relate one after the other the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20. And when they heard this, they began to glorify God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many ten thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealous adherents of the law.
21. And they have been informed about you that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles the abandonment of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.
22. What then is to be done? Doubtless they will all hear that you have come!
23. Therefore do this that we tell you: we have 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 can shave their heads, and everyone will know that the things which they had been informed about you are nothing, but you yourself also agree with observing the law.
25. But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter after deciding they should avoid food sacrificed to idols and blood and what has been strangled and sexual immorality.”
26. Then Paul took along the men on the next day, and after he had purified himself together with them, he entered into the temple courts, announcing the completion of the days of purification until the time the offering would be presented on behalf of each one of them.
27. But when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia who had seen him in the temple courts stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
28. shouting, “Israelite men, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and 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 in the city with him, whom they thought that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30. And the whole city was stirred up, and the people came running together, and they seized Paul and dragged him outside of the temple courts, and immediately the doors were shut.
31. And as they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the military tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
32. He immediately took along soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the military tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33. Then the military tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what it was that he had done.
34. But some in the crowd were shouting one thing and others another, and because he was not able to find out the truth on account of the commotion, he gave orders to bring him into the barracks.