< Acts 23 >
1 And when Paul had looked on the assembly of them, he said: Men, my brethren; I have lived in all good conscience before God up to this day.
Paul fixed his eyes on the Council, and began: ‘Brothers, for my part, I have always ordered my life before God, with a clear conscience, up to this very day.’
2 And Ananias, the priest, commanded those who stood by his side, to smite Paul on the mouth.
At this, the high priest Ananias ordered the men standing near to strike him on the mouth;
3 And Paul said to him: God is here-after to smite thee, thou Whited Wall! For, sittest thou judging me agreeably to law, while thou transgressest the law, and commandest to smite me?
Paul turned to him and said: ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to try me in accordance with law, and yet, in defiance of law, order me to be struck?’
4 And those standing by, said to him: Dost thou reproach the priest of God!
The people standing near said to Paul, ‘Do you know that you are insulting God’s high priest?’
5 Paul said to them: I was not aware, my brethren, that he was the priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not curse the ruler of thy people.
‘I did not know, brothers, that it was the high priest,’ said Paul, ‘for scripture says – “Of the ruler of your people you should speak no ill”.’
6 And, as Paul knew that a part of the people were of the Sadducees, and a part of the Pharisees, he cried out, in the assembly: Men, my brethren; I am a Pharisee the son of a Pharisee; and for the hope of the resurrection of the dead, I am judged.
Noticing that some of those present were Sadducees and others Pharisees, Paul called out in the Council, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee and a son of Pharisees. It is on the question of hope for the dead and of their resurrection that I am on my trial.’
7 And when he had said this, the Pharisees and Sadducees fell upon one another, and the people were divided
As soon as he said this, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and there was a sharp division of opinion among those present.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angels, nor a spirit: but the Pharisees confess all these.
(For Sadducees say there is no such thing as a resurrection, and that there is neither angel nor spirit, while Pharisees believe in both.)
9 And there was great vociferation. And some Scribes of the party of the Pharisees rose up, and contended with them, and said. We have found nothing evil in this man: for if a spirit or an angel hath conversed with him, what is there in that?
So a great uproar ensued, and some of the Teachers of the Law belonging to the Pharisees’ party stood up and hotly protested, ‘We find nothing whatever wrong in this man. Suppose a spirit did speak to him, or an angel…’
10 And, as there was great commotion among them, the Chiliarch was afraid lest they should tear Paul in pieces. And he sent Romans, to go and pluck him from their midst, and bring him into the castle.
The dispute was becoming so violent, that the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces between them, ordered the Guard to go down and rescue him from them, and take him into the Fort.
11 And when night came, our Lord appeared to Paul, and said to him: Be strong; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so also art thou to testify at Rome.
That night the Lord came and stood by Paul, and said, ‘Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem and you must bear witness in Rome also.’
12 And when it was morning, several of the Jews assembled together, and bound themselves by imprecations that they would neither eat nor drink until they had slain Paul.
In the morning some Jewish men combined together, and took an oath that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13 And they who had established this compact by oath, were more than forty persons.
There were more than forty in the plot;
14 And they went to the priests and Elders, and said: We have bound ourselves by imprecations, that we will taste of nothing, until we shall have slain Paul.
and they went to the chief priests and the elders, and said, ‘We have taken a solemn oath not to touch food until we have killed Paul.
15 And now, do ye and the chiefs of the congregation request of the Chiliarch, that he would bring him unto you, as if ye were desirous to investigate truly his conduct: and we are prepared to slay him, ere he shall come to you.
So we want you now, with the consent of the Council, to suggest to the commanding officer that he should bring Paul down before you, as though you intended to go more fully into his case; but, before he comes here, we will be ready to make away with him.’
16 And the son of Paul's sister, heard of this plot: and he went into the castle, and informed Paul.
However, the son of Paul’s sister, hearing of the plot, went to the Fort, and on being admitted, told Paul about it.
17 And Paul sent and called one of the centurions, and said to him: Conduct this youth to the Chiliarch; for he hath something to tell him.
