Acts 23

1 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 40 men who planned to do that.

14 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 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 the son of Paul’s sister heard what they were planning to do, so he went into the barracks and told Paul.

17 [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 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 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 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 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 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 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 And take along horses for Paul [and those accompanying him] to ride, and safely escort him to [the palace of] Governor Felix.”

25 Then the commander wrote a letter [to send to the governor]. This is what he wrote:

26 “[I am] Claudius Lysias [writing to you]. You, Felix, are our governor whom we [(exc)] respect, [and I sincerely send you] my greetings.

27 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 I wanted to know what those Jews were saying that he had done wrong, so I took him to their Jewish Council.

29 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 [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 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 The next day, the foot soldiers returned to the barracks [in Jerusalem], and the soldiers who rode horses went on with Paul.

33 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 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 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].