[Acts 23]

 

             ^23:1 Now Paul stared toward the council and said, Men, brethren, I have behaved-as a Jewish citizen toward God in all good conscience till this day.

             ^23:2 But the high-priest Ananias commanded to the ones standing beside him to beat the mouth of Paul.

             ^23:3 Then Paul said to him, God is about to beat you! You whitewashed wall! And you sit judging me according-to the law, and yet violating the law, you are commanding me to be beaten.

             ^23:4 But the ones standing beside him said, Are you reviling God’s high-priest?

             ^23:5 And Paul was saying, Brethren, I did not know that he was the high-priest; for^* it has been written, ‘You will not evilly speak of a ruler of your people.’ {Exo 22:28} ^23:6 But after Paul knew that the one part are Sadducees and the other are Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee. I am being judged concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead. ^23:7 But after he himself spoke this, a dissension came^* from the Pharisees and the multitude was split-apart. ^23:8 (For^* the Sadducees indeed say no resurrection is to be, neither messenger nor spirit, but the Pharisees are confessing both.)

             ^23:9 Now a great outcry happened, and part of the scribes of the Pharisees stood up and were quarreling, saying, We are finding no evil in this man, but if a spirit or a messenger spoke to him, we should not quarrel against God. ^23:10 Now after much dissension happened, the commander was scared, lest Paul might be torn to shreds by them, and commanded the army to go-down and to seize him from the midst of them, and lead him back into the encampment.

 

             ^23:11 Now when the Lord stood by him the next night, he said, Paul, have courage; for^* as you have thoroughly testified concerning me in Jerusalem, so it is essential for you to also testify in Rome.

 

             ^23:12 Now after it became day, some of the Jews made^* a conspiracy and vowed for themselves, saying, they were neither to eat nor to drink until which time they should kill Paul. ^23:13 Now they were more-than forty who has made^* this gang, ^23:14 who came near to the high-priests and the elders and said, We vowed that ourselves are accursed, to taste nothing until which time we should kill Paul. ^23:15 Therefore, now, you^°, together-with the council, disclose^° it to the commander ^*that he should be led to you^° the next-day, as if being about to investigate more accurately the things concerning him. Now we are ready to assassinate him before he is to draw near.

             ^23:16 But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their murderous plot, came^*, and entered into the encampment and reported to Paul. ^23:17 Now Paul called one of the centurions and was saying, Lead this young-man away to the commander; for^* he has something to report to him.

             ^23:18 Therefore indeed, he took him, led him to the commander and says, Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to lead this young-man to you who has something to say to you.

             ^23:19 Now the commander grabbed his hand and departed privately, and was inquiring, What is it which you have to report to me?

             ^23:20 Now he said, The Jews themselves covenanted^* together to ask you ^*that you should lead Paul into the Jewish council the next-day, as if being about to inquire more accurately something concerning him. ^23:21 Therefore you, do not be persuaded by them; for^* more-than forty men out-of them are plotting against him, who vowed for themselves neither to eat nor to drink until they should assassinate him, and they are ready now, waiting for the promise from you.

             ^23:22 Therefore indeed, the commander dismissed the young-man and commanded him to tell no one, You disclosed these things to me.

             {May 25, 59 AD. Paul is sent to the political capital at Caesarea.}

               ^23:23 And he called to him a certain two of the centurions and said, Prepare^° from {i.e., at} the third hour of the night {i.e., 9:00 PM} two hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, ^*that they should travel to Caesarea, ^23:24 and animals to be present, in-order-that after they mounted Paul upon one of them, they might save him for Felix the governor.

 

             ^23:25 Now he wrote a letter in this pattern containing:

 

^23:26 Claudius Lysias to the most-excellent governor Felix. Hail to you. ^23:27 When this man was taken by the Jews and being about to be assassinated by them, I stood together-with the army and liberated him, after I learned that he is a Roman. ^23:28 But planning to know the accusation because of what they were accusing him, I led him into their council; ^23:29 whom I found being accused concerning debates of their law and has nothing in way of an accusation worthy of death or of bonds. ^23:30 But after it was divulged to me of a future murderous pact by the Jews ^*for the man, I promptly sent him to you and I also commanded the accusers to speak the things to him in front of you. Good-bye.

 

             ^23:31 Therefore indeed, the soldiers, according-to the thing which has been commanded to them, took Paul and led him through the night to Antipatris. ^23:32 But on the next-day, they permitted the horsemen to travel together-with him, they returned to the encampment, ^23:33 who entered into Caesarea, and gave over the letter to the governor, also presented Paul to him. ^23:34 Now the governor read the letter and asked: What province is he from? And inquired: he is from Cilicia. ^23:35 He was saying, I will thoroughly hear you whenever your accusers also come^*. And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s palace.