Acts 23
1Fixing his gaze on the Sanhedrin, Paul said, “My brothers, I have lived my life as a faithful citizen before God with a completely good conscience to this very day.”
2At this, the High Priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3Then Paul said to him, “God is about to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law you order me to be struck?”
4Those standing by said, “Do you insult the High Priest of God?”
5Paul replied, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the High Priest; for it is written: ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
6Realizing that one part of the council were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul shouted out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! It is concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead that I am on trial!”
7When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was torn apart. 8For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor any angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9A great outcry arose, and some of the scholars of the Pharisees’ party stood up and argued heatedly, “We find nothing wrong with this man! What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him—”
10As the dispute turned into a riot, the Tribune, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered the detachment of soldiers to go down, snatch him from their midst by force, and bring him into the fortress.
11On the following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage! For just as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
12When day broke, a group of Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse, saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than forty who had made this pact. 14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. 15Now then, you and the Sanhedrin must notify the Tribune so that he brings him down to you, under the pretext that you intend to determine his case more accurately. We are ready to do away with him before he even gets close.”
16But the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush; he came and entered the fortress and reported it to Paul. 17Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the Tribune; he has something to report to him.” 18So the centurion took him and led him to the Tribune and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to tell you.”
19The Tribune took him by the hand, withdrew in private, and began to inquire, “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. 21Do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in wait for him. They have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor drink until they have done away with him. They are ready right now, just waiting for your consent.”
22So the Tribune dismissed the young man, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have disclosed these things to me.”
23Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready to march to Caesarea by nine tonight, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred light-armed guards. 24Provide mounts for Paul to ride so that they may bring him safely to Felix the Governor.”
25He wrote a letter to this effect:
26“Claudius Lysias, to His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
27This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28Wanting to know the exact charge they were bringing against him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin. 29I found that he was being accused concerning questions of their Law, but there was no charge against him deserving death or imprisonment. 30When it was reported to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their case against him before you.”
31So the soldiers, according to their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32The next day, they let the horsemen go on with him while they returned to the fortress. 33When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea and delivered the letter to the Governor, they presented Paul to him as well. 34After reading the letter, the Governor asked what province he was from, and learning that he was from Cilicia, 35he said, “I will give you a full hearing when your accusers arrive,” and he ordered him to be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.