Acts 23
1 Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until today.”
Paul looked straight at the Jewish council members and said: “My fellow Jews, all my life I have lived respecting our God, and I do not know of anything that I have done that I knew was wrong/evil.”
2 The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
When Ananias the supreme priest [heard what Paul said], he commanded the men who were standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
Then Paul said to Ananias, “God will punish you [(sg) for that], you hypocrite [MET]! You sit there and judge me, using the laws that [God gave Moses]. But you [yourself] disobey those laws, because you commanded me to be struck {[these men] to strike me} [without having proved that I have done anything that is wrong!]”
4 Those who stood by said, “Do you malign God’s high priest?”
The men who were standing near Paul [rebuked him. They] said, “Are not you [(sg)] afraid to insult God’s [servant, our] supreme priest?”
5 Paul said, “I didn’t know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
Paul replied, “My fellow Jews, I [am sorry that I said that]. I did not know that the man [who told one of you to hit me] is the high priest. [If I had known that, I would not have insulted our supreme priest], because I [know that] it is written {[that Moses] wrote} [in our Jewish law], ‘Do not speak evil of any of your rulers!’”
6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
Paul realized that some of the [Council members] were Sadducees and others were Pharisees. So, [in order to cause the Pharisees and Sadducees to argue among themselves instead of accusing him], he called out loudly in the Council [hall], “My fellow Jews, I am a Pharisee, like my father was. I have been put {[You] have put me} on trial [here] because I confidently expect that [some day God] will (cause people who have died to become alive again/raise people from the dead).”
7 When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.
When he said that, the Pharisees and Sadducees started to argue with one another [about whether people who have died will become alive again or not].
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.
The Sadducees believe that after people die, they will not become alive again. They also believe that there are no angels and no [other kinds of] spirits. But the Pharisees believe [that all people who have died will one day become alive again. They also believe] that there are [angels and other kinds of spirits].
9 A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!”
So the Council members (were divided/did not agree with each other), and they began shouting at one another [as they argued]. Some of the teachers of the laws that [God gave Moses] who were Pharisees stood up. One of them said, “We [(exc)] think that this man has done nothing wrong.” Another said, “Maybe an angel or some [other] spirit [really] spoke to him [and what he says is true].”
10 When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks.
Then the [Pharisees and Sadducees] argued even more loudly [with one another]. As a result, the commander (was afraid/thought) that they would tear Paul to pieces. So he [commanded] soldiers to go down [from the barracks] and forcefully take Paul away from the Council members and bring him up into the barracks. [So the soldiers did that].
11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome.”
That night, [in a vision Paul saw] the Lord [Jesus come and] stand near him. The Lord said [to him], “Be courageous! You [(sg)] have told people [here] in Jerusalem about me, and you must tell people in Rome [about me], too.”
12 When it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
The next morning [some] of the Jews [MTY] [who hated Paul] met secretly and talked [about how they could kill him]. They promised [themselves] that they would not eat or drink anything until they had killed him. They asked God to curse them [if they did not do what they promised].
13 There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy.
There were more than 40 men who planned to do that.
14 They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
They went to the chief priests and [Jewish] elders and told them, “God has heard us promise/vow that we [(exc)] will not eat [or drink] anything until we [(exc)] have killed Paul.
15 Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
So [we request that] you go to the commander and ask him, on behalf of the whole Jewish Council, to bring Paul down to us [from the barracks]. Tell the commander that you want to question Paul some more. But we [(exc)] will be waiting to kill Paul while he is on the way here.”
16 But Paul’s sister’s son heard they were lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.
But the son of Paul’s sister heard what they were planning to do, so he went into the barracks and told Paul.
17 Paul summoned one of the centurions and said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him.”
[When Paul heard that], he called one of the officers and said to him, “[Please] take this young man to the commander, because he needs to tell him something [important].”
18 So he took him and brought him to the commanding officer and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
So the officer took Paul’s nephew to the commander. The officer said to the commander, “That prisoner, Paul, called me and said, ‘Please take this young man to the commander, because he needs to tell him something [important].’”
19 The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
The commander took the young man by the hand, led him off by himself, and asked him, “What do you [(sg)] need to tell me?”
20 He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.
The young man said, “[There are some] [SYN] Jews who have planned to ask you [(sg)] to bring Paul before their Council tomorrow. They will say that they want to ask him some more questions. [But that is not true].
21 Therefore don’t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse to neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you.”
Do not do what they ask you [(sg)] to do, because there are more than 40 [Jewish] men who will be hiding and waiting [to attack Paul when he passes by on the way to the Council]. They even promised/vowed to God that they will not eat or drink anything until they have killed Paul. They are ready [to do it], and right now they are waiting for you [(sg)] to agree [to do what they are asking you to do].”
22 So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”
The commander said to [Paul’s] young nephew, “Do not tell anyone that you [(sg)] have told me [about their plan].” Then he sent the young man away.
23 He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night.”
Then the commander called two of his officers and told them, “Get a group of 200 soldiers ready [to travel]. Take along 70 soldiers riding horses, and 200 other soldiers carrying spears. [All of you must be ready] to leave at nine o’clock tonight, to go [down] to Caesarea.
24 He asked them to provide mounts, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.
And take along horses for Paul [and those accompanying him] to ride, and safely escort him to [the palace of] Governor Felix.”
25 He wrote a letter like this:
Then the commander wrote a letter [to send to the governor]. This is what he wrote:
26 “Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
“[I am] Claudius Lysias [writing to you]. You, Felix, are our governor whom we [(exc)] respect, [and I sincerely send you] my greetings.
27 “This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.
I [have sent you(sg)] this man, [Paul, because certain] Jews seized him and were about to kill him. But I heard [someone tell me] that he is a Roman citizen, so I and my soldiers went and rescued him.
28 Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council.
I wanted to know what those Jews were saying that he had done wrong, so I took him to their Jewish Council.
29 I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
I listened [while they asked this man questions and he answered them]. The things [they] accused him about were entirely concerned with their [Jewish] laws. But Paul has not disobeyed any of our [Roman] laws. [So our officials] should not execute him or [even] put him in prison [MTY].
30 When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.”
[Someone] told me that some [SYN] Jews were secretly planning to kill this man, so I immediately am sending him to you, [so that you(sg) may give him a fair trial there]. I have also [commanded] the Jews who have accused him to [go there to Caesarea and] tell you [(sg) what they are accusing him about].”
31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
So the soldiers did what [the commander commanded] them, [taking this letter with them]. They [got Paul and] took him with them during the night [down] to Antipatris [city].
32 But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks.
The next day, the foot soldiers returned to the barracks [in Jerusalem], and the soldiers who rode horses went on with Paul.
33 When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
When the men escorting Paul arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor, and they delivered Paul to the governor. [Then the horsemen returned to Jerusalem].
34 When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,
The governor read the letter, and then he said to Paul, “What province are you [(sg)] from?” [Paul answered], “I am from Cilicia [province].”
35 “I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.
Then the governor said, “When the people who have accused you [(sg)] arrive, I will listen [to what each of you says] and then I will judge your case.” Then he [commanded] that Paul be guarded {[soldiers] to guard Paul} in the palace that King Herod [the Great had built].
