Acts 23
New King James Version
The Jerusalem Jews Plot to Kill Paul
23 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, (A)I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him (B)to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and (C)do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
4 And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?”
5 Then Paul said, (D)“I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, (E)‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”
6 But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, (F)I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; (G)concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. 8 (H)For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. 9 Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, (I)“We find no evil in this man; [a]but (J)if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, (K)let us not fight against God.”
10 Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
The Plot Against Paul
11 But (L)the following night the Lord stood by him and said, [b]“Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in (M)Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at (N)Rome.”
12 And when it was day, (O)some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had (P)killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. 14 They came to the chief priests and (Q)elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you [c]tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
16 So when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.”
19 Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
20 And he said, (R)“The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him. 21 But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.”
22 So the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”
Sent to Felix
23 And he called for two centurions, saying, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to (S)Caesarea at the third hour of the night; 24 and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” 25 He wrote a letter in the following manner:
26 Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings.
27 (T)This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. Coming with the troops I rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. 28 (U)And when I wanted to know the reason they accused him, I brought him before their council. 29 I found out that he was accused (V)concerning questions of their law, (W)but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains. 30 And (X)when it was told me that [d]the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him immediately to you, and (Y)also commanded his accusers to state before you the charges against him.
Farewell.
31 Then the soldiers, as they were commanded, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 The next day they left the horsemen to go on with him, and returned to the barracks. 33 When they came to (Z)Caesarea and had delivered the (AA)letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 And when the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from (AB)Cilicia, 35 he said, (AC)“I will hear you when your accusers also have come.” And he commanded him to be kept in (AD)Herod’s [e]Praetorium.
Footnotes
- Acts 23:9 NU what if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him? omitting the last clause
- Acts 23:11 Take courage
- Acts 23:15 NU omits tomorrow
- Acts 23:30 NU there would be a plot against the man
- Acts 23:35 Headquarters
ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ 23
1894 Scrivener New Testament
23 ατενισας δε ο παυλος τω συνεδριω ειπεν ανδρες αδελφοι εγω παση συνειδησει αγαθη πεπολιτευμαι τω θεω αχρι ταυτης της ημερας
2 ο δε αρχιερευς ανανιας επεταξεν τοις παρεστωσιν αυτω τυπτειν αυτου το στομα
3 τοτε ο παυλος προς αυτον ειπεν τυπτειν σε μελλει ο θεος τοιχε κεκονιαμενε και συ καθη κρινων με κατα τον νομον και παρανομων κελευεις με τυπτεσθαι
4 οι δε παρεστωτες ειπον τον αρχιερεα του θεου λοιδορεις
