New Testament in a Year

23 Now Paul, looking intently at ^(A)the Sanhedrin, said, “^(B)Brothers, ^(C)I have ^[a]lived my life in all good conscience before God up to this day.” ² And the high priest ^(D)Ananias commanded those standing beside him ^(E)to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, ^(F)you whitewashed wall! Do you ^(G)sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” ⁴ But those standing nearby said, “Do you revile the high priest of God?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I was not aware, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘^(H)You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ But knowing that one group were ^(I)Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in ^(J)the Sanhedrin, “^(K)Brothers, ^(L)I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for ^(M)the hope and resurrection of the dead!” ⁷ As he said this, there was dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For ^(N)the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ And there occurred a great outcry; and some of ^(O)the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, “^(P)We find nothing wrong with this man. ^(Q)Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ¹⁰ And as a great dissension was developing, because the ^[b]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 ^(R)the barracks.

¹¹ But on ^(S)that very night, the Lord stood at his side and said, “^(T)Take courage; for ^(U)as you have ^(V)solemnly borne witness to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness at Rome also.”

A Plot to Kill Paul

¹² Now when it was day, ^(W)the Jews formed a ^[c]conspiracy and ^(X)bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³ And there were more than forty who formed this scheme. ¹⁴ They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have ^(Y)bound ourselves under a curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ So now you, along with ^(Z)the Sanhedrin, notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more carefully; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near.”