21 ²⁷ BUT JUST BEFORE the period of seven days was up, the Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him, 21 ²⁸ shouting, 'Men of Israel, help, help! This is the fellow who spreads his doctrine all over the world, attacking our people, our law, and this sanctuary. On top of all this he has brought Gentiles into the temple and profaned this holy place. 21 ²⁹ For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
21 ³⁰ The whole city was in a turmoil, and people came running from all directions. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple; and at once the doors were shut. 21 ³¹ While they were clamouring for his death, a report reached the officer commanding the cohort, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 21 ³² He immediately took a force of soldiers with their centurions and came down on the rioters at the double. As soon as they saw the commandant and his troops, they stopped beating Paul. 21 ³³ The commandant stepped forward, arrested him, and ordered him to be shackled with two chains; he then asked who the man was and what he had been doing. 21 ³⁴ Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another. As he could not get at the truth because of the hubbub, he ordered him to be taken into barracks. 21 ³⁵ When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. 21 ³⁶ For the whole crowd were at their heels yelling, 'Kill him!'