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.” The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.(B) 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)

Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”

“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) 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) When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection,(G) and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.

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)

Footnotes

  1. 23:5 Ex 22:28
  2. 23:9 Other mss add Let us not fight God.
  3. 23:15 Other mss add tomorrow
  4. 23:23 Lit at the third hour tonight
  5. 23:25 Or He wrote a letter to this effect:
  6. 23:30 Other mss add by the Jews
  7. 23:30 Other mss add Farewell
  8. 23:34 Other mss read the governor
  9. 23:35 Or headquarters

23 Looking atenizō intently at · de the ho council synedrion, · ho Paul Paulos said legō, “ My brothers anēr, I egō have lived politeuomai in all pas good agathos conscience syneidēsis before ho God theos up achri to this houtos · ho day hēmera.” At that the ho · de high archiereus priest Ananias Hananias ordered epitassō those ho standing paristēmi near him autos to strike typtō him autos on the ho mouth stoma. Then tote · ho Paul Paulos said legō to pros him autos, “ God theos is about mellō to strike typtō you sy, · ho you whitewashed koniaō wall toichos! Do you sy indeed kai sit kathēmai judging krinō me egō according kata to the ho law nomos yet kai contrary paranomeō to the law order keleuō me egō to be struck typtō?” Those ho · de standing paristēmi near him said legō, “Dare you insult loidoreō God’ s theos · ho high archiereus priest ?” · ho And te Paul Paulos said phēmi, · ho I did not ou realize oida, brothers adelphos, that hoti he was eimi high archiereus priest ; for gar it is written graphō, ‘ You shall legō not ou speak legō evil kakōs about legō the ruler archōn of ho your sy people laos.’”

Now de when Paul Paulos perceived ginōskō · ho that hoti · ho one heis part meros were eimi Sadducees Saddoukaios and de the ho other heteros Pharisees Pharisaios, he cried krazō out in en the ho council synedrion, “ My brothers anēr, I egō am eimi a Pharisee Pharisaios, a son hyios of Pharisees Pharisaios. It is regarding peri my hope elpis · kai of a resurrection anastasis for the dead nekros that I egō am on trial krinō.” When legō he autos said legō this houtos, · de an argument stasis broke ginomai out between the ho Pharisees Pharisaios and kai the Sadducees Saddoukaios, and kai the ho assembly plēthos was divided schizō. ( For gar the Sadducees Saddoukaios say legō that there is eimi no resurrection anastasis, nor mēte angel angelos nor mēte spirit pneuma, but de the Pharisees Pharisaios confess homologeō · ho them all amphoteroi.) Then de there arose ginomai a great megas uproar kraugē, and kai certain tis of the ho scribes grammateus of the ho party meros of the ho Pharisees Pharisaios stood up anistēmi and protested diamachomai vigorously , saying legō, “ We find heuriskō nothing oudeis evil kakos in en · ho this houtos man anthrōpos. What if ei · de a spirit pneuma or ē an angel angelos has spoken laleō to him autos?” 10 And de when ginomai the argument stasis became ginomai violent polys, the ho commanding officer chiliarchos, afraid phobeomai that Paul Paulos would be torn diaspaō apart · ho by hypo them autos, commanded keleuō the ho soldiers strateuma to go down katabainō and take harpazō him autos away from ek among mesos them autos by force and te bring agō him into eis the ho barracks parembolē.

11 The ho · de following epeimi night nyx the ho Lord kyrios stood ephistēmi by him autos and said legō, “ Take tharseō courage , for gar as hōs you have testified diamartyromai to the ho facts about peri me egō in eis Jerusalem Ierousalēm, so houtōs must dei you sy also kai testify martyreō in eis Rome Rhōmē.”

