Paul before the High Council

³⁰ The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council.^[a] He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.

³³ Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done.

²⁹ Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”

¹⁵ So you and the high council should ask the commander to bring Paul back to the council again. Pretend you want to examine his case more fully. We will kill him on the way.”

⁵ The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.

¹¹ He came over, took Paul’s belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’”

²¹ So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching.

When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council^[a]—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial.

¹⁷ But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.

²² But I say, if you are even angry with someone,^[a] you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot,^[b] you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone,^[c] you are in danger of the fires of hell.^[d]