Acts 23

VIN^{(i) 1} Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.” ² At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the Law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.” ⁴ The people standing near him said, "Do you mean to insult God's high priest?" ⁵ “Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’” ⁶ Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” ⁷ And when he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ There was a great deal of shouting until some of the scribes who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and argued forcefully, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" ¹⁰ The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. ¹¹ The following night the Lord stood by Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.” ¹² When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³ More than forty of them were involved in this plot. ¹⁴ They went to the high priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to taste any food before we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.” ¹⁶ But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, he went into the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸ So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me over and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you”. ¹⁹ The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?” ²⁰ He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, on the pretext of acquiring more information about him. ²¹ Don't believe them, because more than 40 of them are planning to ambush him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink before they have killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent." ²² So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.” ²³ Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night. ²⁴ Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.” ²⁵ He wrote a letter like this: ²⁶ “Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings. ²⁷ This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen, ²⁸ "Anxious to find out why they had accused him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin. ²⁹ I found that, although he was charged with questions about their law, there was no charge against him deserving death or imprisonment. ³⁰ When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.” ³¹ So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. ³² The next day they let the horsemen ride with Paul while they returned to their barracks. ³³ When these men came to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴ The governor read the letter and asked what province Paul was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, "I will hear your case fully when your accusers also get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept [under guard] in Herod's palace.