Acts 23:5-12

English Standard Version

⁵ And Paul said, ^(A)“I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ^(B)‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ Now when Paul perceived that one part were ^(C)Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, ^(D)I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is ^(E)with respect to the ^(F)hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” ⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees ^(G)say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ Then a great clamor arose, and some of ^(H)the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, ^(I)“We find nothing wrong in this man. What ^(J)if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” ¹⁰ And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into ^(K)the barracks.

^11 (L)The following night ^(M)the Lord stood by him and said, ^(N)“Take courage, for ^(O)as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must ^(P)testify also in Rome.”

A Plot to Kill Paul

¹² When it was day, ^(Q)the Jews made a plot and ^(R)bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.