Acts 23

1 Paul looked directly at the council members and said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.”

And Paul having earnestly beheld the sanhedrim, said, 'Men, brethren, I in all good conscience have lived to God unto this day;'

2 The high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

and the chief priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to smite him on the mouth,

3 Then said Paul to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall. Are you sitting to judge me by the law, yet order me to be struck, against the law?”

then Paul said unto him, 'God is about to smite thee, thou whitewashed wall, and thou — thou dost sit judging me according to the law, and, violating law, dost order me to be smitten!'

4 Those who stood by said, “Is this how you insult God's high priest?”

And those who stood by said, 'The chief priest of God dost thou revile?'

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

and Paul said, 'I did not know, brethren, that he is chief priest: for it hath been written, Of the ruler of thy people thou shalt not speak evil;'

6 When Paul saw that the one part of the council were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he spoke loudly in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is because I have the certain hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am being judged.”

and Paul having known that the one part are Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out in the sanhedrim, 'Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee — son of a Pharisee — concerning hope and rising again of dead men I am judged.'

7 When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.

And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,

8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, no angels, and no spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge all of them.

for Sadducees, indeed, say there is no rising again, nor messenger, nor spirit, but Pharisees confess both.

9 So a large uproar occurred, and some of the scribes belonging to the Pharisees stood up and argued, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

And there came a great cry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part having arisen, were striving, saying, 'No evil do we find in this man; and if a spirit spake to him, or a messenger, we may not fight against God;'

10 When there arose a great argument, the chief captain feared that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, so he commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among the council members, and bring him into the fortress.

and a great dissension having come, the chief captain having been afraid lest Paul may be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiery, having gone down, to take him by force out of the midst of them, and to bring [him] to the castle.

11 The following night the Lord stood beside him and said, “Do not be afraid, for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”

And on the following night, the Lord having stood by him, said, 'Take courage, Paul, for as thou didst fully testify the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so it behoveth thee also at Rome to testify.'

12 When it became day, some Jews formed a conspiracy and called a curse down upon themselves with an oath not to eat nor drink anything until they had killed Paul.

And day having come, certain of the Jews having made a concourse, did anathematize themselves, saying neither to eat nor to drink till they may kill Paul;

13 There were more than forty men who formed this conspiracy.

and they were more than forty who made this conspiracy by oath,

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

who having come near to the chief priests and to the elders said, 'With an anathema we did anathematize ourselves — to taste nothing till we have killed Paul;

15 Now, therefore, let the council tell the chief captain to bring him down to you, as if you would decide his case more precisely. As for us, we are ready to kill him before he comes here.”

now, therefore, ye, signify ye to the chief captain, with the sanhedrim, that to-morrow he may bring him down unto you, as being about to know more exactly the things concerning him; and we, before his coming nigh, are ready to put him to death.'

16 But Paul's sister's son heard that they were lying in wait, so he went and entered the fortress and told Paul.

And the son of Paul's sister having heard of the lying in wait, having gone and entered into the castle, told Paul,

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

and Paul having called near one of the centurions, said, 'This young man lead unto the chief captain, for he hath something to tell him.'

18 So the centurion took the young man and brought him to the chief captain and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.”

He indeed, then, having taken him, brought him unto the chief captain, and saith, 'The prisoner Paul, having called me near, asked [me] this young man to bring unto thee, having something to say to thee.'

19 The chief captain took him by the hand to a private place and asked him, “What is it that you have to tell me?”

And the chief captain having taken him by the hand, and having withdrawn by themselves, inquired, 'What is that which thou hast to tell me?'

20 The young man said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring down Paul tomorrow to the council, as if they were going to ask more precisely about his case.

and he said — 'The Jews agreed to request thee, that to-morrow to the sanhedrim thou mayest bring down Paul, as being about to enquire something more exactly concerning him;

21 But do not give in to them, because there are more than forty men who are lying in wait for him. They have called a curse down on themselves, neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Even now they are ready, waiting for consent from you.”

thou, therefore, mayest thou not yield to them, for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who did anathematize themselves — not to eat nor to drink till they kill him, and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from thee.'

22 So the chief captain let the young man go, after instructing him, “Tell no one that you have said these things to me.”

The chief captain, then, indeed, let the young man go, having charged [him] to tell no one, 'that these things thou didst shew unto me;'

23 Then he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready to go as far as Caesarea, and seventy horsemen also, and two hundred spearmen. You will leave at the third hour of the night.”

and having called near a certain two of the centurions, he said, 'Make ready soldiers two hundred, that they may go on unto Caesarea, and horsemen seventy, and spearmen two hundred, from the third hour of the night;

24 He also ordered them to provide animals which Paul could ride, and to take him safely to Felix the governor.

beasts also provide, that, having set Paul on, they may bring him safe unto Felix the governor;'

25 Then he wrote a letter like this:

he having written a letter after this description:

26 “Claudius Lysias to the most excellent Governor Felix, greetings.

'Claudius Lysias, to the most noble governor Felix, hail:

27 This man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon them with soldiers and rescued him, since I learned that he was a Roman citizen.

This man having been taken by the Jews, and being about to be killed by them — having come with the soldiery, I rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman;

28 I wanted to know why they accused him, so I took him down to their council.

and, intending to know the cause for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their sanhedrim,

29 I learned that he was being accused about questions concerning their own law, but that there was no accusation against him that deserved death or imprisonment.

whom I found accused concerning questions of their law, and having no accusation worthy of death or bonds;

30 Then it was made known to me that there was a plot against the man, so I immediately sent him to you, and instructed his accusers also to bring their charges against him in your presence. Farewell.”

and a plot having been intimated to me against this man — about to be of the Jews — at once I sent unto thee, having given command also to the accusers to say the things against him before thee; be strong.'

31 So the soldiers obeyed their orders. They took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

Then, indeed, the soldiers according to that directed them, having taken up Paul, brought him through the night to Antipatris,

32 On the next day, most of the soldiers left the horsemen to go with him and they themselves returned to the fortress.

and on the morrow, having suffered the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the castle;

33 When the horsemen reached Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.

those having entered into Caesarea, and delivered the letter to the governor, did present also Paul to him.

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

And the governor having read [it], and inquired of what province he is, and understood that [he is] from Cilicia;

35 he said, “I will hear you fully when your accusers come here.” Then he commanded him to be kept in Herod's government headquarters.

'I will hear thee — said he — when thine accusers also may have come;' he also commanded him to be kept in the praetorium of Herod.