Actuum Apostolorum 23

1 Intendens autem in concilium Paulus ait: Viri fratres, ego omni conscientia bona conversatus sum ante Deum usque in hodiernum diem.

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

2 Princeps autem sacerdotum Ananias praecepit astantibus sibi percutere os eius.

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

3 Tunc Paulus dixit ad eum: Percutiet te Deus, paries dealbate. Et tu sedens iudicas me secundum legem, et contra legem iubes me percuti?

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?

4 Et qui astabant dixerunt: Summum sacerdotem Dei maledicis.

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

5 Dixit autem Paulus: Nesciebam fratres quia princeps est sacerdotum. Scriptum est enim: Principem populi tui non maledices.

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.

6 Sciens autem Paulus quia una pars esset Sadducaeorum, et altera Pharisaeorum, exclamavit in concilio: Viri fratres, ego Pharisaeus sum, filius Pharisaeorum, de spe et resurrectione mortuorum ego iudicor.

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.

7 Et cum haec dixisset, facta est dissensio inter Pharisaeos, et Sadducaeos, et soluta est multitudo.

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

8 Sadducaei enim dicunt, non esse resurrectionem, neque Angelum, neque Spiritum: Pharisaei autem utraque confitentur.

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.

9 Factus est autem clamor magnus. Et surgentes quidam Pharisaeorum, pugnabant, dicentes: Nihil mali invenimus in homine isto: quid si Spiritus locutus est ei, aut Angelus?

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?

10 Et cum magna dissensio facta esset, timens tribunus ne discerperetur Paulus ab ipsis, iussit milites descendere, et rapere eum de medio eorum, ac deducere eum in castra.

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.

11 Sequenti autem nocte assistens ei Dominus, ait: Constans esto: sicut enim testificatus es de me in Ierusalem, sic te oportet et Romae testificari.

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.

12 Facta autem die collegerunt se quidam ex Iudaeis, et devoverunt se dicentes, neque manducaturos, neque bibituros donec occiderent Paulum.

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.

13 Erant autem plus quam quadraginta viri, qui hanc coniurationem fecerant:

And more than forty of them took this oath.

14 qui accesserunt ad principes sacerdotum, et seniores, et dixerunt: Devotione devovimus nos nihil gustaturos, donec occidamus Paulum.

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

15 Nunc ergo vos notum facite tribuno cum concilio, ut producat illum ad vos, tamquam aliquid certius cognituri de eo. Nos vero prius quam appropiet, parati sumus interficere illum.

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.

16 Quod cum audisset filius sororis Pauli insidias, venit, et intravit in castra, nunciavitque Paulo.

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.

17 Vocans autem Paulus ad se unum ex Centurionibus, ait: Adolescentem hunc perduc ad tribunum, habet enim aliquid indicare illi.

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

18 Et ille quidem assumens eum duxit ad tribunum, et ait: Vinctus Paulus rogavit me hunc adolescentem perducere ad te, habentem aliquid loqui tibi.

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.

19 Apprehendens autem tribunus manum illius, secessit cum eo seorsum, et interrogavit illum: Quid est, quod habes indicare mihi?

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?

20 Ille autem dixit: Iudaeis convenit rogare te, ut crastina die producas Paulum in concilium, quasi aliquid certius inquisituri sint de illo:

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.

21 tu vero ne credideris illis, insidiantur enim ei ex eis viri amplius quam quadraginta, qui se devoverunt non manducare, neque bibere donec interficiant eum: et nunc parati sunt, expectantes promissum tuum.

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.

22 Tribunus igitur dimisit adolescentem, praecipiens ei ne cui loqueretur quoniam haec nota sibi fecisset.

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.

23 Et vocatis duobus Centurionibus, dixit illis: Parate milites ducentos ut eant usque Caesaream, et equites septuaginta, et lancearios ducentos a tertia hora noctis:

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:

24 et iumenta praeparate ut imponentes Paulum, salvum perducerent ad Felicem praesidem,

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

25 (Timuit enim ne forte raperent eum Iudaei, et occiderent, et ipse postea calumniam sustineret, tamquam accepturus pecuniam)

And he sent a letter in these words:

26 scribens ei epistolam continentem haec: CLAUDIUS Lysias optimo Praesidi, Felici salutem.

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

27 Virum hunc comprehensum a Iudaeis, et incipientem interfici ab eis, superveniens cum exercitu eripui, cognito quia Romanus est:

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.

28 Volensque scire causam, quam obiiciebant illi, deduxi eum in concilium eorum.

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

29 Quem inveni accusari de quaestionibus legis ipsorum, nullum vero dignum morte aut vinculis habentem crimen.

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.

30 Et cum mihi perlatum esset de insidiis, quas paraverant illi, misi eum ad te denuncians: et accusatoribus ut dicant apud te, Vale.

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.

31 Milites ergo secundum praeceptum sibi, assumentes Paulum, duxerunt per noctem in Antipatridem.

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

32 Et postera die dimissis equitibus ut cum eo irent, reversi sunt ad castra.

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

33 Qui cum venissent Caesaream, et tradidissent epistolam praesidi, statuerunt ante illum et Paulum.

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

34 Cum legisset autem, et interrogasset de qua provincia esset: et cognoscens quia de Cilicia,

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

35 Audiam te, inquit, cum accusatores tui venerint. Iussitque in praetorio Herodis custodiri eum.

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.