Historical

23 ¹ And Paul, having looked-intently at the Sanhedrin, said, “Men, brothers, I have conducted-myself ^[a] with all good conscience before God up to this day”. ² And the high priest Ananias^[b] commanded the ones standing near him to strike his mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you— whitewashed wall! Do You indeed sit there judging me according to the Law, and violating-the-Law, order that I be struck?” ⁴ And the ones standing near said, “Are you reviling the high priest of God?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it has been written [in Ex 22:28] that ‘You shall not speak badly of a ruler of your people’”.

Paul Divides The Assembly Over The Question of The Resurrection

⁶ And Paul, having known that the one part of them was of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, was crying-out in the Sanhedrin, “Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged concerning the hope^[c] and resurrection of the dead”. ⁷ And he having said this, a dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees took place, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For Sadducees say that there is not a resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit— but Pharisees confess all^[d] three. ⁹ And a great clamor took place. And having stood up, some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part were battling, saying, “We are finding no evil in this man. And what if a spirit did speak to him, or an angel?”

The Romans Take Paul Away

¹⁰ And while a great dispute was taking place, the commander— having feared that Paul might be torn-to-pieces by them— ordered the troop^[e], having gone down, to snatch him out of the midst of them and bring him to the barracks.

That Night The Lord Appears To Paul And Says He Will Also Testify In Rome

¹¹ And on the following^[f] night, the Lord, having stood near him, said, “Take-courage. For as you solemnly-testified in Jerusalem as to the things concerning Me, so you must also testify in Rome”.

The Next Day, Over 40 Jews Swear an Oath To Kill Paul, And Hatch a Plot

¹² And having become day, the Jews, having held a gathering, bound themselves under-a-curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until which time they killed Paul. ¹³ Now there were more than forty having made^[g] this sworn-pact— ¹⁴ who, having gone to the chief priests and the elders, said, “With a curse^[h], we bound ourselves under-a-curse to eat nothing until which time we kill Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore, you, along with the Sanhedrin, notify the commander so that he may bring him down to you, as-though you are intending to determine the things concerning him more accurately. And we are prepared that we might kill him before he draws-near”.

Paul’s Nephew Hears of The Plot, And Informs The Roman Commander

¹⁶ But the son of the sister of Paul— having heard-of the ambush, having come and entered into the barracks— reported it to Paul. ¹⁷ And Paul, having summoned one of the centurions, said, “Lead this young-man away to the commander, for he has something to report to him”. ¹⁸ So indeed the one, having taken him along, led him to the commander. And he says, “Paul the prisoner, having summoned me, asked that I lead this young man to you— he having something to tell you”. ¹⁹ And the commander— having taken-hold-of his hand, and having withdrawn privately— was asking, “What is it that you have to report to me?” ²⁰ And he said that “The Jews agreed to ask you so that tomorrow you might bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin, as-though intending to inquire something more accurately concerning him. ²¹ So don’t you be persuaded by them. For more than forty men from-among them are lying-in-wait-for him who bound themselves under-a-curse neither to eat nor drink until which time they kill him. And now they are prepared, waiting-for the promise^[i] from you”.

The Roman Commander Makes Arrangements To Send Paul To Caesarea

²² Then indeed the commander sent away the young-man, having commanded him to tell no one “that you revealed^[j] these things to me”. ²³ And having summoned a certain two of the centurions, he said, “Prepare two-hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two-hundred spearmen^[k] so that they may proceed to Caesarea at the third^[l] hour of the night”; ²⁴ and that they should provide mounts in order that having put-on Paul, they might bring him safely through to Felix^[m] the governor, ²⁵ he having written a letter having this form:

²⁶ “Claudius Lysias, to the most-excellent governor Felix: Greetings. ²⁷ I rescued this man having been seized by the Jews and being about to be killed by them, having come-suddenly-upon them with the troop— having learned that he was a Roman^[n]. ²⁸ And wanting to know the reason for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin— ²⁹ whom I found being accused about issues of their Law, but having no accusation^[o] worthy of death or imprisonment. ³⁰ And a plot having been disclosed to me that would be against the man, I sent him to you at once, having also ordered his accusers to speak the things against him before you”.

