Paul the Roman Citizen

22 [The crowd] listened to [Paul] until he made this statement Then they lifted up their voices [and] shouted, “Rid the earth of [him]! He is not fit to live!”

23 [As] they were shouting and throwing off [their] cloaks and tossing dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that [Paul] be brought into the barracks. He directed that [Paul] be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

25 But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

26 [On] hearing [this], the centurion went [and] reported [it] to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to [Paul] and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.

28 “I paid a high price [for my] citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 At once those who were about to interrogate [Paul] stepped back and the commander [himself] was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen {in chains}.

30 The next day [the commander], wanting to learn the real reason [Paul] was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin[fn] to assemble. Then he brought Paul {down} and had him stand before them.