Paul, looking
intently
at athe 1Council
, said
, " bBrethren
, cI have 2lived
my life
with a perfectly
good
conscience
before God
up to this
day
."
The high priest
aAnanias
commanded
those
standing
beside
him bto strike
him on the mouth
.
Then Paul
said
to him, "God
is going
to strike
you, ayou whitewashed
wall
! Do you bsit
to try
me according
to the Law
, and in violation
of the Law
order
me to be struck
?"
But the bystanders said
, "Do you revile
God's
high
priest
?"
And Paul said
, "I was not aware
, brethren
, that he was high
priest
; for it is written
, ` aYOU SHALL NOT SPEAK
EVIL
OF A RULER
OF YOUR PEOPLE
.' "
But perceiving that one
group
were aSadducees
and the other
Pharisees
, Paul
began crying
out in bthe 1Council
, " cBrethren
, dI am
a Pharisee
, a son
of Pharisees
; I am on trial
for ethe hope
and resurrection
of the dead
!"
As he said this
, there occurred
a dissension
between the Pharisees
and Sadducees
, and the assembly
was divided
.
For athe Sadducees say
that there is no
resurrection
, nor
an angel
, nor
a spirit
, but the Pharisees
acknowledge
them all
.
And there occurred a great
uproar
; and some
of athe scribes
of the Pharisaic
party
stood
up and began to argue
heatedly
, saying
, " bWe find
nothing
wrong
with this
man
; csuppose
a spirit
or
an angel
has spoken
to him?"
And as a great dissension
was developing
, the 1commander
was afraid
Paul
would be torn
to pieces
by them and ordered
the troops
to go
down
and take
him away
from them by force
, and bring
him into athe barracks
.
But on athe night immediately following
, the Lord
stood
at his side and said
, " bTake
courage
; for cas you have dsolemnly
witnessed
to My cause
at Jerusalem
, so
you must
witness
at Rome
also
."
When it was day, athe Jews
formed
a 1conspiracy
and bbound
themselves
under
an oath
, saying
that they would neither
eat
nor
drink
until
they had killed
Paul
.
There were more than forty
who formed
this
plot
.
They came to the chief
priests
and the elders
and said
, "We have abound
ourselves
under
a solemn
oath
to taste
nothing
until
we have killed
Paul
.
"Now therefore
, you 1and athe 2Council
notify
the 3commander
to bring
him down
to you, as though
you were going
to determine
his case
by a more
thorough
investigation
; and we for our part are ready
to slay
him before
he comes
near
the place."
But the son of Paul's
sister
heard
of their ambush
, 1and he came
and entered
athe barracks
and told
Paul
.
Paul called
one
of the centurions
to him and said
, "Lead
this
young
man
to the 1commander
, for he has
something
to report
to him."
So he took
him and led
him to the 1commander
and *said
, "Paul
athe prisoner
called
me to him and asked
me to lead
this
young
man
to you since he has
something
to tell
you."
The 1commander took
him by the hand
and stepping
aside
, began to inquire
of him privately
, "What
is it that you have
to report
to me?"
And he said, " aThe Jews
have agreed
to ask
you to bring
Paul
down
tomorrow
to bthe 1Council
, as though
they were going
to inquire
somewhat
more
thoroughly
about
him.
"So do not 1listen
to them, for more
than forty
of them are alying
in wait
for him who
have bbound
themselves
under
a curse
not to eat
or
drink
until
they slay
him; and now
they are ready
and waiting
for the promise
from you."
So the 1commander
let
the young
man
go
, instructing
him, "Tell
no
one
that you have notified
me of these
things
."
And he called to him two
of the centurions
and said
, "Get
two
hundred
soldiers
ready
by 1the third
hour
of the night
to proceed
to aCaesarea
, 2with seventy
horsemen
and two
hundred
3spearmen
."
They were also to provide
mounts
to put
Paul
on and bring
him safely
to aFelix
the governor
.
And he wrote a letter
having
this
form
:
"Claudius Lysias
, to the amost
excellent
governor
Felix
, bgreetings
.
"When this man
was arrested
by the Jews
and was about
to be slain
by them, aI came
up to them with the troops
and rescued
him, bhaving learned
that he was a Roman
.
"And awanting to ascertain
the charge
for which
they were accusing
him, I bbrought
him down
to their 1 cCouncil
;
and I found him to be accused
over
aquestions
about
their Law
, but 1under
bno
accusation
deserving
death
or
2imprisonment
.
"When I was ainformed that there would be ba plot
against
the man
, I sent
him to you at once
, also
instructing
chis accusers
to 1bring
charges
against
him before
you."
So the soldiers
, in accordance
with their orders
, took
Paul
and brought
him by night
to Antipatris
.
But the next day
, leaving
athe horsemen
to go
on with him, they returned
to bthe barracks
.
When these had come
to aCaesarea
and delivered
the letter
to bthe governor
, they also
presented
Paul
to him.
When he had read it, he asked
from what
aprovince
he was, and when he learned
that bhe was from Cilicia
,
he said, "I will give
you a hearing
after
your aaccusers
arrive
also
," giving
orders
for him to be bkept
in Herod's
1Praetorium
.