Roman Soldiers Take Paul To Caesarea, Where He Awaits The Arrival of His Accusers

³¹ So indeed the soldiers, in accordance with the thing having been commanded them, having picked-up Paul, brought him during the night to Antipatris. ³² And on the next day, they^[p] returned to the barracks, having let the horsemen depart with him— ³³ who, having entered into Caesarea, and having delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul to him also. ³⁴ And having read it, and having asked from what province he was, and having learned that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also arrive”— having ordered that he be guarded in the Praetorium^[q] of Herod.

Paul Is Accused Before Felix The Roman Governor By The High Priest And Others

24 And after five days, the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney^[r], a certain Tertullus— who^[s] brought-charges against Paul to the governor. ² And he^[t] having been called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Attaining much^[u] peace through you, and reforms taking place for this nation through your foresight ³ both^[v] in every way and everywhere— we welcome it, most-excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. ⁴ But in order that I may not hinder you further, I beg you to hear us briefly, by your kindness. ⁵ For having found this man to be a plague^[w], and setting-in-motion disputes^[x] among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶ who even tried to profane^[y] the temple, whom also we seized—^{[z] 7 [aa] 8} from whom you yourself, having examined him, will be able to learn about all these things of which we are accusing him”. ⁹ And the Jews also joined-in-the-attack, asserting that these things hold so.

Paul Defends Himself Against Their Charges

¹⁰ And Paul responded, the governor having nodded to him to speak, “Knowing-about you being a judge^[ab] to this nation for many years, I cheerfully speak-a-defense as to the things concerning myself— ¹¹ you being able to learn that it is not more than twelve days from which day I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² And neither in the temple did they find me arguing with anyone or causing an onset of a crowd— nor in the synagogues, nor throughout the city! ¹³ Nor are they able to prove to you the things concerning which they now are accusing me. ¹⁴ But I confess this to you— that according to the Way which they call a sect, thus I am worshiping^[ac] the God of my ancestor^[ad], believing all the things in accordance with the Law, and the things having been written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ having a hope in God which these ones themselves also are waiting-for^[ae]— that there will-certainly be a resurrection of both righteous ones and unrighteous ones. ¹⁶ In this^[af] indeed I am striving to have a blameless conscience toward God and people continually. ¹⁷ Now after many years I came to do acts-of-almsgiving^[ag] for my nation, and offerings, ¹⁸ during which they found me in the temple, having been purified^[ah]— not with a crowd, nor with a commotion. ¹⁹ But there were some Jews from Asia— who ought-to-have been present before you and accusing me, if they have something against me. ²⁰ Or let these ones themselves say what crime they found, I having stood before the Sanhedrin— ²¹ other-than concerning this one shout which I cried-out while standing among them, that ‘I am being judged before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead’”.

Felix Adjourns The Hearing, But Keeps Paul In Relaxed Custody

²² And Felix adjourned^[ai] them, knowing more-accurately the things concerning the Way, having said, “Whenever Lysias the commander comes down, I will determine^[aj] the things concerning you^[ak] people”, ²³ having given-orders to the centurion that he be kept [in custody] and that he have a relaxation^[al] [of custody] and that they forbid none of his own people to serve him.

Paul Frequently Speaks To Felix, Who Hopes To Get Money From Paul

²⁴ And after some days, Felix, having arrived with Drusilla^[am] his own wife (she being a Jew), sent for Paul and listened-to him concerning faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ But while he was speaking about righteousness, self-control and the coming judgment, Felix, having become afraid, responded, “As to the present, go. And having received an opportunity, I will summon you”— ²⁶ at the same time also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. Therefore indeed, sending for him very-frequently, he was conversing with him.