12 When it was ginomai · de day hēmera, the ho Jews Ioudaios made poieō a plot systrophē and bound anathematizō themselves heautou by an oath saying legō that they would neither mēte eat esthiō nor mēte drink pinō until heōs hos they had killed apokteinō · ho Paul Paulos. 13 There were eimi · de more polys than forty tesserakonta who ho made poieō this houtos · ho conspiracy synōmosia. 14 These hostis went proserchomai to the ho chief archiereus priests and kai · ho elders presbyteros and said legō, “ We have bound anathematizō ourselves heautou by anathema an oath anathema to taste geuomai no mēdeis food until heōs hos we have killed apokteinō · ho Paul Paulos. 15 So oun now nyn you hymeis and syn the ho council synedrion give notice emphanizō to the ho commanding chiliarchos officer to hopōs bring katagō him autos down to eis you hymeis, as hōs though you were mellō going to examine diaginōskō his autos case ho more accurately akribōs; and de we hēmeis will be eimi ready hetoimos to kill anaireō him autos before pro · ho he autos gets engizō there .” · ho 16 But de when akouō the ho son hyios of ho Paul’ s Paulos sister adelphē heard about akouō the ho ambush enedra, he went paraginomai and kai entered eiserchomai eis the ho barracks parembolē and reported apangellō it to ho Paul Paulos. 17 Then de Paul Paulos called proskaleō · ho one heis of the ho centurions hekatontarchēs and said phēmi, “ Take apagō · ho this houtos young neanias man to pros the ho commanding chiliarchos officer , for gar he has echō something tis to report apangellō to him autos.” 18 So oun he ho took paralambanō him autos and brought agō him to pros the ho commanding chiliarchos officer and kai said phēmi, “ The ho prisoner desmios Paul Paulos called proskaleō me egō and asked erōtaō me to bring agō this houtos · ho young neaniskos man to pros you sy, as he has echō something tis to say laleō to you sy.” 19 The ho commanding officer chiliarchos took epilambanomai him autos by · de the ho hand cheir, · kai drew anachōreō him aside kata idios and asked pynthanomai, “ What tis is eimi it that hos you have echō to report apangellō to me egō?” 20 And de he said legō, “ The ho Jews Ioudaios have agreed syntithēmi to ho ask erōtaō you sy to hopōs bring katagō Paul Paulos down katagō tomorrow aurion · ho to eis the ho council synedrion, as hōs though the case tis against peri him autos was going mellō to be examined pynthanomai more closely akribōs.

21 But oun you sy should not be persuaded peithō by them autos, for gar more than polys forty tesserakonta of ek their autos men anēr are lying enedreuō in wait for him autos and have bound anathematizō themselves heautou by an oath neither mēte to eat esthiō nor mēte drink pinō until heōs hos they kill anaireō him autos. And kai now nyn they are eimi ready hetoimos, awaiting prosdechomai · ho your sy consent epangelia.” 22 So oun the ho commanding chiliarchos officer dismissed apolyō the ho young neaniskos man , charging parangellō him to tell eklaleō no mēdeis one that hoti you have reported emphanizō these houtos things to pros me egō.” 23 Then kai he called proskaleō two dyo of the ho centurions hekatontarchēs and said legō, “ Get ready hetoimazō by apo the third tritos hour hōra of the ho night nyx two hundred diakosioi soldiers stratiōtēs, seventy hebdomēkonta horsemen hippeus, and two hundred diakosioi spearmen dexiolabos to hopōs go poreuō as heōs far as Caesarea Kaisareia.” · kai · kai 24 And te he told them to provide paristēmi mounts ktēnos so that hina having put epibibazō · ho Paul Paulos on them they might bring diasōzō him safely to pros Felix Phēlix the ho governor hēgemōn. 25 And he wrote graphō a letter epistolē having echō · ho this houtos form typos: 26  Claudius Klaudios Lysias Lysias, to the ho most kratistos excellent governor hēgemōn, Felix Phēlix, greetings chairō. 27 · ho This houtos man anēr was seized syllambanō by hypo the ho Jews Ioudaios and kai was about mellō to be killed anaireō by hypo them autos, when I came ephistēmi upon him and, with syn the ho soldiers strateuma, rescued exaireō him, having learned manthanō that hoti he was eimi a Roman Rhōmaios citizen . 28 And te wanting boulomai to know epiginōskō the ho charge aitia for dia which hos they were accusing enkaleō him autos, I brought katagō him down to eis · ho their autos council synedrion. 29 I found heuriskō him hos accused enkaleō in peri regard to questions zētēma of ho their autos law nomos, but de with echō no mēdeis charge enklēma deserving axios death thanatos or ē imprisonment desmos. 30 And de when it was disclosed mēnyō to me egō that there would be eimi a plot epiboulē against eis the ho man anēr, I sent pempō him to pros you sy at once exautēs, ordering parangellō his ho accusers katēgoros also kai to speak legō · ho against pros him autos to epi you sy.”

31 So oun the ho soldiers stratiōtēs, according kata to the ho directions diatassō given to them autos, took analambanō · ho Paul Paulos and brought agō him by dia night nyx to eis · ho Antipatris Antipatris. 32 The ho · de next epaurion day they let eaō the ho horsemen hippeus go aperchomai on with syn him autos, and they returned hypostrephō to eis the ho barracks parembolē. 33 When the horsemen hostis arrived eiserchomai in eis · ho Caesarea Kaisareia, · kai they delivered anadidōmi the ho letter epistolē to the ho governor hēgemōn and kai turned paristēmi over · ho Paul Paulos to him autos. 34 When he had read anaginōskō the letter, · de · kai he asked eperōtaō from ek what poios province eparcheia he was eimi. · kai Learning pynthanomai that hoti he was from apo Cilicia Kilikia, 35 he said phēmi, “ I will give you sy a hearing diakouō when hotan · kai · ho your sy accusers katēgoros arrive paraginomai.” Then he commanded keleuō that Paul autos be guarded phylassō in en · ho Herod’ s hērōdēs headquarters praitōrion. · ho