使徒行传 23
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
23 保罗定睛看着公议会的各人，说：“各位弟兄，我在 神面前，行事为人一向都是凭着良心的。” 2 大祭司亚拿尼亚就吩咐站在他旁边的人打保罗的嘴巴。 3 保罗对他说：“你这粉饰的墙啊， 神要击打你！你坐堂要按着律法审问我，现在你竟然违背律法吩咐人打我吗？” 4 站在旁边的人民说：“你敢辱骂 神的大祭司吗？” 5 保罗说：“弟兄们，我不知道他是大祭司。经上说：‘不可咒诅你人民的领袖。’”
6 保罗看出其中一部分是撒都该人，另一部分是法利赛人，就在公议会中大声说：“我是法利赛人，也是法利赛人的子孙，我现在受审，是为了盼望死人复活！” 7 他说了这话，法利赛人和撒都该人就起了争论，会众也分裂了，成为两派。 8 原来撒都该人说没有复活，没有天使，也没有鬼灵，法利赛人却认定这些都有。 9 于是众人大嚷大闹，有几个法利赛派的经学家站起来辩论说：“我们看不出这个人作过甚么坏事；说不定有灵或天使对他说过话。” 10 争论越来越大，千夫长怕保罗被他们撕碎了，就吩咐士兵下去，把他从人群中抢救出来，带到营楼去。
11 当天晚上，主站在保罗身边，说：“你要壮起胆来，你怎样在耶路撒冷作见证，也必照样在罗马为我作见证。”
犹太人设计谋害保罗
12 到了天亮，犹太人在一起秘密计谋，并且发誓说，不杀保罗，就不吃不喝。 13 一同策划这项阴谋的有四十多人。 14 他们来见众祭司长和长老，说：“我们已经发了誓，不杀保罗，就不吃东西。 15 现在你们和公议会要通知千夫长，带保罗到你们这里来，装作要详细审查他。我们已经预备好了，不等他走近，就把他杀了。” 16 但保罗的外甥听见这项埋伏的诡计，就到营楼去，告诉保罗。 17 保罗请了一个百夫长来，说：“请你带这个青年人去见千夫长，他有事要报告。” 18 百夫长就带保罗的外甥去见千夫长，说：“囚犯保罗请了我去，求我带这个青年人来见你，他有事要向你报告。” 19 千夫长拉着他的手，走到一边，私下问他：“你有甚么事要向我报告？” 20 他说：“犹太人已经约好了，要求你明天把保罗带到公议会里去，装作要详细审查他。 21 你不要听他们，因为他们有四十多人正在埋伏起来等着保罗；他们发了誓，不杀保罗，就不吃不喝。现在他们已经准备好了，只等你答应。” 22 千夫长嘱咐那青年人：“不要告诉人你把这事告诉了我。”然后就打发他走了。
保罗被交送腓力斯
23 千夫长叫了两个百夫长来，说：“预备两百个步兵，七十个骑兵、两百个长枪手，晚上九点钟往该撒利亚去。 24 也要预备好牲口，好让保罗骑上，护送他安全到达腓力斯总督那里。” 25 千夫长写了一封信，大意如下：
26 “革老丢．吕西亚问候总督腓力斯大人。 27 这个人被犹太人捉住，快要遭害的时候，我听说他是罗马公民，就带兵去把他救出来。 28 为要知道犹太人控告他的原因，我就带他到他们的公议会那里去。 29 我发现他被控告，是为了他们律法上的问题，并没有甚么该死该绑的罪名。 30 后来我接到密报，得知害他的阴谋，就立刻把他送到你那里去，并且吩咐原告到你面前来控告他。”
31 于是士兵照着吩咐，把保罗提出来，连夜带到安提帕底。 32 第二天，他们把保罗交给骑兵队护送，就回营楼去了。 33 骑兵到了该撒利亚，把信呈上总督，同时把保罗也交给他。 34 总督读了信，就问保罗是哪一省的人；知道了他是基利家人， 35 就说：“等到原告也来了，我才审问你。”于是吩咐人把他拘留在希律的王府里。
Acts 23
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 23
1 Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brethren, to this very day, I have conducted myself before God with a perfectly clear conscience.” 2 At this, the high priest Ananias[a] ordered his attendants to strike him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there to judge me according to the Law and then in defiance of the Law order me to be struck?” 4 The attendants said, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” 5 Paul replied, “Brethren, I did not realize that he was the high priest. It is clearly written: ‘You shall not curse the ruler of your people.’ ”
6 Well aware that some of them were Sadducees and the others were Pharisees, Paul called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning our hope in the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute ensued between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees hold that there is no resurrection and that there are no angels or spirits, while the Pharisees believe in all three.
