Act 23 | NASB1995 | STEP | Paul , looking intently at the Council , said , “ Brethren , I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day .”

Acts 23

Paul before the Council

1 Paul, looking intently at ^athe ^{▼▼ Or Sanhedrin}Council, said, ^c“Brethren, ^dI have ^{▼▼ Or conducted myself as a citizen}lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.” 2 The high priest ^fAnanias commanded those standing beside him ^gto strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, ^hyou whitewashed wall! Do you ⁱsit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” 4 But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘ ^j You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

6 But perceiving that one group were ^kSadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in ^lthe ^{▼▼ Or Sanhedrin}Council, ⁿ“Brethren, ^oI am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for ^pthe hope and resurrection of the dead!” 7 As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For ^qthe Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 And there occurred a great uproar; and some of ^rthe scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, ^s“We find nothing wrong with this man; ^tsuppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 And as a great dissension was developing, the ^{▼▼ I.e. chiliarch, in command of one thousand troops}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 ^vthe barracks.

11 But on ^wthe night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, ^x“Take courage; for ^yas you have ^zsolemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.”

A Conspiracy to Kill Paul

12 When it was day, ^aathe Jews formed a ^{▼▼ Or mob}conspiracy and ^acbound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who formed this plot. 14 They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have ^adbound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 “Now therefore, you ^{▼▼ Lit with}and ^afthe ^{▼▼ Or Sanhedrin}Council notify the ^{▼▼ V 10, note 1}commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case by a more thorough investigation; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near the place.”

16 But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, ^{▼▼ Or having been present with them, and he entered}and he came and entered ^ajthe barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Lead this young man to the ^{▼▼ V 10, note 1}commander, for he has something to report to him.” 18 So he took him and led him to the ^{▼▼ V 10, note 1}commander and said, “Paul ^amthe prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you.” 19 The ^{▼▼ V 10, note 1}commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?” 20 And he said, ^ao“The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to ^apthe ^{▼▼ Or Sanhedrin}Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. 21 “So do not ^{▼▼ Lit be persuaded by them}listen to them, for more than forty of them are ^aslying in wait for him who have ^atbound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.” 22 So the ^{▼▼ V 10, note 1}commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.”

Paul Moved to Caesarea

23 And he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by ^{▼▼ I.e. 9 p.m.}the third hour of the night to proceed to ^awCaesarea, ^{▼▼ Lit and}with seventy horsemen and two hundred ^{▼▼ Or slingers or bowmen}spearmen.” 24 They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to ^azFelix the governor. 25 And he wrote a letter having this form:

26 “Claudius Lysias, to the ^bamost excellent governor Felix, ^bbgreetings.

27 “When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, ^bcI came up to them with the troops and rescued him, ^bdhaving learned that he was a Roman. 28 “And ^bewanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I ^bfbrought him down to their ^{▼▼ Or Sanhedrin
,} ^bhCouncil; 29 and I found him to be accused over ^biquestions about their Law, but ^{▼▼ Lit having}under ^bkno accusation deserving death or ^{▼▼ Lit bonds}imprisonment.

30 “When I was ^bminformed that there would be ^bna plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing ^bohis accusers to ^{▼▼ Lit speak against him}bring charges against him before you.”

31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 But the next day, leaving ^bqthe horsemen to go on with him, they returned to ^brthe barracks. 33 When these had come to ^bsCaesarea and delivered the letter to ^btthe governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 When he had read it, he asked from what ^buprovince he was, and when he learned that ^bvhe was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing after your ^bwaccusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be ^bxkept in Herod’s ^{▼▼ I.e. governor’s official residence}Praetorium.