Paul answered, ¹  “I am a Jew ²  from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. ³  Please ⁴  allow me to speak to the people.”

When the commanding officer ¹  had given him permission, ²  Paul stood ³  on the steps and gestured ⁴  to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, ⁵  he addressed ⁶  them in Aramaic, ⁷ 

when he said, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, ¹  but will never understand, and you will keep on looking, ²  but will never perceive.

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ ¹  the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy.

shouting, “Men of Israel, ¹  help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, ²  and this sanctuary! ³  Furthermore ⁴  he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple ⁵  and made this holy place ritually unclean!” ⁶ 

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 

For the heart of this people has become dull, ¹  and their ears are hard of hearing, ²  and they have closed their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, ³  and I would heal them.”’ ⁴