Actuum Apostolorum 23
1 intendens autem concilium Paulus ait viri fratres ego omni conscientia bona conversatus sum ante Deum usque in hodiernum diem
Paul looked directly at the council members and said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.”
2 princeps autem sacerdotum Ananias praecepit adstantibus sibi percutere os eius
The high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
3 tunc Paulus ad eum dixit percutiet te Deus paries dealbate et tu sedens iudicas me secundum legem et contra legem iubes me percuti
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?”
4 et qui adstabant dixerunt summum sacerdotem Dei maledicis
Those who stood by said, “Is this how you insult God's high priest?”
5 dixit autem Paulus nesciebam fratres quia princeps est sacerdotum scriptum est enim principem populi tui non maledices
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.”
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
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.”
7 et cum haec dixisset facta est dissensio inter Pharisaeos et Sadducaeos et soluta est multitudo
When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.
8 Sadducaei enim dicunt non esse resurrectionem neque angelum neque spiritum Pharisaei autem utrumque confitentur
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, no angels, and no spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge all of them.
9 factus est autem clamor magnus et surgentes quidam Pharisaeorum pugnabant dicentes nihil mali invenimus in homine isto quod si spiritus locutus est ei aut angelus
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?”
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
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.
11 sequenti autem nocte adsistens ei Dominus ait constans esto sicut enim testificatus es de me Hierusalem sic te oportet et Romae testificari
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.”
12 facta autem die collegerunt se quidam ex Iudaeis et devoverunt se dicentes neque manducaturos neque bibituros donec occiderent Paulum
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.
13 erant autem plus quam quadraginta qui hanc coniurationem fecerant
There were more than forty men who formed this conspiracy.
14 qui accesserunt ad principes sacerdotum et seniores et dixerunt devotione devovimus nos nihil gustaturos donec occidamus Paulum
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.
15 nunc ergo vos notum facite tribuno cum concilio ut producat illum ad vos tamquam aliquid certius cognituri de eo nos vero priusquam adpropiet parati sumus interficere illum
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.”
16 quod cum audisset filius sororis Pauli insidias venit et intravit in castra nuntiavitque Paulo
But Paul's sister's son heard that they were lying in wait, so he went and entered the fortress and told Paul.
17 vocans autem Paulus ad se unum ex centurionibus ait adulescentem hunc perduc ad tribunum habet enim aliquid indicare illi
Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the chief captain, for he has something to tell him.”
18 et ille quidem adsumens eum duxit ad tribunum et ait vinctus Paulus vocans rogavit me hunc adulescentem perducere ad te habentem aliquid loqui tibi
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.”
19 adprehendens autem tribunus manum illius secessit cum eo seorsum et interrogavit illum quid est quod habes indicare mihi
The chief captain took him by the hand to a private place and asked him, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
20 ille autem dixit Iudaeis convenit rogare te ut crastina die Paulum producas in concilium quasi aliquid certius inquisituri sint de illo
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.
21 tu vero ne credideris illis insidiantur enim ei ex eis viri amplius quadraginta qui se devoverunt non manducare neque bibere donec interficiant eum et nunc parati sunt expectantes promissum tuum
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.”
22 tribunus igitur dimisit adulescentem praecipiens ne cui loqueretur quoniam haec nota sibi fecisset
So the chief captain let the young man go, after instructing him, “Tell no one that you have said these things to me.”
23 et vocatis duobus centurionibus dixit illis parate milites ducentos ut eant usque Caesaream et equites septuaginta et lancearios ducentos a tertia hora noctis
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.”
24 et iumenta praeparate ut inponentes Paulum salvum perducerent ad Felicem praesidem
He also ordered them to provide animals which Paul could ride, and to take him safely to Felix the governor.
Then he wrote a letter like this:
26 scribens epistulam continentem haec Claudius Lysias optimo praesidi Felici salutem
“Claudius Lysias to the most excellent Governor Felix, greetings.
27 virum hunc conprehensum a Iudaeis et incipientem interfici ab eis superveniens cum exercitu eripui cognito quia Romanus est
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.
28 volensque scire causam quam obiciebant illi deduxi eum in concilium eorum
I wanted to know why they accused him, so I took him down to their council.
29 quem inveni accusari de quaestionibus legis ipsorum nihil vero dignum morte aut vinculis habentem crimen
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.
30 et cum mihi perlatum esset de insidiis quas paraverunt ei misi ad te denuntians et accusatoribus ut dicant apud te
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.”
31 milites ergo secundum praeceptum sibi adsumentes Paulum duxerunt per noctem in Antipatridem
So the soldiers obeyed their orders. They took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 et postera die dimissis equitibus ut irent cum eo reversi sunt ad castra
On the next day, most of the soldiers left the horsemen to go with him and they themselves returned to the fortress.
33 qui cum venissent Caesaream et tradidissent epistulam praesidi statuerunt ante illum et Paulum
When the horsemen reached Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
34 cum legisset autem et interrogasset de qua provincia esset et cognoscens quia de Cilicia
When the governor read the letter, he asked what province Paul was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35 audiam te inquit cum et accusatores tui venerint iussitque in praetorio Herodis custodiri eum
he said, “I will hear you fully when your accusers come here.” Then he commanded him to be kept in Herod's government headquarters.
