Acts 22:30-23:11
New Living Translation
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.
23 Gazing intently at the high council,[b] Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!”
2 Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. 3 But Paul said to him, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite![c] What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?”
4 Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?”
5 “I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’[d]”
6 Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!”
7 This divided the council—the Pharisees against the Sadducees— 8 for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. 9 So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted. “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.” 10 As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.
11 That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”
Acts 22:30-23:11
International Standard Version
Paul is Brought before the Jewish Council
30 The next day, since the tribune[a] wanted to find out exactly what Paul[b] was being accused of by the Jews, he released him and ordered the high priests and the entire Council[c] to meet. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
Paul Defends Himself
23 Paul looked straight at the Council[d] 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![e] 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.’”[f]
6 When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council,[g] “Brothers, I’m a Pharisee and a descendant[h] 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[i] and said, “Have courage! For just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, you must testify in Rome, too.”
Footnotes
- Acts 22:30 Lit. he
- Acts 22:30 Lit. he
- Acts 22:30 Or Sanhedrin
- 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
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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