Acts 22:22-30

Acts 22:22-30 The Message (MSG)

The people in the crowd had listened attentively up to this point, but now they broke loose, shouting out, “Kill him! He’s an insect! Stomp on him!” They shook their fists. They filled the air with curses. That’s when the captain intervened and ordered Paul taken into the barracks. By now the captain was thoroughly exasperated. He decided to interrogate Paul under torture in order to get to the bottom of this, to find out what he had done that provoked this outraged violence. As they spread-eagled him with strips of leather, getting him ready for the whip, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is this legal: torturing a Roman citizen without a fair trial?” When the centurion heard that, he went directly to the captain. “Do you realize what you’ve done? This man is a Roman citizen!” The captain came back and took charge. “Is what I hear right? You’re a Roman citizen?” Paul said, “I certainly am.” The captain was impressed. “I paid a huge sum for my citizenship. How much did it cost you?” “Nothing,” said Paul. “It cost me nothing. I was free from the day of my birth.” That put a stop to the interrogation. And it put the fear of God into the captain. He had put a Roman citizen in chains and come within a whisker of putting him under torture! The next day, determined to get to the root of the trouble and know for sure what was behind the Jewish accusation, the captain released Paul and ordered a meeting of the high priests and the High Council to see what they could make of it. Paul was led in and took his place before them.

Acts 22:22-30 Amplified Bible (AMP)

They listened to Paul until [he made] this [last] statement, but now they raised their voices and shouted, “Away with such a man from the earth! He is not fit to live!” And as they were shouting and throwing off their coats [getting ready to stone Paul] and tossing dust into the air [expressing their anger], the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he was to be interrogated with a whip in order to learn why the people were shouting against him that way. But when they had stretched him out with the leather straps [in preparation for the whip], Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it legal for you to whip a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned [without a trial]?” When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and said to him, “What are you about to do? This man is a Roman!” So the commander came and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” The commander replied, “I purchased this citizenship [of mine] for a large sum of money [so how did you acquire yours?].” Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.” So those who were about to interrogate him by torture immediately let him go; and the commander was also afraid when he realized that Paul was a Roman and he had put him in chains. But on the next day, wanting to know the real reason why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) to assemble; and brought Paul down and presented him before them.

Acts 22:22-30 The Passion Translation (TPT)

The crowd listened attentively to Paul up to this point. But when they heard this, all at once they erupted with loud shouts, saying, “Get rid of this man! Kill him! He doesn’t deserve to live!” While the crowd was screaming and yelling, removing their outer garments, and throwing handfuls of dust in the air in protest, the commander had Paul brought back into the compound. He ordered that he be whipped with a lash and interrogated to find out what he said that so infuriated the crowd. When the soldiers stretched Paul out with ropes, he said to the captain, who was standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to torture a Roman citizen like this, without a proper trial?” When the officer heard this, he immediately went to his commander and reported it, saying, “This man is a Roman citizen. What should we do now?” The commander came to Paul and asked him, “Tell me the truth, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes I am,” he replied. The commander said, “I had to purchase my citizenship with a great sum of money.” Paul replied, “I was born as a citizen!” All of the soldiers who were about to whip Paul backed away, because they were afraid of the consequences for tying up and holding a Roman citizen against his will. The next day the commander ordered that the high priest and the supreme Jewish council be convened, because he wanted to find out exactly why the Jews were accusing Paul. So he had him untied and brought out to stand before them all.