9 Then a great uproar arose, and some of the scribes belonging to the party of the Pharisees stood up and forcefully stated, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has really spoken to him?” 10 When a violent dissension arose, the commander was fearful that Paul would be torn to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down, seize him from their midst, and bring him into the barracks.
11 On the following night, the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have borne witness to me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
12 A Plot To Kill Paul.[b] When morning came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath[c] not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who entered this pact. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and told them, “We have bound ourselves by a solemn oath not to consume any food until we have killed Paul. 15 You and the Sanhedrin should make an official request to the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext that you want to investigate his case more thoroughly. We on our part have arranged to kill him before he arrives.”
16 However, the son of Paul’s sister learned of the plot. He thereupon went to the barracks and related the news to Paul. 17 Paul then summoned one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.” 18 He brought him to the commander and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and requested that I bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
19 The commander took him by the hand, drew him aside, and asked him in private, “What is it that you have to report to me?” 20 He replied, “The Jews have agreed to request you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of inquiring more thoroughly into his case. 21 Do not believe them. More than forty of them are waiting for your consent to their request, for they have sworn an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now and are waiting only for your consent.” 22 The commander dismissed the young man, ordering him, “Tell no one that you have given me this information.”
Paul’s Imprisonment and Defenses at Caesarea
23 Paul Is Imprisoned at Caesarea.[d] Then he summoned two of his centurions and said, “Have two hundred soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea by nine o’clock tonight,[e] along with seventy cavalrymen and two hundred auxiliaries. 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and deliver him to Felix the governor.” 25 He then wrote a letter as follows:
26 Claudius Lysias,
To his Excellency the governor Felix:[f]
Greetings.
27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them; but when I learned that he was a Roman citizen, I arrived on the scene with my troops and rescued him.
28 Wanting to learn what charge they were making against him, I had him brought before their Sanhedrin. 29 I discovered that the accusation dealt with questions about their Law, but that there was no charge against him that merited death or imprisonment. 30 Now I have been informed of a plot to assassinate this man. I am sending him to you without delay, and I have instructed his accusers to present to you their case against him.
31 Therefore, the soldiers, acting in accordance with their orders, took Paul and escorted him during the night to Antipatris. 32 On the next day, they returned to the barracks, leaving the cavalrymen to escort him the rest of the way. 33 When they arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed over Paul to him.
34 After reading the letter, the governor asked Paul what province he was from, and on learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will hear your case as soon as your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that he be held in custody in Herod’s praetorium.
Footnotes
- Acts 23:2 Ananias was high priest from A.D. 47 to 59.
- Acts 23:12 Luke contrasts the correct behavior of the Roman authorities with the blind fanaticism of the Jews: from the outset the Romans realized that there was nothing subversive about Christianity. This is proof of the loyalty of Christians. Note the reference to Paul’s sister and nephew; this is the only information we have about his family.
- Acts 23:12 Oath: they call God’s curse upon themselves if they fail to carry out the commitment they have assumed.
- Acts 23:23 The commander cannot risk having a Roman citizen assassinated while in his custody, so he seeks to transfer Paul to the jurisdiction of Felix, the governor of the province of Judea. He also sends a letter to Felix summarizing the events, from the riot in the temple to the commander’s discovery of a plot against Paul’s life. The most important thing he says is that there is no charge against Paul deserving of death or punishment. Felix then agrees to hear the case himself.
- Acts 23:23 Nine o’clock tonight: literally, “the third hour of the night.”
- Acts 23:26 Felix: M. Antonius Felix was governor (procurator) of Judea from A.D. 52 to 60, and he ruled with an iron hand.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
