If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."

But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison. Do they now release us secretly? No indeed. Let them come themselves and bring us out."

The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before the accused has met the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

It happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the Jewish leaders. When they had come together, he said to them, "I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.

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?"

When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman."

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

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

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.

"This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.