and are advocating ¹  customs that are not lawful for us to accept ²  or practice, ³  since we are ⁴  Romans.”

The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ¹  were Roman citizens ² 

So the commanding officer ¹  came and asked ²  Paul, ³  “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” ⁴  He replied, ⁵  “Yes.”

If we allow him to go on in this way, ¹  everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary ²  and our nation.”

Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, ¹  and visitors from Rome, ² 

When they had stretched him out for the lash, ¹  Paul said to the centurion ²  standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen ³  without a proper trial?” ⁴ 

When the centurion ¹  heard this, ²  he went to the commanding officer ³  and reported it, ⁴  saying, “What are you about to do? ⁵  For this man is a Roman citizen.” ⁶ 

This man was seized ¹  by the Jews and they were about to kill him, ²  when I came up ³  with the detachment ⁴  and rescued him, because I had learned that he was ⁵  a Roman citizen. ⁶ 

But Paul said to the police officers, ¹  “They had us beaten in public ²  without a proper trial ³  – even though we are Roman citizens ⁴  – and they threw us ⁵  in prison. And now they want to send us away ⁶  secretly? Absolutely not! They ⁷  themselves must come and escort us out!” ⁸ 

Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away ¹  from him, and the commanding officer ²  was frightened when he realized that Paul ³  was ⁴  a Roman citizen ⁵  and that he had had him tied up. ⁶ 

I answered them ¹  that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone ²  before the accused had met his accusers face to face ³  and had been given ⁴  an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. ⁵ 

After three days ¹  Paul ²  called the local Jewish leaders ³  together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, ⁴  although I had done ⁵  nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, ⁶  from Jerusalem ⁷  I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. ⁸