Acts 23

Paul before the Council

1NowG1161 lookingG816 intentlyG816 at 1the 2CouncilG4892, PaulG3972 saidG3004, “34BrothersG435G80, 5I have 6livedG4176 my lifeG4176 with an entirelyG3956 goodG18 conscienceG4893 before GodG2316 up to thisG3778 dayG2250.” 2But the highG749 priestG749 7AnaniasG367 commandedG2004 thoseG3588 standingG3936 besideG3936 him 8to strikeG5180 him on the mouthG4750. 3ThenG5119 PaulG3972 saidG3004 to him, “GodG2316 isG3195 goingG3195 toG3195 strikeG5180 you, 9you whitewashedG2867 wallG5109! Do you 10sitG2521 to tryG2919 me accordingG2596 to the LawG3551, and inG3891 violationG3891 ofG3891 theG3891 LawG3891, orderG2753 me to be struckG5180?” 4But those presentG3936 saidG3004, “Are you insultingG3058 God’sG2316 highG749 priestG749?” 5And PaulG3972 saidG5346, “I was not awareG3609, brothersG80, that he is highG749 priestG749; for it is writtenG1125: ‘11You shall not speakG3004 evilG2560 of a rulerG758 of your peopleG2992.’”

6But PaulG3972, perceivingG1097 that oneG1520 groupG3313 were 12SadduceesG4523 and the otherG2087 PhariseesG5330, began cryingG2896 outG2896 in 13the 14CouncilG4892, “1516BrothersG435G80, 17I amG1510 a PhariseeG5330, a sonG5207 of PhariseesG5330; I am onG2919 trialG2919 for 18the hopeG1680 and resurrectionG386 of the deadG3498!” 7When he saidG2980 thisG3778, a dissensionG4714 occurredG1096 between the PhariseesG5330 and SadduceesG4523, and the assemblyG4128 was dividedG4977. 8For 19the SadduceesG4523 sayG3004 that there is noG3361 resurrectionG386, norG3383 an angelG32, norG3383 a spiritG4151, but the PhariseesG5330 acknowledgeG3670 them allG297. 9And a greatG3173 uproarG2906 occurredG1096; and someG5100 of 20the scribesG1122 of the PharisaicG5330 partyG3313 stoodG450 upG450 and started arguingG1264 heatedlyG1264, sayingG3004, “21We findG2147 nothingG3762 wrongG2556 with thisG3778 manG444; 22supposeG1487G1161 a spiritG4151 orG2228 an angelG32 has spokenG2980 to him?” 10And when a greatG4183 dissensionG4714 occurredG1096, the commanderG5506 wasG5399 afraidG5399 that PaulG3972 would be tornG1288 toG1288 piecesG1288 by them, and he orderedG2753 the troopsG4753 to goG2597 downG2597 and takeG726 him awayG726 from them byG726 forceG726, and bringG71 him into 23the barracksG3925.

11But on 24the followingG1897 nightG3571, the LordG2962 stoodG2186 nearG2186 him and saidG3004, “25BeG2293 courageousG2293! For 26as you have 27testifiedG1263 to the truth aboutG4012 Me in JerusalemG2419, soG3779 you mustG1163 testifyG3140 in RomeG4516 alsoG2532.”

A Conspiracy to Kill Paul

12When it was dayG2250, 28the JewsG2453 formedG4160 a 29conspiracyG4963 and 30putG332 themselvesG1438 underG332 anG332 31oathG332, 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 32putG332 ourselvesG1438 underG332 anG332 33oathG332 to tasteG1089 nothingG3367 untilG2193 we have killedG615 PaulG3972. 15NowG3568 thereforeG3767, you 34and 35the 36CouncilG4892 notifyG1718 the commanderG5506 to bringG2609 him downG2609 to you, asG5613 thoughG5613 you wereG3195 goingG3195 toG3195 investigateG1231 his caseG3588G4012 moreG199 thoroughlyG199; and as for us, we are readyG2092 to killG337 him beforeG4253 he comesG1448 nearG1448 the place.”

