Acts 23

1 Looking intently at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, “Brothers, in all good conscience I have lived as a citizen before God to this day.”

2 At this the high priest Ananias commanded those who were standing beside Paul to strike him on the mouth.

3 Then Paul said to him, “God is about to strike yoʋ, yoʋ whitewashed wall! Are yoʋ sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law ordering me to be struck?”

4 Those standing nearby said, “Do yoʋ dare to insult God's high priest?”

5 Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest. For it is written, ‘Yoʋ shall not speak evil of a ruler of yoʋr people.’”

6 Now when Paul realized that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is regarding the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

7 When he said this, a dissension arose on the part of the Pharisees, and the assembly was divided.

8 (For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

9 Then there arose a great clamor, and the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and argued vehemently, “We find no evil in this man. If a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel, let us not fight against God.”

10 When the dissension grew violent, the commander, exercising caution lest Paul be torn to pieces by them, ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage, Paul, for as yoʋ have testified about me in Jerusalem, so yoʋ must also testify in Rome.”

12 When daybreak came, some of the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

13 More than forty men had taken an oath to join this conspiracy.

14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.

15 Now then, you and the council must make an official request to the commander to bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you would be investigating the facts about his case in greater detail. And we will be ready to kill him before he draws near to this place.”

16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard about this ambush, he went into the barracks and told Paul.

17 Then Paul called one of the centurions over and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.”

18 So he took the young man, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called for me and asked me to bring this young man to yoʋ because he has something to tell yoʋ.”

19 So the commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, “What is it that yoʋ have to tell me?”

20 The young man said, “The Jews have agreed to ask yoʋ to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though the members of the Sanhedrin would be inquiring about his case in greater detail.

21 Do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty men are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are now ready, waiting for yoʋr consent.”

22 So the commander sent the young man away, ordering him, “Tell no one that yoʋ have reported this to me.”

23 Then he called over two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to go to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.

24 Provide mounts so that they may set Paul on one and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

25 Then he wrote the following letter:

26 “Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.

27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.

28 Wishing to know the reason why they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.

29 I discovered that he was being accused about questions of their own law, but had no accusation against him that deserved death or imprisonment.

30 When I was informed that a plot was about to be executed against this man by the Jews, I sent him to yoʋ at once, also ordering his accusers to state before yoʋ the charges against him. Farewell.”

31 So the soldiers took Paul and brought him to Antipatris by night, just as they had been commanded.

32 The next day, they let the horsemen go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.

33 When the horsemen came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul to him as well.

34 After the governor read the letter, he asked what province Paul was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia,

35 he said, “I will give yoʋ a hearing once yoʋr accusers have arrived.” Then he gave orders for him to be kept at Herod's headquarters.