Acts 23

 

1 And Paul, intently beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience (a citizen) before God until this day.

2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

3 Then Paul said to him (prophesying), God is about to strike you (according to your own judgments), you white-washed wall (hypocrite): for you sit and judge me after the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?

4 And those who stood by said, Do you insult God's high priest?

5 Then said Paul, I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.

6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: (who) of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called into question.

 

7 And when he had spoken this way, there arose a commotion between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

 

8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angels, nor spirits: but the Pharisees confess both (the resurrection and spirits).

 

9 And there arose a great outcry: and the scribes who were on the side of the Pharisees arose, and strove (against the Sadducees), saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

 

10 And when there arose a great commotion, the chief captain, fearing that Paul should have been pulled in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the barracks.

 

11 And the night after this the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must you testify (of Me) also at Rome.

12 And when it was daytime, certain of the Jews conspired together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

13 And there were more than forty (men) who had made this conspiracy.

14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will not eat anything until we have slain Paul.

15 Now therefore you, along with the council, make a report to the chief captain so that he will bring him down to you tomorrow, as if you wanted to question something more perfectly about him: and we, before he comes near, are ready to kill him.

16 And when Paul's sister's son heard their plot, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.

17 Then Paul called one of the centurions to him, and said, Bring this young man to the chief captain: for he has something to tell him.

18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul, the prisoner called me, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to say to you.

19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that you have to tell me?

20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire you that you would bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they wanted to question him more perfectly.

21 But do not you agree with them: for there is a plot to lie in wait for him by more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from you (to bring him for more questioning).

22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and commanded him, See that you do not tell anyone that you have told these things to me.

23 And he called to him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night;

24 And provide them with beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

25 And he wrote a letter after this manner:

26 Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix sends greeting.

27 This man was taken by the Jews and would have been killed by them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman (citizen).

28 And when I wanted to know the reason why they accused him, I brought him before their council:

29 Whom I found to be accused of questions concerning their law, but to have nothing to accuse him of that is worthy of death or of imprisonment.

30 And when it was told me how that the Jews plotted to kill this man, I sent straightway to you and gave commandment to his accusers also to say (plainly) before you what they had against him. Farewell.

31 Then the soldiers did as it was commanded of them, and took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

32 On the next day, they left with the horsemen to go with him and returned to the barracks:

33 Who, when they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

34 And when the governor had read the letter, he asked from what province he was. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia;

35 He said, I will hear you when your accusers have also arrived. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.