Acts 23

1Paul fixed his eyes on the council and said, “Brothers, I have conducted my life before God with a fully clear conscience up to this very day.” 2At that, Ananias the high priest told the men standing near Paul to hit him in the mouth. 3Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you in turn, you whitewashed wall! You are seated to try me by the law, and you break that same law by having me hit?” 4Those standing by said, “You insult God’s own high priest?” 5Paul answered, “Brothers, I was not aware that he was the high priest. For Scripture says, ‘Never speak ill of one who rules your people.’”

6Aware that the council was made up partly of Sadducees and partly of Pharisees, Paul called out to them, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, born to a family of Pharisees. It is over the hope of the dead rising that I am on trial.” 7As soon as he said this, the Pharisees and Sadducees began to quarrel, and the gathering split in two. 8The Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees hold to both, the resurrection and the world of spirits. 9The shouting grew loud, and some experts in the law from the Pharisees’ party got to their feet and fought the point: “We see no fault in this man. And if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, what then?” 10The dispute became so fierce that the tribune feared Paul would be pulled apart between them. He told the troops to go down, seize Paul out of the middle of them, and take him into the barracks.

11The following night the Lord came and stood beside Paul. “Take courage,” he said. “Just as you have borne witness to me in Jerusalem, you must bear witness in Rome as well.”

12When day came, a group of Jews banded together and swore an oath, calling down a curse on themselves if they ate or drank anything before they had killed Paul. 13More than forty men took part in this plot. 14They went to the chief priests and the elders and told them, “We have put ourselves under a solemn curse: we will not taste a thing until we have killed Paul. 15So now you and the council must tell the tribune to bring Paul down to you, claiming that you want to look into his case more closely. We will be waiting to kill him before he ever reaches you.”

16But Paul’s nephew, the son of his sister, got word of the ambush. He made his way into the barracks and warned Paul. 17Paul called over one of the centurions and said, “Bring this young man to the tribune; he has news for him.” 18The centurion brought him to the tribune and reported, “The prisoner Paul called me over and asked me to take this young man to you, since he has a message for you.” 19The tribune took hold of his hand, led him off to one side by themselves, and asked him, “What is this news you have for me?” 20He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as if the council meant to look more carefully into his case. 21Do not let them persuade you. More than forty of their men are lying in wait for him. They have sworn under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him, and they are ready now, only waiting for you to say yes.” 22The tribune sent the young man away with a warning: “Do not let anyone know you told me about this.”

23Then he summoned two of his centurions and told them, “Have 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight, with seventy horsemen and 200 spearmen.” 24He also had them provide mounts for Paul to ride, so that he would reach Felix the governor safely. 25And he wrote a letter that went like this: 26“Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent Governor Felix: greetings. 27The Jews had taken hold of this man and were on the verge of killing him. I came on the scene with the troops and pulled him out of their hands, having found out that he was a Roman citizen. 28Since I wanted to learn the grounds of their charges against him, I had him brought before their council. 29I found he was being accused over points of their own law, but with nothing that called for death or chains. 30Word reached me that a plot was being laid against him, so I am sending him to you straight away, and I have told his accusers to state their case against him in your presence.”

31The soldiers followed their instructions: they took charge of Paul and marched him through the night to Antipatris. 32The next day they left the horsemen to go on with him and went back to the barracks themselves. 33When the horsemen reached Caesarea, they handed the letter to the governor and brought Paul before him as well. 34After reading the letter, the governor asked what province Paul belonged to, and learned that it was Cilicia. 35“I will give you a full hearing,” he said, “once your accusers are here as well.” Then he gave orders for Paul to be held under guard in Herod’s praetorium.