Acts 23

Paul before the Council

1PaulG3972, lookingG816 intentlyG816 at 1the 2CouncilG4892, saidG3004, “3BrethrenG435G80, 4I have 5livedG4176 my lifeG4176 with a perfectlyG3956 goodG18 conscienceG4893 before GodG2316 up to thisG3778 dayG2250.” 2The highG749 priestG749 6AnaniasG367 commandedG2004 thoseG3588 standingG3936 besideG3936 him 7to strikeG5180 him on the mouthG4750. 3ThenG5119 PaulG3972 saidG3004 to him, “GodG2316 is goingG3195 to strikeG5180 you, 8you whitewashedG2867 wallG5109! Do you 9sitG2521 to tryG2919 me accordingG2596 to the LawG3551, and in violationG3891 of the LawG3891 orderG2753 me to be struckG5180?” 4But the bystandersG3936 saidG3004, “Do you revileG3058 God’sG2316 highG749 priestG749?” 5And PaulG3972 saidG5346, “I was not awareG3609, brethrenG80, that he was highG749 priestG749; for it is writtenG1125, ‘10You shall not speakG3004 evilG2560 of a rulerG758 of your peopleG2992.’”

6But perceivingG1097 that oneG1520 groupG3313 were 11SadduceesG4523 and the otherG2087 PhariseesG5330, PaulG3972 began cryingG2896 out in 12the 13CouncilG4892, “14BrethrenG435G80, 15I amG1510 a PhariseeG5330, a sonG5207 of PhariseesG5330; I am on trialG2919 for 16the hopeG1680 and resurrectionG386 of the deadG3498!” 7As he saidG2980 thisG3778, there occurredG1096 a dissensionG4714 between the PhariseesG5330 and SadduceesG4523, and the assemblyG4128 was dividedG4977. 8For 17the SadduceesG4523 sayG3004 that there is noG3361 resurrectionG386, norG3383 an angelG32, norG3383 a spiritG4151, but the PhariseesG5330 acknowledgeG3670 them allG297. 9And there occurredG1096 a greatG3173 uproarG2906; and someG5100 of 18the scribesG1122 of the PharisaicG5330 partyG3313 stoodG450 up and began to argueG1264 heatedlyG1264, sayingG3004, “19We findG2147 nothingG3762 wrongG2556 with thisG3778 manG444; 20supposeG1487G1161 a spiritG4151 orG2228 an angelG32 has spokenG2980 to him?” 10And as a greatG4183 dissensionG4714 was developingG1096, the 21commanderG5506 was afraidG5399 PaulG3972 would be tornG1288 to piecesG1288 by them and orderedG2753 the troopsG4753 to goG2597 downG2597 and takeG726 him awayG726 from them by forceG726, and bringG71 him into 22the barracksG3925.

11But on 23the nightG3571 immediately followingG1897, the LordG2962 stoodG2186 at his side and saidG3004, “24TakeG2293 courageG2293; for 25as you have 26solemnlyG1263 witnessedG1263 to My causeG3588G4012 at JerusalemG2419, soG3779 you mustG1163 witnessG3140 at RomeG4516 alsoG2532.”

A Conspiracy to Kill Paul

12When it was dayG2250, 27the JewsG2453 formedG4160 a 28conspiracyG4160 and 29boundG332 themselvesG1438 underG332 an oathG332, sayingG3004 that they would neitherG3383 eatG2068 norG3383 drinkG4095 untilG2193 they had killedG615 PaulG3972. 13There were moreG4183 than fortyG5065 who formedG4160 thisG3778 plotG4945. 14They cameG4334 to the chiefG749 priestsG749 and the eldersG4245 and saidG3004, “We have 30boundG332 ourselvesG1438 underG332 a solemnG331 oathG332 to tasteG1089 nothingG3367 untilG2193 we have killedG615 PaulG3972. 15NowG3568 thereforeG3767, you 31and 32the 33CouncilG4892 notifyG1718 the 34commanderG5506 to bringG2609 him downG2609 to you, as thoughG5613 you were goingG3195 to determineG1231 his caseG3588G4012 by a moreG199 thoroughG199 investigationG199; and we for our part are readyG2092 to slayG337 him beforeG4253 he comesG1448 nearG1448 the place.”

