23While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, "Brothers, up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God."G1161G3972G816G4892G2036G435G80G1473G4176G3956G18G4893G2316G891G5026G22502Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth.G1161G749G367G2004G3936G846G5180G846G47503At this Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?"G5119G2036G3972G4314G846G2316G3195G5180G4571G2867G5109G2532G2521G4771G2919G3165G2596G3551G2532G2753G3165G5180G38914Those standing nearby said, "Do you dare to insult God's high priest?"G1161G3936G2036G3058G2316G7495And Paul said, "I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.'"G5037G5346G3972G1492G3756G80G3754G2076G749G1063G1125G2046G3756G2046G2560G758G4675G29926When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead."G1161G3972G1097G3754G1520G3313G2076G4523G1161G2087G5330G2896G1722G4892G435G80G1473G1510G5330G5207G5330G4012G1680G2532G386G3498G1473G29197When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.G1161G846G2980G5124G2980G1096G4714G5330G2532G4523G2532G4128G49778(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.)G1063G3303G4523G3004G1511G3361G386G3366G32G3383G4151G1161G5330G3670G2979Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees' group stood up and contended, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"G1161G1096G3173G2906G2532G1122G5330G3313G450G1264G3004G2147G3762G2556G1722G5129G444G1161G1487G4151G2228G32G2980G846G2313G3361G231310When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.G1161G1096G4183G4714G5506G2125G3361G3972G1288G5259G846G2753G4753G2597G726G846G726G1537G3319G846G5037G71G1519G392511That night the Lord stood near him and said, "Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome."G1161G3571G1966G2962G2186G846G2036G2293G3972G1063G5613G1263G4012G1700G1519G2419G3779G1163G4571G3140G2532G1519G451612In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.G1161G1096G2250G5100G2453G4160G4963G332G1438G332G3004G5315G3383G5315G3383G4095G2193G3739G615G397213There were more than forty who joined in this conspiracy.G1161G2258G4119G5062G3588G4160G5026G494514They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food until we have killed Paul.G3748G4334G749G2532G4245G2036G332G1438G331G1089G3367G2193G3739G615G397215Now then, you and the council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you, on the pretext that you want to make a more thorough examination of his case. And we are ready to do away with him before he arrives."G3568G3767G5210G4862G4892G1718G5506G3704G2609G846G2609G4314G5209G839G5613G3195G1231G197G4012G846G1161G2249G4253G846G1448G2070G2092G337G84616Now the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush; so he went and gained entrance to the barracks and told Paul.G1161G3972G79G5207G191G1749G3854G2532G1525G1519G3925G518G397217Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to report to him."G1161G3972G4341G1520G1543G5346G520G5126G3494G4314G5506G1063G2192G5100G518G84618So he took him, brought him to the tribune, and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you; he has something to tell you."G3767G3303G3880G846G71G4314G5506G2532G5346G3972G1198G4341G3165G2065G71G5126G3494G4314G4571G2192G5100G2980G467119The tribune took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, "What is it that you have to report to me?"G1161G5506G1949G846G5495G2532G402G2596G2398G4441G5101G2076G3739G2192G518G342720He answered, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more thoroughly into his case.G1161G2036G3754G2453G4934G2065G4571G3704G2609G3972G839G1519G4892G5613G3195G4441G5100G4012G846G19721But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they kill him. They are ready now and are waiting for your consent."G3767G3982G3361G4771G3982G846G1063G1748G846G1537G846G4119G5062G435G3748G332G1438G332G5315G3383G5315G3383G4095G2193G3739G337G846G2532G3568G1526G2092G4327G1860G575G467522So the tribune dismissed the young man, ordering him, "Tell no one that you have informed me of this."G3303G3767G5506G630G3494G630G3853G1583G3367G3754G1718G5023G4314G316523Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, "Get ready to leave by nine o'clock tonight for Caesarea with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen.G2532G4341G5100G1417G1543G2036G2090G1250G4757G3704G4198G2193G2542G2532G2460G1440G2532G1187G1250G575G5154G5610G357124Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Felix the governor."G5037G3936G2934G2443G1913G3972G1913G1295G4314G5344G223225He wrote a letter to this effect:G1125G1992G4023G5126G517926"Claudius Lysias to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings.G2804G3079G2903G2232G5344G546327This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, but when I had learned that he was a Roman citizen, I came with the guard and rescued him.G5126G435G4815G5259G2453G2532G3195G337G5259G846G2186G4862G4753G1807G846G3129G3754G2076G451428Since I wanted to know the charge for which they accused him, I had him brought to their council.G1161G1014G1014G1097G156G1223G3739G1458G846G2609G846G2609G1519G846G489229I found that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.G3739G2147G1458G4012G2213G846G3551G1161G2192G3367G1462G514G2288G2228G119930When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him."G1161G3377G3427G5259G2453G1917G3195G1510G1519G435G3992G1824G4314G4571G3853G2725G2532G3004G1909G4675G4314G846G451731So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him during the night to Antipatris.G3767G3303G4757G2596G1299G846G353G3972G71G1223G3571G1519G49432The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.G1161G1887G1439G2460G4198G4862G846G5290G1519G392533When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.G3748G1525G1519G2542G2532G325G1992G2232G3936G3972G2532G84634On reading the letter, he asked what province he belonged to, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia,G1161G2232G314G2532G1905G1537G4169G1885G2076G2532G4441G3754G575G279135he said, "I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive." Then he ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod's headquarters.G1251G4675G5346G3752G4675G2725G3854G2532G3854G5037G2753G846G5442G1722G2264G4232