16But the sonG5207 of Paul’sG3972 sisterG79 heardG191 about their ambushG1747, 37and he cameG3854 and enteredG1525 38the barracksG3925 and toldG518 PaulG3972. 17PaulG3972 calledG4341 oneG1520 of the centurionsG1543 to himself and saidG5346, “TakeG520 thisG3778 youngG3494 manG3494 to the commanderG5506, for he hasG2192 somethingG5100 to reportG518 to him.” 18SoG3767 he tookG3880 him and ledG71 him to the commanderG5506 and saidG5346, “PaulG3972 39the prisonerG1198 calledG4341 me overG4341 to him and askedG2065 me to bringG71 thisG3778 youngG3495 manG3495 to you because he hasG2192 somethingG5100 to tellG2980 you.” 19The commanderG5506 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, “40The JewsG2453 have agreedG4934 to askG2065 you to bringG2609 PaulG3972 downG2609 tomorrowG839 to 41the 42CouncilG4892, asG5613 thoughG5613 they wereG3195 goingG3195 toG3195 inquireG4441 somewhatG5100 moreG199 thoroughlyG199 aboutG4012 him. 21SoG3767 do not 43listenG3982 to them, for moreG4183 than fortyG5065 44of them are 45in hidingG1748 toG1748 ambushG1748 him, and theseG3748 menG3748 have 46putG332 themselvesG1438 underG332 anG332 oathG332 not to eatG2068 orG3383 drinkG4095 untilG2193 they killG337 him; and nowG3568 they are readyG2092 and waitingG4327 for assuranceG1860 from you.” 22ThenG3767 the commanderG5506 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 47the thirdG5154 hourG5610 of the nightG3571 to proceedG4198 to 48CaesareaG2542, 49with seventyG1440 horsemenG2460 and twoG1250 hundredG1250 50spearmenG1187.” 24They were alsoG5037 to provideG3936 mountsG2934 to putG1913 PaulG3972 onG1913 and bringG1295 him safelyG1295 to 51FelixG5344 the governorG2232. 25And he wroteG1125 a letterG1992 52with the followingG3778 contentG5179:

26“ClaudiusG2804 LysiasG3079, to the 53mostG2903 excellentG2903 governorG2232 FelixG5344: 54GreetingsG5463.

27When thisG3778 manG435 was seizedG4815 by the JewsG2453 and wasG3195 aboutG3195 toG3195 be killedG337 by them, 55I cameG2186 upG2186 to them with the troopsG4753 and rescuedG1807 him, 56after learningG3129 that he was a RomanG4514. 28And 57wantingG1014 to ascertainG1921 the basisG156 for the chargesG1458 they were bringingG1458 againstG1458 him, I 58broughtG2609 him downG2609 to their 5960CouncilG4892; 29and I foundG2147 that he was being accusedG1458 regardingG4012 61questionsG2213 in their LawG3551, but 62was 63not chargedG2192G1462 with anythingG3367 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, inG2596 accordanceG2596 withG2596 their ordersG1299, tookG353 PaulG3972 and broughtG71 him by nightG3571 to AntipatrisG494. 32But on the nextG1887 dayG1887 they letG1439 69the horsemenG2460 goG565 on with him, and they returnedG5290 to 70the barracksG3925. 33When theseG3748 horsemen had comeG1525 to 71CaesareaG2542 and deliveredG325 the letterG1992 to 72the governorG2232, they alsoG2532 presentedG3936 PaulG3972 to him. 34NowG1161 when he had readG314 it, he alsoG2532 askedG1905 from whatG4169 73provinceG1885 Paul was, and when he learnedG4441 that 74he was from CiliciaG2791, 35he saidG5346, “I will giveG1251 you aG1251 hearingG1251 whenG3752 your 75accusersG2725 arriveG3854 asG2532 wellG2532,” givingG2753 ordersG2753 for 76Paul to be 77keptG5442 in Herod’sG2264 78PraetoriumG4232.