Acts 23
Christian Standard Bible
23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience(A) to this day.” 2 The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.(B) 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” (C)
4 Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”
5 “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”[a](D) 6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.(E) I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” (F) 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection,(G) and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.
9 The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’(H) party got up and argued vehemently, “We find nothing evil in this man.(I) What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” [b](J)
10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks.(K) 11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”(L)
The Plot against Paul
12 When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.(M) 13 There were more than forty who had formed this plot. 14 These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you[c] as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”(N)
16 But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”
18 So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”
19 The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”
20 “The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. 21 Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush—men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”(O)
22 So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”
To Caesarea by Night
23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.[d](P) 24 Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”
25 He wrote the following letter:[e]
26 Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings.(Q)
27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.(R) 28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law,(S) and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment.(T) 30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,[f](U) I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers(V) to state their case against him in your presence.[g]
31 So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.(W) 34 After he[h] read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia,(X) 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.[i](Y)
Acts 23
International Standard Version
Paul Defends Himself
23 Paul looked straight at the Council[a] and said, “Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty before God up to this very day.”
2 Then the high priest Ananias ordered the men standing near him to strike him on the mouth. 3 At this Paul told him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall![b] How can you sit there and judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?”
4 The men standing near him asked, “Do you mean to insult God’s high priest?”
5 Paul answered, “I didn’t realize, brothers, that he is the high priest. After all, it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’”[c]
6 When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council,[d] “Brothers, I’m a Pharisee and a descendant[e] of Pharisees. I’m on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected.”
7 After he said that, an angry quarrel broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided, 8 because the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and that there is no such thing as an angel or spirit, but the Pharisees believe in all those things.
9 There was a great deal of shouting until some of the scribes who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and argued forcefully, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
10 The quarrel was becoming violent, and the tribune was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces. So he ordered the soldiers to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. 11 That night the Lord stood near Paul[f] and said, “Have courage! For just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, you must testify in Rome, too.”
Some Jews Plot to Kill Paul
12 In the morning, the Jewish leaders[g] formed a conspiracy and took an oath not to eat or drink anything before they had killed Paul. 13 More than 40 men formed this conspiracy. 14 They went to the high priests and elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to taste any food before we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Council[h] must notify the tribune to bring him down to you on the pretext that you want to look into his case more carefully, but before he arrives we’ll be ready to kill him.”
16 But the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, so he came and got into the barracks and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, because he has something to tell him.”
18 So the centurion[i] took him, brought him to the tribune, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
19 The tribune took him by the hand, stepped aside to be alone with him, and asked, “What have you got to tell me?”
20 He answered, “The Jewish leaders[j] have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Council[k] tomorrow as though they were going to examine his case more carefully. 21 Don’t believe them, because more than 40 of them are planning to ambush him. They’ve taken an oath not to eat or drink before they’ve killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent.”
22 The tribune dismissed the young man and ordered him not to tell anyone that he had notified him. 23 Then he summoned two centurions and ordered, “Get 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight,[l] along with 70 mounted soldiers and 200 soldiers with spears. 24 Provide a mount for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Governor Felix.” 25 He wrote a letter with this message:
26 “From:[m] Claudius Lysias
To: Governor Felix
Greetings, Your Excellency:
27 This man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I went with the guard and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know the exact charge they were making against him, so I had him brought before their Council.[n] 29 I found that, although he was charged with questions about their Law, there was no charge against him deserving death or imprisonment. 30 Since a plot against the man has been reported to me, I’m sending him to you at once, and I’ve also ordered his accusers to present their charges against him before you.”
31 So the soldiers, in keeping with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 The next day, they let the horsemen ride with Paul[o] while they returned to their barracks. 33 When these men[p] came to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34 After reading the letter, the governor[q] asked which province Paul[r] was from. On learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered Paul[s] to be kept in custody in Herod’s palace.[t]
Footnotes
- Acts 23:1 Or Sanhedrin
- Acts 23:3 I.e. hypocrite
- Acts 23:5 Cf. Exod 22:28
- Acts 23:6 Or Sanhedrin
- Acts 23:6 Or son
- Acts 23:11 Lit. him
- Acts 23:12 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
- Acts 23:15 Or Sanhedrin
- Acts 23:18 Lit. So he
- Acts 23:20 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
- Acts 23:20 Or Sanhedrin
- Acts 23:23 Lit. from the third hour of the night
- Acts 23:26 The Gk. lacks From
- Acts 23:28 Or Sanhedrin
- Acts 23:32 Lit. him
- Acts 23:33 The Gk. lacks men
- Acts 23:34 Lit. letter, he
- Acts 23:34 Lit. Paul
- Acts 23:35 Lit. Paul
- Acts 23:35 Lit. praetorium
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