16But the sonG5207 of Paul’sG3972 sisterG79 heardG191 of their ambushG1747, 35and he cameG3854 and enteredG1525 36the barracksG3925 and toldG518 PaulG3972. 17PaulG3972 calledG4341 oneG1520 of the centurionsG1543 to him and saidG5346, “LeadG520 thisG3778 youngG3494 manG3494 to the 37commanderG5506, for he hasG2192 somethingG5100 to reportG518 to him.” 18SoG3767 he tookG3880 him and ledG71 him to the 38commanderG5506 and saidG5346, “PaulG3972 39the prisonerG1198 calledG4341 me to him and askedG2065 me to leadG71 thisG3778 youngG3495 manG3495 to you since he hasG2192 somethingG5100 to tellG2980 you.” 19The 40commanderG5506 tookG1949 him by the handG5495 and steppingG402 asideG402, began to inquireG4441 of him privatelyG2596G2398, “WhatG5101 is it that you haveG2192 to reportG518 to me?” 20And he saidG3004, “41The JewsG2453 have agreedG4934 to askG2065 you to bringG2609 PaulG3972 downG2609 tomorrowG839 to 42the 43CouncilG4892, as thoughG5613 they were goingG3195 to inquireG4441 somewhatG5100 moreG199 thoroughlyG199 aboutG4012 him. 21SoG3767 do not 44listenG3982 to them, for moreG4183 than fortyG5065 of them are 45lyingG1748 in waitG1748 for him whoG3748 have 46boundG332 themselvesG1438 underG332 a curseG332 not to eatG2068 orG3383 drinkG4095 untilG2193 they slayG337 him; and nowG3568 they are readyG2092 and waitingG4327 for the promiseG1860 from you.” 22SoG3767 the 47commanderG5506 letG630 the youngG3495 manG3495 goG630, instructingG3853 him, “TellG1583 noG3367 oneG3367 that you have notifiedG1718 me of theseG3778 thingsG3778.”

Paul Moved to Caesarea

23And he calledG4341 to him twoG1417 of the centurionsG1543 and saidG3004, “GetG2090 twoG1250 hundredG1250 soldiersG4757 readyG2090 by 48the thirdG5154 hourG5610 of the nightG3571 to proceedG4198 to 49CaesareaG2542, 50with seventyG1440 horsemenG2460 and twoG1250 hundredG1250 51spearmenG1187.” 24They were alsoG5037 to provideG3936 mountsG2934 to putG1913 PaulG3972 on and bringG1295 him safelyG1295 to 52FelixG5344 the governorG2232. 25And he wroteG1125 a letterG1992 havingG2192 thisG3778 formG5179:

26“ClaudiusG2804 LysiasG3079, to the 53mostG2903 excellentG2903 governorG2232 FelixG5344, 54greetingsG5463.

27When thisG3778 manG435 was arrestedG4815 by the JewsG2453 and was aboutG3195 to be slainG337 by them, 55I cameG2186 up to them with the troopsG4753 and rescuedG1807 him, 56having learnedG3129 that he was a RomanG4514. 28And 57wantingG1014 to ascertainG1921 the chargeG156 for whichG3739 they were accusingG1458 him, I 58broughtG2609 him downG2609 to their 5960CouncilG4892; 29and I foundG2147 him to be accusedG1458 overG4012 61questionsG2213 aboutG4012 their LawG3551, but 62underG2192 63noG3367 accusationG1462 deservingG514 deathG2288 orG2228 64imprisonmentG1199.

30When I was 65informedG3377 that there would be 66a plotG1917 againstG1519 the manG435, I sentG3992 him to you at onceG1824, alsoG2532 instructingG3853 67his accusersG2725 to 68bringG3004 chargesG3004 againstG4314 him beforeG1909 you.”

31SoG3767 the soldiersG4757, in accordanceG2596 with their ordersG1299, tookG353 PaulG3972 and broughtG71 him by nightG3571 to AntipatrisG494. 32But the nextG1887 dayG1887, leavingG1439 69the horsemenG2460 to goG565 on with him, they returnedG5290 to 70the barracksG3925. 33When theseG3748 had comeG1525 to 71CaesareaG2542 and deliveredG325 the letterG1992 to 72the governorG2232, they alsoG2532 presentedG3936 PaulG3972 to him. 34When he had readG314 it, he askedG1905 from whatG4169 73provinceG1885 he was, and when he learnedG4441 that 74he was from CiliciaG2791, 35he saidG5346, “I will giveG1251 you a hearingG1251 afterG3752 your 75accusersG2725 arriveG3854 alsoG2532,” givingG2753 ordersG2753 for him to be 76keptG5442 in Herod’sG2264 77PraetoriumG4232.