Acts 23
Paul before the Council
1 Now looking intently at athe ▼▼Or Sanhedrin
Council, Paul said, “ ▼▼Lit Men, brothers
,
dBrothers, eI have ▼▼Or conducted myself as a citizen
lived my life with an entirely good conscience before God up to this day.” 2But the high priest gAnanias commanded those standing beside him hto strike him on the mouth. 3Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, iyou whitewashed wall! Do you jsit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law, order me to be struck?” 4But those present said, “Are you insulting God’s high priest?” 5And Paul said, “I was not aware, brothers, that he is high priest; for it is written: ‘ kYou shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” 6 But Paul, perceiving that one group were lSadducees and the other Pharisees, began crying out in mthe ▼▼Or Sanhedrin
Council, “ ▼▼Lit Men, brothers
,
pBrothers, qI am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for rthe hope and resurrection of the dead!” 7When he said this, a dissension occurred between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8For sthe Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9And a great uproar occurred; and some of tthe scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and started arguing heatedly, saying, “ uWe find nothing wrong with this man; vsuppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10And when a great dissension occurred, the commander was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, and he ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into wthe barracks. 11 But on xthe following night, the Lord stood near him and said, “ yBe courageous! For zas you have aatestified to the truth about Me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome also.” A Conspiracy to Kill Paul
12 When it was day, abthe Jews formed a ▼▼Or mob
conspiracy and adput themselves under an ▼▼I.e., an oath with a self-imposed curse
oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than forty who formed this plot. 14They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have afput ourselves under an ▼▼See note 2 v 12
oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. 15Now therefore, you ▼▼Lit with
and aithe ▼▼Or Sanhedrin
Council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly; and as for us, we are ready to kill him before he comes near the place.” 16 But the son of Paul’s sister heard about their ambush, ▼▼Or having been present with them, and he also entered
and he came and entered althe barracks and told Paul. 17Paul called one of the centurions to himself and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.” 18So he took him and led him to the commander and *said, “Paul amthe prisoner called me over to him and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.” 19The 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?” 20And he said, “ anThe Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to aothe ▼▼Or Sanhedrin
Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. 21So do not ▼▼Lit be persuaded by them
listen to them, for more than forty ▼▼Lit men of them
of them are asin hiding to ambush him, and these men have atput themselves under an oath not to eat or drink until they kill him; and now they are ready and waiting for assurance from you.” 22Then the 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 avCaesarea, ▼▼Lit and
with seventy horsemen and two hundred ▼▼Or slingers; or bowmen
spearmen.” 24They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to ayFelix the governor. 25And he wrote a letter ▼▼Or to this effect
with the following content: 26 “Claudius Lysias, to the bamost excellent governor Felix: bbGreetings.27 When this man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, bcI came up to them with the troops and rescued him, bdafter learning that he was a Roman. 28And bewanting to ascertain the basis for the charges they were bringing against him, I bfbrought him down to their ▼
▼Or Sanhedrin
,
bhCouncil; 29and I found that he was being accused regarding biquestions in their Law, but ▼▼Lit had no charge of
was bknot charged with anything 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. 32But on the next day they let bqthe horsemen go on with him, and they returned to brthe barracks. 33When these horsemen had come to bsCaesarea and delivered the letter to btthe governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34Now when he had read it, he also asked from what buprovince Paul was, and when he learned that bvhe was from Cilicia, 35he said, “I will give you a hearing when your bwaccusers arrive as well,” giving orders for ▼
▼Lit him
Paul to be bykept in Herod’s ▼▼I.e., governor’s official residence
Praetorium.
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