Act 19:28-41, 21:28-36, 22:21-22, 23:10-24, 25:3, 9-11, 27:42-44 | ESV | STEP | When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out , Great is Artemis of the Ephesians !

28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, ^a“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and ^bAristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s ^ccompanions in travel. 30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs, ^{▼▼That is, high-ranking officers of the province of Asia} who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 ^eNow some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, ^fmotioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, ^g“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

35 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from ^hthe sky? ^{▼▼The meaning of the Greek is uncertain} 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought ^jthese men here who are neither ^ksacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are ^lproconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further, ^{▼▼Some manuscripts seek about other matters} it shall be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

Acts 21:28-36

28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who ⁿis teaching everyone everywhere against the people and ^othe law and ^pthis place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and ^qhas defiled ^rthis holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen ^sTrophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and ^tdragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 ^uAnd as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of ^vthe cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 ^wHe at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him ^xto be bound ^ywith two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 ^zSome in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into ^aathe barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, ^ab“Away with him!”

Acts 22:21-22

21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you ^acfar away to the Gentiles.’”

Paul and the Roman Tribune

22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, ^ad“Away with such a fellow from the earth! For ^aehe should not be allowed to live.”

Acts 23:10-24

10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into ^afthe barracks.

11 ^agThe following night ^ahthe Lord stood by him and said, ^ai“Take courage, for ^ajas you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must ^aktestify also in Rome.”

A Plot to Kill Paul

12 When it was day, ^althe Jews made a plot and ^ambound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

16 Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered ^anthe barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul ^aothe prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, ^ap“The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who ^aqhave bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”

Paul Sent to Felix the Governor

23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. ^{▼▼That is, 9 p.m.} 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to ^asFelix ^atthe governor.”

Acts 25:3

3 asking as a favor against Paul ^{▼▼Greek him} that he summon him to Jerusalem—because ^avthey were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.

Acts 25:9-11

9 But Festus, ^awwishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s ^axtribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. ^ayI appeal to Caesar.”

Acts 27:42-44

42 ^azThe soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, ^bawishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that ^bball were brought safely to land.