Acts
Chapter 23
1 Paul looked intently at the council and said, “Friends, I have lived with a clear conscience before God up to today.”
2 The high priest Ananias ordered those standing nearby to hit him on the mouth.
3 Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you painted wall. Do you sit to judge me by the law, yet you order me to be hit against the law?”
4 The bystanders asked, “Are you insulting God’s chief priest?”
5 Paul said, “Brothers, I didn’t know he was the high priest; because it’s said, ‘You must not say bad things about the leader of your people.’”
6 But when Paul realized that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, he shouted in the meeting, “Friends, I am a Pharisee, born from Pharisees. I am on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
7 After he said this, a disagreement started between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the crowd split up.
8 The Sadducees believe there is no resurrection, angels, or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these.
9 A loud shout went up, and the Pharisees’ legal experts stood, arguing, “We find nothing wrong with this man. If a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, we shouldn’t oppose God.”
10 When a big argument started, the commander, worried Paul might be torn apart by the crowd, ordered the soldiers to go down, forcefully take him from the people, and bring him into the fortress.
11 The next night, God stood by him and said, “Cheer up, Paul. Just as you told people about me in Jerusalem, you must also speak about me in Rome.”
12 When daylight came, some Jews made a pact, swearing not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13 Over forty people were involved in this plan.
14 They went to the religious leaders and said, “We have made a serious promise not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.”
15 So now, tell the commander with the council to bring him to you tomorrow, pretending you want to ask him more questions. And before he gets there, we will be ready to kill him.
16 When Paul’s nephew found out about the ambush, he went into the fort and told Paul.
17 Paul called one of the officers over and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something important to tell him.”
18 He took him and brought him to the commander, saying, “Paul the prisoner asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”
19 The leader took his hand, led him to a quiet place, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?”
20 He said, “The Jews want to ask you to bring Paul to the council tomorrow, as if they will ask him more questions.”
21 But don’t give in to them. Over forty men are hiding, ready to kill him. They took an oath not to eat or drink until they do. Now they’re waiting for your word.
22 So the commander let the young man go and ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have told me this.”
23 He called two army commanders and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horse riders, and two hundred spearmen to leave for Caesarea at three o’clock in the morning.”
24 Give them animals to put Paul on, to take him safely to Governor Felix.
25 He wrote a letter like this:
26 Claudius Lysias sends greetings to the honored governor Felix.
27 The Jews had seized this man and were about to kill him when I came with soldiers and saved him because I learned he was a Roman.
28 I brought him to their meeting to understand why they were accusing him.
29 I saw he was accused about their law issues, but nothing was charged against him deserving death or prison.
30 When I heard that the Jews were planning to ambush the man, I immediately sent him to you and ordered his accusers to present their case against him to you. Goodbye.
31 The soldiers followed orders, took Paul, and moved him at night to Antipatris.
32 The next day they let the horsemen go with him and went back to the fort.
33 When they got to Caesarea and gave the letter to the governor, they also brought Paul before him.
34 After the governor read the letter, he asked which area he was from. When he learned that it was Cilicia;
35 I will listen to you, he said, when your accusers arrive. And he ordered him to be held in Herod’s court.