Acts 23

Paul looked intently at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience to this day.” The high priest Ananias ordered those standing by to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit to judge me according to the law, yet you break the law by ordering me to be struck?” Those standing by said, “Are you insulting God’s high priest?” Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not know that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” When Paul realized that one part consisted of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm both. A great outcry arose, and some scribes from the Pharisees’ party stood up and argued fiercely, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man. But if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him—” As the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul would be torn apart by them. He ordered the troops to go down, snatch him from their midst, and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood beside him and said, “Take courage, for just as you have borne solemn witness about me in Jerusalem, you must also bear witness in Rome.” When day came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse, saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men had joined this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. So now you, together with the council, should ask the commander to bring him down to you, as though you intended to examine his case more closely. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.” But the son of Paul’s sister heard of the ambush. He came to the barracks, went in, and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.” So he took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.” The commander took him by the hand, withdrew in private, and asked, “What do you have to report to me?” He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though it intended to inquire more closely about him. But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor drink until they have killed him. They are ready now and waiting for your agreement.” So the commander dismissed the young man, ordering him, “Tell no one that you have reported these things to me.” Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, at nine tonight. Provide mounts as well, so that Paul may ride and be brought safely to Felix the governor.” He wrote a letter in these terms: “Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor Felix: Greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. I came with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. Wanting to know the charge they brought against him, I took him down to their council. I found that he was being accused over questions of their law, but had no charge against him deserving death or imprisonment. When I was informed that a plot was being prepared against the man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their case against him before you.” So the soldiers, according to their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. The next day they let the horsemen go on with him and returned to the barracks. When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him as well. After reading it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive too.” He ordered Paul to be kept under guard in Herod’s praetorium.

Rights and attribution