Acts 23

23Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day."G1161G3972G816G4892G2036G435G80G1473G4176G3956G18G4893G2316G891G5026G22502At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.G1161G749G367G2004G3936G846G5180G846G47503Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!"G5119G2036G3972G4314G846G2316G3195G5180G4571G2867G5109G2532G2521G4771G2919G3165G2596G3551G2532G2753G3165G5180G38914Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God's high priest?"G1161G3936G2036G3058G2316G7495Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'"G5037G5346G3972G1492G3756G80G3754G2076G749G1063G1125G2046G3756G2046G2560G758G4675G29926Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."G1161G3972G1097G3754G1520G3313G2076G4523G1161G2087G5330G2896G1722G4892G435G80G1473G1510G5330G5207G5330G4012G1680G2532G386G3498G1473G29197When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.G1161G846G2980G5124G2980G1096G4714G5330G2532G4523G2532G4128G49778(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)G1063G3303G4523G3004G1511G3361G386G3366G32G3383G4151G1161G5330G3670G2979There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"G1161G1096G3173G2906G2532G1122G5330G3313G450G1264G3004G2147G3762G2556G1722G5129G444G1161G1487G4151G2228G32G2980G846G2313G3361G231310The dispute became so violent that the 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 the barracks.G1161G1096G4183G4714G5506G2125G3361G3972G1288G5259G846G2753G4753G2597G726G846G726G1537G3319G846G5037G71G1519G392511The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."G1161G3571G1966G2962G2186G846G2036G2293G3972G1063G5613G1263G4012G1700G1519G2419G3779G1163G4571G3140G2532G1519G4516

The Plot to Kill Paul

12The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.G1161G1096G2250G5100G2453G4160G4963G332G1438G332G3004G5315G3383G5315G3383G4095G2193G3739G615G397213More than forty men were involved in this plot.G1161G2258G4119G5062G3588G4160G5026G494514They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.G3748G4334G749G2532G4245G2036G332G1438G331G1089G3367G2193G3739G615G397215Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here."G3568G3767G5210G4862G4892G1718G5506G3704G2609G846G2609G4314G5209G839G5613G3195G1231G197G4012G846G1161G2249G4253G846G1448G2070G2092G337G84616But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.G1161G3972G79G5207G191G1749G3854G2532G1525G1519G3925G518G397217Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him."G1161G3972G4341G1520G1543G5346G520G5126G3494G4314G5506G1063G2192G5100G518G84618So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, "Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."G3767G3303G3880G846G71G4314G5506G2532G5346G3972G1198G4341G3165G2065G71G5126G3494G4314G4571G2192G5100G2980G467119The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?"G1161G5506G1949G846G5495G2532G402G2596G2398G4441G5101G2076G3739G2192G518G342720He said: "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.G1161G2036G3754G2453G4934G2065G4571G3704G2609G3972G839G1519G4892G5613G3195G4441G5100G4012G846G19721Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request."G3767G3982G3361G4771G3982G846G1063G1748G846G1537G846G4119G5062G435G3748G332G1438G332G5315G3383G5315G3383G4095G2193G3739G337G846G2532G3568G1526G2092G4327G1860G575G467522The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him, "Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me."G3303G3767G5506G630G3494G630G3853G1583G3367G3754G1718G5023G4314G3165

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

23Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, "Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.G2532G4341G5100G1417G1543G2036G2090G1250G4757G3704G4198G2193G2542G2532G2460G1440G2532G1187G1250G575G5154G5610G357124Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix."G5037G3936G2934G2443G1913G3972G1913G1295G4314G5344G223225He wrote a letter as follows:G1125G1992G4023G5126G517926Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.G2804G3079G2903G2232G5344G546327This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.G5126G435G4815G5259G2453G2532G3195G337G5259G846G2186G4862G4753G1807G846G3129G3754G2076G451428I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.G1161G1014G1014G1097G156G1223G3739G1458G846G2609G846G2609G1519G846G489229I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.G3739G2147G1458G4012G2213G846G3551G1161G2192G3367G1462G514G2288G2228G119930When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.G1161G3377G3427G5259G2453G1917G3195G1510G1519G435G3992G1824G4314G4571G3853G2725G2532G3004G1909G4675G4314G846G451731So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris.G3767G3303G4757G2596G1299G846G353G3972G71G1223G3571G1519G49432The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.G1161G1887G1439G2460G4198G4862G846G5290G1519G392533When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.G3748G1525G1519G2542G2532G325G1992G2232G3936G3972G2532G84634The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,G1161G2232G314G2532G1905G1537G4169G1885G2076G2532G4441G3754G575G279135he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.G1251G4675G5346G3752G4675G2725G3854G2532G3854G5037G2753G846G5442G1722G2264G4232