5 εφη τε ο παυλος ουκ ηδειν αδελφοι οτι εστιν αρχιερευς γεγραπται γαρ αρχοντα του λαου σου ουκ ερεις κακως
6 γνους δε ο παυλος οτι το εν μερος εστιν σαδδουκαιων το δε ετερον φαρισαιων εκραξεν εν τω συνεδριω ανδρες αδελφοι εγω φαρισαιος ειμι υιος φαρισαιου περι ελπιδος και αναστασεως νεκρων εγω κρινομαι
7 τουτο δε αυτου λαλησαντος εγενετο στασις των φαρισαιων και των σαδδουκαιων και εσχισθη το πληθος
8 σαδδουκαιοι μεν γαρ λεγουσιν μη ειναι αναστασιν μηδε αγγελον μητε πνευμα φαρισαιοι δε ομολογουσιν τα αμφοτερα
9 εγενετο δε κραυγη μεγαλη και ανασταντες οι γραμματεις του μερους των φαρισαιων διεμαχοντο λεγοντες ουδεν κακον ευρισκομεν εν τω ανθρωπω τουτω ει δε πνευμα ελαλησεν αυτω η αγγελος μη θεομαχωμεν
10 πολλης δε γενομενης στασεως ευλαβηθεις ο χιλιαρχος μη διασπασθη ο παυλος υπ αυτων εκελευσεν το στρατευμα καταβαν αρπασαι αυτον εκ μεσου αυτων αγειν τε εις την παρεμβολην
11 τη δε επιουση νυκτι επιστας αυτω ο κυριος ειπεν θαρσει παυλε ως γαρ διεμαρτυρω τα περι εμου εις ιερουσαλημ ουτως σε δει και εις ρωμην μαρτυρησαι
12 γενομενης δε ημερας ποιησαντες τινες των ιουδαιων συστροφην ανεθεματισαν εαυτους λεγοντες μητε φαγειν μητε πιειν εως ου αποκτεινωσιν τον παυλον
13 ησαν δε πλειους τεσσαρακοντα οι ταυτην την συνωμοσιαν πεποιηκοτες
14 οιτινες προσελθοντες τοις αρχιερευσιν και τοις πρεσβυτεροις ειπον αναθεματι ανεθεματισαμεν εαυτους μηδενος γευσασθαι εως ου αποκτεινωμεν τον παυλον
15 νυν ουν υμεις εμφανισατε τω χιλιαρχω συν τω συνεδριω οπως αυριον αυτον καταγαγη προς υμας ως μελλοντας διαγινωσκειν ακριβεστερον τα περι αυτου ημεις δε προ του εγγισαι αυτον ετοιμοι εσμεν του ανελειν αυτον
16 ακουσας δε ο υιος της αδελφης παυλου την ενεδραν παραγενομενος και εισελθων εις την παρεμβολην απηγγειλεν τω παυλω
17 προσκαλεσαμενος δε ο παυλος ενα των εκατονταρχων εφη τον νεανιαν τουτον απαγαγε προς τον χιλιαρχον εχει γαρ τι απαγγειλαι αυτω
18 ο μεν ουν παραλαβων αυτον ηγαγεν προς τον χιλιαρχον και φησιν ο δεσμιος παυλος προσκαλεσαμενος με ηρωτησεν τουτον τον νεανιαν αγαγειν προς σε εχοντα τι λαλησαι σοι
19 επιλαβομενος δε της χειρος αυτου ο χιλιαρχος και αναχωρησας κατ ιδιαν επυνθανετο τι εστιν ο εχεις απαγγειλαι μοι
20 ειπεν δε οτι οι ιουδαιοι συνεθεντο του ερωτησαι σε οπως αυριον εις το συνεδριον καταγαγης τον παυλον ως μελλοντες τι ακριβεστερον πυνθανεσθαι περι αυτου
21 συ ουν μη πεισθης αυτοις ενεδρευουσιν γαρ αυτον εξ αυτων ανδρες πλειους τεσσαρακοντα οιτινες ανεθεματισαν εαυτους μητε φαγειν μητε πιειν εως ου ανελωσιν αυτον και νυν ετοιμοι εισιν προσδεχομενοι την απο σου επαγγελιαν
22 ο μεν ουν χιλιαρχος απελυσεν τον νεανιαν παραγγειλας μηδενι εκλαλησαι οτι ταυτα ενεφανισας προς με
23 και προσκαλεσαμενος δυο τινας των εκατονταρχων ειπεν ετοιμασατε στρατιωτας διακοσιους οπως πορευθωσιν εως καισαρειας και ιππεις εβδομηκοντα και δεξιολαβους διακοσιους απο τριτης ωρας της νυκτος
24 κτηνη τε παραστησαι ινα επιβιβασαντες τον παυλον διασωσωσιν προς φηλικα τον ηγεμονα
25 γραψας επιστολην περιεχουσαν τον τυπον τουτον
26 κλαυδιος λυσιας τω κρατιστω ηγεμονι φηλικι χαιρειν
27 τον ανδρα τουτον συλληφθεντα υπο των ιουδαιων και μελλοντα αναιρεισθαι υπ αυτων επιστας συν τω στρατευματι εξειλομην αυτον μαθων οτι ρωμαιος εστιν
28 βουλομενος δε γνωναι την αιτιαν δι ην ενεκαλουν αυτω κατηγαγον αυτον εις το συνεδριον αυτων
29 ον ευρον εγκαλουμενον περι ζητηματων του νομου αυτων μηδεν δε αξιον θανατου η δεσμων εγκλημα εχοντα
30 μηνυθεισης δε μοι επιβουλης εις τον ανδρα μελλειν εσεσθαι υπο των ιουδαιων εξαυτης επεμψα προς σε παραγγειλας και τοις κατηγοροις λεγειν τα προς αυτον επι σου ερρωσο
31 οι μεν ουν στρατιωται κατα το διατεταγμενον αυτοις αναλαβοντες τον παυλον ηγαγον δια της νυκτος εις την αντιπατριδα
32 τη δε επαυριον εασαντες τους ιππεις πορευεσθαι συν αυτω υπεστρεψαν εις την παρεμβολην
33 οιτινες εισελθοντες εις την καισαρειαν και αναδοντες την επιστολην τω ηγεμονι παρεστησαν και τον παυλον αυτω
34 αναγνους δε ο ηγεμων και επερωτησας εκ ποιας επαρχιας εστιν και πυθομενος οτι απο κιλικιας
35 διακουσομαι σου εφη οταν και οι κατηγοροι σου παραγενωνται εκελευσεν τε αυτον εν τω πραιτωριω του ηρωδου φυλασσεσθαι
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
