23 Paul looked at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life without guilt feelings before God up to this day.” ² Ananias,^[a] the high priest, heard this and told the men who were standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth. ³ Paul said to Ananias, “God will hit you, too! You are like a wall that has been painted white. You sit there and judge me, using the law of Moses, but you are telling them to hit me, and that is against the law.”