Paul called one of the garrison centurion and asked him to take the young man to the commanding officer, as he had something to tell him.
18 And the centurion took the young man, and introduced him to the Chiliarch, and said: Paul the prisoner called me, and requested me to bring this youth to thee, for he hath something to tell thee.
The centurion went with him to the commanding officer, and said, ‘The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to tell you.’
19 And the Chiliarch took the young man by his hand, and led him one side, and asked him: What hast thou to tell me?
The commanding officer took the young man by the hand, and, stepping aside, asked what it was he had to tell him.
20 And the young man said to him: The Jews have projected to ask thee to bring down Paul to-morrow to their assembly, as if wishing to learn something more from him.
‘Some men have agreed,’ he answered, ‘to ask you to bring Paul down before the Council tomorrow, on the plea of your making further inquiry into his case.
21 But be not thou persuaded by them: for, lo, more than forty persons of them watch for him in ambush, and have bound themselves by imprecations, that they will neither eat nor drink until they shall have slain him: and lo, they are prepared, and are waiting for thy promise
But do not let them persuade you, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, who have taken an oath that they will not eat or drink, until they have made away with him; and they are at this very moment in readiness, counting on your promise.’
22 And the Chiliarch dismissed the young man, after charging him: Let no man know, that thou hast showed me these things.
The commanding officer then dismissed the young man, cautioning him not to mention to anybody that he had given him that information.
23 And he called two centurions, and said to them: Go and prepare two hundred Romans to go to Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and shooters with the right hand two hundred; and let them set out at the third hour of the night.
Then he called two Captains, and ordered them to have two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, as well as seventy troopers and two hundred lancers, by nine o’clock that night,
24 And provide also a saddle beast, that they may set Paul on it, and carry him safely to Felix the governor.
and to have horses ready for Paul to ride, so that they might take him safely to Felix, the Governor.
25 And he wrote a letter and gave them, in which was, thus:
He also wrote a letter along these lines:
26 Claudius Lysias to the excellent governor Felix; greeting.
“Claudius Lysias sends his compliments to His Excellency Felix the Governor.
27 The Jews seized this man, in order to kill him; but I came with Romans, and rescued him, when I learned that he was a Roman.
The man whom I send with this had been seized by some Jews, and was on the point of being killed by them, when I came upon them with the force under my command, and rescued him, as I learned that he was a Roman citizen.
28 And as I wished to know the offence, for which they criminated him, I brought him to their assembly.
Wanting to know exactly the ground of the charges they made against him, I brought him before their Council,
29 And I found, that it was about questions of their law they accused him, and that an offence worthy of bonds or of death, was not upon him.
when I found that their charges were connected with questions of their own Law, and that there was nothing alleged involving either death or imprisonment.
30 And when the wiles of a plot formed by the Jews against him came to my knowledge, I forthwith sent him to thee. And I have directed his accusers, to go and contend with him, before thee. Farewell.
Having, however, information of a plot against the man, which was about to be put into execution, I am sending him to you at once, and I have also directed his accusers to prosecute him before you.”
31 Then the Romans, as they had been commanded, took Paul by night, and brought him to the city of Antipatris.
The soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took charge of Paul and conducted him by night to Antipatris;
32 And the next day, the horsemen dismissed the footmen their associates, that they might return to the castle.
and on the next day, leaving the troopers to go on with him, they returned to the Fort.
33 And they brought him to Caesarea: and they delivered the letter to the governor, and set Paul before him.
On arriving at Caesarea, the troopers delivered the letter to the Governor, and brought Paul before him.
34 And when he had read the letter, he asked him of what province he was? And when he learned that he was of Cilicia,
As soon as Felix had read the letter, he enquired to what province Paul belonged, and, learning that he came from Cilicia, he said,
35 he said to him: I will give thee audience, when thy accusers arrive. And he ordered him to be kept in the Praetorium of Herod.
‘I will hear all you have to say as soon as your accusers have arrived.’ And he ordered Paul to be kept under guard in Herod’s Government house.