Acts 23

1And Paul, looking intently at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God with an entirely good conscience up to this day.”

2But the high priest Ananias ordered those standing by him to strike him on the mouth.

3Then Paul said to him, “God is about to strike you, you whitewashed wall! And do you sit judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law command me to be struck?”

4Those standing nearby said, “Are you insulting God’s high priest?”

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

6But Paul, knowing that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, cried out in the council, “Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead that I am being judged.”

7And as he was saying this, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

8For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge both.

9Then a great outcry arose, and some of the scribes of the party of the Pharisees stood up and contended, saying, “We find nothing wrong in this man. But if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him—”

10And when a great dispute arose, the commander, fearing that Paul might be torn apart by them, ordered the troops to go down, seize him from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

11But on the following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

12When day came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

13There were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy.

14These men came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a curse to taste nothing until we kill Paul.”

15Now therefore, you, together with the council, make it known to the commander so that he may bring him down to you, as though you were about to examine more carefully the things concerning him. But we are ready to kill him before he comes near.

16But when Paul’s sister’s son heard of the ambush, he came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul.

17So Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.”

18So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, “The prisoner Paul called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to say to you.”

19So the commander took him by the hand and, drawing aside in private, began asking, “What is it that you have to report to me?”

20He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more accurately about him.”

21So do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty men from among them are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.

22So the commander dismissed the young man, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have reported these things to me.”

23And calling two of the centurions to him, he said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night.”

24and provide mounts, so that they may put Paul on them and bring him safely to Felix the governor,

25He wrote a letter having this form:

26Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.

27This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, and I came with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman.

28And wanting to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council.

29I found that he was being accused concerning questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.

30And when I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their case before you.

31So the soldiers, according to what had been ordered them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

32But on the next day, after letting the horsemen go on with him, they returned to the barracks.

33When they entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.

34After reading it and asking what province he was from, and learning that he was from Cilicia,

35“I will hear your case,” he said, “when your accusers also arrive.” And he ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s praetorium.