Two Years Later, Paul Is Accused Before The New Governor, Festus

²⁷ Now two years^[an] having been fulfilled, Felix received a successor— Porcius Festus^[ao]. And wishing to gain^[ap] favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul bound. 25 ¹ So Festus, having set-foot in the province, went up after three days to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ² And the chief priests and the leading ones of the Jews brought-charges to him against Paul. And they were appealing-to him, ³ asking-for a favor against him, so that he might summon him to Jerusalem— while making an ambush to kill him along the way. ⁴ Then indeed Festus responded that Paul was being kept in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to be proceeding-out [of Jerusalem] shortly. ⁵ “So”, he says, “the powerful ones among you having gone-down-with me— if there is something out-of-place in the man, let them be accusing him there”. ⁶ And having spent days among them (not more than eight or ten), having come down to Caesarea, having sat on the judgment-seat on the next day, he ordered that Paul be brought.

When Festus Suggests a Trial In Jerusalem, Paul Appeals To Caesar

⁷ And he having arrived, the Jews having come down from Jerusalem stood around him bringing many and weighty charges against him, which they were not able to prove— ⁸ Paul speaking-in-defense that “Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, did I sin anything”. ⁹ But Festus, wishing to gain favor with the Jews, having responded to Paul, said, “Are you willing, having gone up to Jerusalem, to be judged there before me concerning these things?” ¹⁰ And Paul said, “I am standing here before the judgment-seat of Caesar, where I ought-to be judged. I did the Jews no wrong, as you also are knowing very well. ¹¹ So if I am doing wrong^[aq] and have committed something worthy of death, I am not refusing to die. But if the things of which these ones are accusing me are nothing, no one is able^[ar] to freely-give me to them. I appeal-to Caesar^[as]”. ¹² Then Festus, having talked-with his council, responded, “You have appealed-to Caesar— you will go before Caesar”.

King Agrippa Arrives In Caesarea And Asks To Hear From Paul

¹³ Now some days having passed, Agrippa^[at] the king and Bernice^[au] arrived in Caesarea, having greeted^[av] Festus. ¹⁴ And while they were spending more days there, Festus laid-before the king the things concerning Paul, saying, “A certain man has been left-behind by Felix as a prisoner, ¹⁵ concerning whom— I having come-to-be in Jerusalem— the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought-charges, asking-for a sentence-of-condemnation against him, ¹⁶ to whom I responded that it is not a custom with Romans to freely-give any person^[aw] before the one being accused should have his accusers face-to-face, and should receive a place^[ax] for a defense concerning the accusation. ¹⁷ So they having come-with^[ay] me here— I having made no delay, having sat on the judgment-seat on the next day— I ordered that the man be brought, ¹⁸ concerning whom, the accusers having stood were bringing no charge of the evil^[az] things which I was supposing^[ba], ¹⁹ but were having certain issues with him concerning their own religion and concerning a certain Jesus having died, whom Paul was asserting^[bb] to be alive. ²⁰ And I, being perplexed as to the investigation concerning these things, was saying whether he might be willing to go to Jerusalem, and there be judged concerning these things. ²¹ But Paul having appealed that he be kept for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he continue-being-kept [in custody] until which time I might send him up to Caesar”. ²² And Agrippa says to Festus, “I myself also was wanting^[bc] to hear the man”. “Tomorrow”, he says, “you will hear him”.

Festus Introduces Paul, Hoping To Learn Something To Write To Caesar

²³ So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice having come with great pageantry, and having entered into the auditorium with both commanders^[bd] and prominent men of the city, and Festus having given-orders— Paul was brought. ²⁴ And Festus says, “King Agrippa, and all the men being present-with us— you see this one concerning whom the whole assembly of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer, ²⁵ but I found-out that he had committed nothing worthy of death. And this one himself having appealed-to the Emperor, I determined to send him— ²⁶ concerning whom, I do not have something certain to write to my lord. Therefore I brought him before you, and especially before you King Agrippa, so that the examination having taken place, I may have something I may write. ²⁷ For it seems unreasonable to me, while sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him”.