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ACTS 23 1 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the
council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before
God until this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood
by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike
you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and
do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
4 And those who stood
by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” 5 Then Paul said, “I did not
know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall
not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” 6 But when Paul perceived that
one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the
council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee;
concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
7 And
when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the
Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. 8 For Sadducees say that there is
no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
9
Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees’ party
arose and protested, saying, “We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit
or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.”
10 Now when
there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be
pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by
force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
11 But the following
night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you
have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”
12 And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound
themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till
they had killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this
conspiracy. 14 They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have
bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have
killed Paul. 15 Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to
the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were
going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him
before he comes near.” 16 So when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush,
he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of
the centurions to him and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for
he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the
commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to
bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.”
19 Then the
commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, “What is it
that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask that
you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to
inquire more fully about him. 21 But do not yield to them, for more than
forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath
that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they
are ready, waiting for the promise from you.”
22 So the commander let the
young man depart, and commanded him, “Tell no one that you have revealed
these things to me.” 23 And he called for two centurions, saying, “Prepare
two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to
Caesarea at the third hour of the night; 24 and provide mounts to set Paul
on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
25 He wrote a letter in the
following manner: 26 Claudius Lysias, To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by
them. Coming with the troops I rescued him, having learned that he was a
Roman. 28 And when I wanted to know the reason they accused him, I brought
him before their council. 29 I found out that he was accused concerning
questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of
death or chains. 30 And when it was told me that the Jews lay in wait for
the man, I sent him immediately to you, and also commanded his accusers to
state before you the charges against him. Farewell.
31 Then the soldiers, as
they were commanded, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 The next day they left
the horsemen to go on with him, and returned to the barracks.
33 When they came to
Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented
Paul to him. 34 And
when the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. And when
he understood that he was from Cilicia, 35
he said, “I will hear you when your accusers also have come.” And he
commanded him to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium.
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