When the seven days [required by the vow] were almost completed, the Jews from Asia saw Paul in the Temple. They incited the whole crowd and took hold of him, shouting, "[You] Israelites, help [us]! This man is teaching people everywhere [to be] against our people [i.e., the Jews], the law of Moses and this place [i.e., the Temple]; and in addition to that he has also brought Greeks [i.e., Gentiles] into the Temple and has [thereby] contaminated this holy place." read more. (For the Jews had previously seen him on a city street with Trophimus, the Ephesian, whom they assumed Paul had taken into the Temple [with him]). [So], the entire city was stirred up, and the mob rushed together and attacked Paul, dragging him out of the Temple. Immediately the [Temple] doors were closed [i.e., to secure it from further intrusion]. And as they were attempting to kill Paul, the commander of the military unit was informed that the entire city of Jerusalem was rioting. So, immediately he rushed down on the people with his soldiers and officers, and when the mob saw the commander and his soldiers [coming], they stopped beating Paul. Then the commanding officer approached Paul, took hold of him and ordered him to be secured with two chains. He then questioned him as to who he was and what he had done.

Then the commanding officer approached Paul, took hold of him and ordered him to be secured with two chains. He then questioned him as to who he was and what he had done. From the crowd, some shouted one thing and some another. When the commander could not hear what was being said because of the noise, he ordered Paul to be taken into the battalion headquarters. read more. When they got to the stairway [of the headquarters building] the soldiers had to carry Paul because of the [unrestrained] violence of the mob, for the crowds that followed were [pressing in on them] shouting, "Kill him."

the commander ordered Paul to be brought to headquarters and requested that he be interrogated by means of a flogging, in order to learn the reason why people were shouting against him. Just as they were tying him up [in preparation] for the flogging, Paul said to the officer nearby, "Is it lawful for you to whip a Roman [citizen] before he has been [legally] condemned?" read more. When the officer heard this, he [immediately] went and told the commander, saying, "What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen." Then the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you [really] a Roman citizen?" Paul said, "Yes." The commander answered, "It cost me a large sum of money to obtain this [right of] citizenship." Paul replied, "But I am a Roman citizen by birth." Then those who were about to interrogate Paul [with whips] immediately left him, and the commander also became fearful when he realized that he had chained a Roman citizen [illegally].

When daylight came, [a group of] Jews conspired together, agreeing under oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty men who made this pact. read more. They went to the leading priests and [Jewish] elders and told them, "We have bound ourselves under an oath [with serious consequences] to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. Therefore, [all of] you, together with the Jewish Council, should notify the commander so that he will bring Paul [back] down to you, as though you wanted to consider his case further. Then we will be ready to kill him, [even] before he comes near [you]." But Paul's nephew learned of their plot and went to the headquarters and told Paul [all about it]. So, Paul called for one of the officers and said [to him], "Take this young man to the commander; he has something [important] to tell him." So, the officer took Paul's nephew to the commander and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you." The commander took him by the hand, and walking along together, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?" And the lad said, "The Jews have plotted to ask you to take Paul down to the Council [meeting] tomorrow, as though you were going to question him further. But, do not listen to them, because over forty men have laid a plot and bound themselves under an oath [with serious consequences] neither to eat nor drink [anything] until they have killed him. They are now ready [to carry out the plot] and are just waiting for you to agree [to their arrangement]." So, the commander let the young man go, urging him, "Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me." Then he called two of his officers and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, by nine o'clock tonight." [Note: This was calculated according to Jewish time]. And he [also] requested that they furnish animals for Paul to ride so he could be brought safely to Felix, the governor. The commander then wrote a letter like this: "Claudius Lysias, [commander of the battalion, is writing] to His Excellency, Governor Felix. Greetings: This man [i.e., Paul] was grabbed by the Jews and almost killed by them when I discovered what they were doing and rescued him, after learning that he was a Roman citizen. So, I brought him before the Council because I wanted to know the reasons for the charges [they were] bringing against him. I found out that he was being accused over questions regarding their law, but that they had no charges against him deserving of the death penalty, or [even] of being kept in prison. And when I was told that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, also ordering his accusers to present their case against him in front of you." So, the soldiers took charge of Paul and took him at night to Antipatris [Note: This was a town on the road between Jerusalem and Caesarea] as they were ordered. The next day the soldiers allowed the horsemen to go on with Paul, while they [themselves] returned to headquarters. When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul before him.

And as they were attempting to kill Paul, the commander of the military unit was informed that the entire city of Jerusalem was rioting.