⁵⁰ But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.^(A)

⁵ But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.^(A) They rushed to Jason’s^(B) house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.^[a]

¹³ “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”

²⁸ shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”^{(A) 29} (They had previously seen Trophimus^(B) the Ephesian^(C) in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

³⁰ The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul,^(D) they dragged him^(E) from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. ³¹ While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.

Paul the Roman Citizen

²² The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!^(A) He’s not fit to live!”^(B)

²³ As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks^(A) and flinging dust into the air,^(B)

² At this the high priest Ananias^(A) ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.^(B)