Acts 23

1 And Paul, looking fixedly at the Sanhedrin, said, My brothers, my life has been upright before God till this day.

And Paul, after looking intently at the council, said, Men, brothers, I have been a citizen in all good conscience to God until this day.

2 And the high priest, Ananias, gave orders to those who were near him to give him a blow on the mouth.

And the high priest Ananias ordered those who stood by him to strike his mouth.

3 Then Paul said to him, God will give blows to you, you whitewashed wall: are you here to be my judge by law, and by your orders am I given blows against the law?

Then Paul said to him, God is going to smite thee, a whitewashed wall. Thou even sit judging me according to the law, and violating law, thou command me to be struck?

4 And those who were near said, Do you say such words against God's high priest?

And those who stood by said, Thou revile God's high priest?

5 And Paul said, Brother, I had no idea that he was the high priest: for it has been said, You may not say evil about the ruler of your people.

And Paul said, I had not known, brothers, that he is a high priest, for it is written, Thou shall not speak ill of a ruler of thy people.

6 But when Paul saw that half of them were Sadducees and the rest Pharisees, he said in the Sanhedrin, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, and the son of Pharisees: I am here to be judged on the question of the hope of the coming back from the dead.

But when Paul ascertained that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, son of a Pharisee. About the hope and resurrection of the dead I am judged.

7 And when he had said this, there was an argument between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and a division in the meeting.

And when he said this, there developed a conflict of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group was divided.

8 For the Sadducees say that there is no coming back from the dead, and no angels or spirits: but the Pharisees have belief in all these.

For in fact Sadducees say to be no resurrection nor agent nor spirit, but Pharisees acknowledge them all.

9 And there was a great outcry: and some of the scribes on the side of the Pharisees got up and took part in the discussion, saying, We see no evil in this man: what if he has had a revelation from an angel or a spirit?

And there developed a great clamor. And some of the scholars of the Pharisees part having risen, they argued vehemently, saying, We find nothing wrong in this man. But if a spirit spoke to him, or an agent, we should not fight against God.

10 And when the argument became very violent, the chief captain, fearing that Paul would be pulled in two by them, gave orders to the armed men to take him by force from among them, and take him into the army building.

And a great conflict having developed, the chief captain, having been alarmed lest Paul might be torn apart by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from the midst of them, and bring him into the fort.

11 And the night after, the Lord came to his side and said, Be of good heart, for as you have been witnessing for me in Jerusalem, so will you be my witness in Rome.

And the following night the Lord, having stood by him, said, Cheer up, Paul, for as thou have testified these things about me at Jerusalem, so thou must testify also at Rome.

12 And when it was day, the Jews came together and put themselves under an oath that they would take no food or drink till they had put Paul to death.

And when it became day, some of the Jews, having made a conspiracy, put themselves under a curse, saying neither to eat nor to drink until they would kill Paul.

13 And more than forty of them took this oath.

And there were more than forty who made this conspiracy,

14 And they came to the chief priests and the rulers and said, We have taken a great oath to take no food till we have put Paul to death

who, having come near to the chief priests and the elders, said, We have put ourselves under a curse, a curse to taste of nothing until we would kill Paul.

15 So now, will you and the Sanhedrin make a request to the military authorities to have him sent down to you, as if you were desiring to go into the business in greater detail; and we, before ever he gets to you, will be waiting to put him to death.

Now therefore ye with the council report to the chief captain that tomorrow he may bring him down to you, as though going to inquire more accurately the things about him. And we, before he comes near, are prepared to kill him.

16 But Paul's sister's son had word of their design, and he came into the army building and gave news of it to Paul.

But the son of Paul's sister, having heard of the ambush, having come and entered into the fort, he informed Paul.

17 And Paul sent for a captain and said, Take this young man to your chief, for he has news for him.

And Paul, having called one of the centurions, said, Take this young man to the chief captain, for he has something to inform him.

18 So he took him to the chief captain and said, Paul, the prisoner, made a request to me to take this young man to you, for he has something to say to you.

Indeed therefore having taken him, he brought him to the chief captain, and says, Paul the prisoner, having called me, asked me to bring this young man to thee, who has something to say to thee.

19 And the chief took him by the hand and, going on one side, said to him privately, What is it you have to say to me?

And the chief captain having grasped his hand, and having gone in private, he asked him, What is it that thou have to inform me?

20 And he said, The Jews are in agreement together to make a request to you for Paul to be taken, on the day after this, into the Sanhedrin, to be questioned in greater detail.

And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask thee that tomorrow thou would bring Paul down to the council, as though going to inquire something more accurately about him.

21 But do not give way to them, for more than forty of them are waiting for him, having taken an oath not to take food or drink till they have put him to death: and now they are ready, waiting for your order.

Therefore thou should not be persuaded by them, for more than forty men of them wait to ambush him, who have put themselves under an oath, neither to eat nor drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready, expecting the promise from thee.

22 So the chief captain let the young man go, saying to him, Do not say to anyone that you have given me word of these things.

Indeed therefore the chief captain dismissed the young man, having ordered, Tell no man that thou have shown these things to me.

23 And he sent for two captains and said, Make ready two hundred men, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, to go to Caesarea, at the third hour of the night:

And having summoned a certain two of the centurions, he said, Prepare two hundred soldiers that they may go to Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen at the third hour of the night.

24 And get beasts so that they may put Paul on them, and take him safely to Felix, the ruler.

And provide beasts, so that after mounting Paul, they may bring him safely to Felix the governor,

25 And he sent a letter in these words:

after writing a letter containing this form:

26 Claudius Lysias, to the most noble ruler, Felix, peace be with you.

Claudius Lysias to the eminent governor Felix, greeting.

27 This man was taken by the Jews, and was about to be put to death by them, when I came on them with the army and took him out of danger, having knowledge that he was a Roman.

This man who was seized by the Jews, and was going to be killed by them, having stood by with the soldiers, I rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman.

28 And, desiring to get at the reason for their attack on him, I took him down to their Sanhedrin:

And wanting to know for what reason they accused him, I brought him down to their council,

29 Then it became clear to me that it was a question of their law, and that nothing was said against him which might be a reason for prison or death.

whom I found accusing about issues of their law, having not one accusation worthy of death or of bonds.

30 And when news was given to me that a secret design was being made against the man, I sent him straight away to you, giving orders to those who are against him to make their statements before you.

And when it was reported to me of a plot going to be against the man by the Jews, I immediately sent him to thee, also having commanded the accusers to speak before thee the things against him. Be strong.

31 So the armed men, as they were ordered, took Paul and came by night to Antipatris.

Indeed therefore, the soldiers, according to that which was precisely arranged for them, having taken Paul, they brought him through the night to Antipatris.

32 But on the day after, they sent the horsemen on with him, and went back to their place:

But on the morrow they returned to the fort, having allowed the horsemen to depart with him,

33 And they, when they came to Caesarea, gave the letter to the ruler, and took Paul before him.

who, after coming to Caesarea and having delivered the letter to the governor, also presented Paul to him.

34 And after reading it, he said, What part of the country do you come from? And, hearing that he was from Cilicia,

And the governor having read it, and having questioned from what province he was, and having found out that he was from Cilicia,

35 I will give hearing to your cause, he said, when those who are against you have come. And he gave orders for him to be kept in Herod's Praetorium.

he said, I will hear thee when thine accusers also will arrive. And he commanded him to be kept in the Praetorium of Herod.