Acts 23

Modern

Literal

Paul before the Sanhedrin

¹Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin^a and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”

¹And having looked intently at the Council, Paul said, “Men, brothers, I have conducted myself in all good conscience to God up to this day.”

²At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

²And the high priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to strike him on the mouth.

³Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”

³Then Paul said to him, “God is about to strike you, whitewashed wall! And you, do you sit judging me according to the law, and violating the law, command me to be struck?”

⁴But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”

⁴But those who stood by said, “Do you insult the high priest of God?”

⁵“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”^a

⁵And Paul was saying, “I was not aware, brothers, that he is high priest; for it has been written: ‘You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.’”

⁶Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

⁶And Paul, having known that the one part consists of Sadducees, but the other of Pharisees, was crying out in the Council, “Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning hope and resurrection of the dead I am judged.”

⁷As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

⁷And on his saying this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.

⁸For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection nor angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

⁸For indeed Sadducees say there is no resurrection nor angel nor spirit, but Pharisees confess both.

⁹A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

⁹Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the party of the Pharisees, having risen up, were contending, saying, “We find nothing evil in this man. And what if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

¹⁰The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.

¹⁰And a great dissension arising, the commander, having feared, lest Paul should be torn to pieces by them, commanded the troop, having gone down, to take him by force from their midst and to bring him into the barracks.

¹¹The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”

¹¹But the following night the Lord, having stood by him, said, “Take courage, for as you have fully testified about Me at Jerusalem, so also it is necessary for you to testify at Rome.”

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹²When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

¹²And day having come, the Jews, having made a conspiracy, put themselves under an oath, declaring neither to eat nor to drink until they should kill Paul.

¹³More than forty of them were involved in this plot.

¹³Now there were more than forty having made this sworn conspiracy,

¹⁴They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.

¹⁴who, having come to the chief priests and the elders, said, “We have bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we should kill Paul.

¹⁵Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.”

¹⁵Now therefore, you, with the Council, make a report to the commander, so that he might bring him down to you as being about to examine more accurately the things about him. And we are ready to kill him before his drawing near.”

¹⁶But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot,^a he went into the barracks and told Paul.

¹⁶But the son of Paul’s sister, having heard of the ambush, having come near and having entered into the barracks, reported it to Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”

¹⁷And Paul, having summoned one of the centurions, was saying, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.”

¹⁸So the centurion took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”

¹⁸Therefore indeed the one having taken him brought him to the commander, and he says, “Paul the prisoner, having summoned me, asked me to lead this young man to you, having something to say to you.”

¹⁹The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?”

¹⁹Then the commander, having taken hold of his hand and having withdrawn in private, began to inquire, “What is it that you have to report to me?”

²⁰He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.

²⁰And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you that you might bring down Paul into the Council tomorrow as being about to inquire something more accurately about him.

²¹Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”

²¹You, therefore, should not be persuaded by them. For more than forty of their men lie in wait for him, who have put themselves under an oath neither to eat nor to drink until they should kill him; and now they are ready, awaiting the promise from you.”

²²So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

²²Therefore indeed the commander dismissed the young man, having instructed him, “Tell no one that you have reported these things to me.”

Paul Sent to Felix

²³Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.^a

²³And having summoned a certain two of the centurions, he said, “Prepare for the third hour of the night two hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, so that they might go as far as Caesarea,

²⁴Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”

²⁴and provide mounts so that, having set Paul upon them, they might bring him safely to Felix the governor,”

²⁵And he wrote the following letter:

²⁵having written a letter having this form:

²⁶Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency, Governor Felix:

Greetings.

²⁶Claudius Lysias, To the most excellent Governor Felix: Greetings.

²⁷This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen,

²⁷This man having been seized by the Jews and being about to be killed by them—having come up with the troop, I rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman.

²⁸and since I wanted to understand their charges against him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.

²⁸And resolving to know the charge on account of which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council,

²⁹I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.

²⁹whom I found being accused concerning questions of their law, but having no accusation worthy of death or of chains.

³⁰When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.

³⁰And a plot having been disclosed to me to be against the man, I sent him to you at once, also having instructed the accusers to speak these things against him before you.

³¹So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris.

³¹Therefore indeed the soldiers, according to that having been ordered them, having taken Paul, brought him to Antipatris by night.

³²The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him.

³²And on the next day, having allowed the horsemen to go with him, they returned to the barracks;

³³When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.

³³those having entered into Caesarea and having delivered the letter to the governor, also presented Paul to him.

³⁴The governor read the letter and asked what province Paul was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,

³⁴And having read it and having asked what province he is from, and having learned that he is from Cilicia,

³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.

³⁵he was saying, “I will hear you fully when your accusers may have arrived also,” having commanded him to be guarded in the Praetorium of Herod.