Acts 23

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1. 1Paul looked directly at the council and said, "Brothers, I have lived my life with a completely clear conscience before God up to this very day."
2. 2The high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
3. 3Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, and yet you order me to be struck in violation of that same law?"
4. 4Those standing nearby said, "Do you dare insult God's high priest?"
5. 5Paul replied, "I did not know he was the high priest, brothers. For it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.'"
6. 6When Paul noticed that part of the council were Sadducees and the others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I am on trial because of the hope and resurrection of the dead!"
7. 7When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8. 8The Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and that neither angels nor spirits exist, but the Pharisees affirm all of these.
9. 9A great uproar erupted. Some of the scribes who belonged to the Pharisee party stood up and argued forcefully, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him? Let us not fight against God."
10. 10When a great dispute arose, the commanding officer, fearing Paul would be torn apart by them, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him from among them by force, and bring him into the fortress.
11. 11That night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage, Paul! Just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, you must also testify in Rome."
12. 12When morning came, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13. 13More than forty men were involved in this conspiracy.
14. 14They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse to eat nothing until we have killed Paul."
15. 15"So now, you and the council should notify the commanding officer to bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you intended to examine his case more thoroughly. And we will be ready to kill him before he even gets near."
16. 16But Paul's sister's son heard about the ambush. He went to the barracks and told Paul about it.
17. 17Paul called one of the centurions over and said, "Take this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him."
18. 18So the centurion brought him to the commanding officer and said, "The prisoner Paul called me over and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you."
19. 19The commanding officer took the young man by the hand, led him aside privately, and asked, "What is it you have to tell me?"
20. 20He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they intended to question him more thoroughly."
21. 21"But do not give in to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your agreement."
22. 22The commanding officer dismissed the young man and instructed him, "Tell no one that you have reported this to me."
23. 23Then he summoned two centurions and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready to march to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. Be ready to leave at the third hour of the night."
24. 24"Also, provide mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to Governor Felix."
25. 25He wrote a letter to this effect:
26. 26"Claudius Lysias, to His Excellency Governor Felix — greetings."
27. 27"This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. I came with my troops and rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman citizen."
28. 28"Wanting to understand the reason for their accusations against him, I brought him before their council."
29. 29"I found that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him worthy of death or imprisonment."
30. 30"When I was informed of a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I have also ordered his accusers to state their case against him before you. Farewell."
31. 31So the soldiers, following their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32. 32The next day, they left the horsemen to go on with him and returned to the barracks.
33. 33When they arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul before him.
34. 34After reading the letter, the governor asked what province Paul was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35. 35he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers arrive as well." Then he ordered Paul to be kept under guard in Herod's judgment hall.