Acts 23

New International Version

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin^(A) and said, “My brothers,^(B) I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience^(C) to this day.” ²At this the high priest Ananias^(D) ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.^(E) ³Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!^(F) You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”^(G)

⁴Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

⁵Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’^[a]”^(H)

⁶Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees^(I) and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers,^(J) I am a Pharisee,^(K) descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”^(L) ⁷When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection,^(M) and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

⁹There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees^(N) stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,”^(O) they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”^(P) ¹⁰The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.^(Q)

¹¹The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!^(R) As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”^(S)

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹²The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy^(T) and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.^(U) ¹³More than forty men were involved in this plot. ¹⁴They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.^(V) ¹⁵Now then, you and the Sanhedrin^(W) petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

¹⁶But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks^(X) and told Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸So he took him to the commander.

The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner,^(Y) sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

¹⁹The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

²⁰He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin^(Z) tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.^(AA) ²¹Don’t give in to them, because more than forty^(AB) of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him.^(AC) They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

²²The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

²³Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen^[b] to go to Caesarea^(AD) at nine tonight.^(AE) ²⁴Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”^(AF)

²⁵He wrote a letter as follows:

²⁶Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency,^(AG) Governor Felix:

Greetings.^(AH)

²⁷This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him,^(AI) but I came with my troops and rescued him,^(AJ) for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.^(AK) ²⁸I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.^(AL) ²⁹I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law,^(AM) but there was no charge against him^(AN) that deserved death or imprisonment. ³⁰When I was informed^(AO) of a plot^(AP) to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers^(AQ) to present to you their case against him.

³¹So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. ³²The next day they let the cavalry^(AR) go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.^(AS) ³³When the cavalry^(AT) arrived in Caesarea,^(AU) they delivered the letter to the governor^(AV) and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,^(AW) ³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers^(AX) get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard^(AY) in Herod’s palace.

Footnotes

Acts 23:5 Exodus 22:28
Acts 23:23 The meaning of the Greek for this word is uncertain.

Psalm 106

New International Version

Psalm 106^(A)

¹Praise the Lord.^[a]^(B)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;^(C)
his love endures forever.^(D)

²Who can proclaim the mighty acts^(E) of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
³Blessed are those who act justly,^(F)
who always do what is right.^(G)

⁴Remember me,^(H) Lord, when you show favor^(I) to your people,
    come to my aid^(J) when you save them,
⁵that I may enjoy the prosperity^(K) of your chosen ones,^(L)
    that I may share in the joy^(M) of your nation
    and join your inheritance^(N) in giving praise.

⁶We have sinned,^(O) even as our ancestors^(P) did;
    we have done wrong and acted wickedly.^(Q)
⁷When our ancestors were in Egypt,
    they gave no thought^(R) to your miracles;
they did not remember^(S) your many kindnesses,
    and they rebelled by the sea,^(T) the Red Sea.^[b]
⁸Yet he saved them^(U) for his name’s sake,^(V)
    to make his mighty power^(W) known.
⁹He rebuked^(X) the Red Sea, and it dried up;^(Y)
    he led them through^(Z) the depths as through a desert.
¹⁰He saved them^(AA) from the hand of the foe;^(AB)
    from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.^(AC)
¹¹The waters covered^(AD) their adversaries;
    not one of them survived.
¹²Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.^(AE)

¹³But they soon forgot^(AF) what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold.^(AG)
¹⁴In the desert^(AH) they gave in to their craving;
    in the wilderness^(AI) they put God to the test.^(AJ)
¹⁵So he gave them^(AK) what they asked for,
    but sent a wasting disease^(AL) among them.

¹⁶In the camp they grew envious^(AM) of Moses
    and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
¹⁷The earth opened^(AN) up and swallowed Dathan;^(AO)
    it buried the company of Abiram.^(AP)
¹⁸Fire blazed^(AQ) among their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.
¹⁹At Horeb they made a calf^(AR)
    and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
²⁰They exchanged their glorious God^(AS)
    for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
²¹They forgot the God^(AT) who saved them,
    who had done great things^(AU) in Egypt,
²²miracles in the land of Ham^(AV)
    and awesome deeds^(AW) by the Red Sea.
²³So he said he would destroy^(AX) them—
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach^(AY) before him
    to keep his wrath from destroying them.

²⁴Then they despised^(AZ) the pleasant land;^(BA)
    they did not believe^(BB) his promise.
²⁵They grumbled^(BC) in their tents
    and did not obey the Lord.
²⁶So he swore^(BD) to them with uplifted hand
    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,^(BE)
²⁷make their descendants fall among the nations
    and scatter^(BF) them throughout the lands.

²⁸They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor^(BG)
    and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
²⁹they aroused the Lord’s anger^(BH) by their wicked deeds,^(BI)
    and a plague^(BJ) broke out among them.
³⁰But Phinehas^(BK) stood up and intervened,
    and the plague was checked.^(BL)
³¹This was credited to him^(BM) as righteousness
    for endless generations^(BN) to come.
³²By the waters of Meribah^(BO) they angered the Lord,
    and trouble came to Moses because of them;
³³for they rebelled^(BP) against the Spirit^(BQ) of God,
    and rash words came from Moses’ lips.^[c]^(BR)

³⁴They did not destroy^(BS) the peoples
    as the Lord had commanded^(BT) them,
³⁵but they mingled^(BU) with the nations
    and adopted their customs.
³⁶They worshiped their idols,^(BV)
    which became a snare^(BW) to them.
³⁷They sacrificed their sons^(BX)
    and their daughters to false gods.^(BY)
³⁸They shed innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons^(BZ) and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
    and the land was desecrated by their blood.
³⁹They defiled themselves^(CA) by what they did;
    by their deeds they prostituted^(CB) themselves.

⁴⁰Therefore the Lord was angry^(CC) with his people
    and abhorred his inheritance.^(CD)
⁴¹He gave them into the hands^(CE) of the nations,
    and their foes ruled over them.
⁴²Their enemies oppressed^(CF) them
    and subjected them to their power.
⁴³Many times he delivered them,^(CG)
    but they were bent on rebellion^(CH)
    and they wasted away in their sin.
⁴⁴Yet he took note of their distress
    when he heard their cry;^(CI)
⁴⁵for their sake he remembered his covenant^(CJ)
    and out of his great love^(CK) he relented.^(CL)
⁴⁶He caused all who held them captive
    to show them mercy.^(CM)