Acts 23

Disciples’ Literal New Testament

23 ¹ And Paul, having looked-intently at the Sanhedrin, said, “Men, brothers, I have conducted-myself ^[a] with all good conscience before God up to this day”. ² And the high priest Ananias^[b] commanded the ones standing near him to strike his mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you— whitewashed wall! Do You indeed sit there judging me according to the Law, and violating-the-Law, order that I be struck?” ⁴ And the ones standing near said, “Are you reviling the high priest of God?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it has been written [in Ex 22:28] that ‘You shall not speak badly of a ruler of your people’”.

Paul Divides The Assembly Over The Question of The Resurrection

⁶ And Paul, having known that the one part of them was of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, was crying-out in the Sanhedrin, “Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged concerning the hope^[c] and resurrection of the dead”. ⁷ And he having said this, a dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees took place, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For Sadducees say that there is not a resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit— but Pharisees confess all^[d] three. ⁹ And a great clamor took place. And having stood up, some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part were battling, saying, “We are finding no evil in this man. And what if a spirit did speak to him, or an angel?”

The Romans Take Paul Away

¹⁰ And while a great dispute was taking place, the commander— having feared that Paul might be torn-to-pieces by them— ordered the troop^[e], having gone down, to snatch him out of the midst of them and bring him to the barracks.

That Night The Lord Appears To Paul And Says He Will Also Testify In Rome

¹¹ And on the following^[f] night, the Lord, having stood near him, said, “Take-courage. For as you solemnly-testified in Jerusalem as to the things concerning Me, so you must also testify in Rome”.

The Next Day, Over 40 Jews Swear an Oath To Kill Paul, And Hatch a Plot

¹² And having become day, the Jews, having held a gathering, bound themselves under-a-curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until which time they killed Paul. ¹³ Now there were more than forty having made^[g] this sworn-pact— ¹⁴ who, having gone to the chief priests and the elders, said, “With a curse^[h], we bound ourselves under-a-curse to eat nothing until which time we kill Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore, you, along with the Sanhedrin, notify the commander so that he may bring him down to you, as-though you are intending to determine the things concerning him more accurately. And we are prepared that we might kill him before he draws-near”.

Paul’s Nephew Hears of The Plot, And Informs The Roman Commander

¹⁶ But the son of the sister of Paul— having heard-of the ambush, having come and entered into the barracks— reported it to Paul. ¹⁷ And Paul, having summoned one of the centurions, said, “Lead this young-man away to the commander, for he has something to report to him”. ¹⁸ So indeed the one, having taken him along, led him to the commander. And he says, “Paul the prisoner, having summoned me, asked that I lead this young man to you— he having something to tell you”. ¹⁹ And the commander— having taken-hold-of his hand, and having withdrawn privately— was asking, “What is it that you have to report to me?” ²⁰ And he said that “The Jews agreed to ask you so that tomorrow you might bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin, as-though intending to inquire something more accurately concerning him. ²¹ So don’t you be persuaded by them. For more than forty men from-among them are lying-in-wait-for him who bound themselves under-a-curse neither to eat nor drink until which time they kill him. And now they are prepared, waiting-for the promise^[i] from you”.

The Roman Commander Makes Arrangements To Send Paul To Caesarea

²² Then indeed the commander sent away the young-man, having commanded him to tell no one “that you revealed^[j] these things to me”. ²³ And having summoned a certain two of the centurions, he said, “Prepare two-hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two-hundred spearmen^[k] so that they may proceed to Caesarea at the third^[l] hour of the night”; ²⁴ and that they should provide mounts in order that having put-on Paul, they might bring him safely through to Felix^[m] the governor, ²⁵ he having written a letter having this form:

²⁶ “Claudius Lysias, to the most-excellent governor Felix: Greetings. ²⁷ I rescued this man having been seized by the Jews and being about to be killed by them, having come-suddenly-upon them with the troop— having learned that he was a Roman^[n]. ²⁸ And wanting to know the reason for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin— ²⁹ whom I found being accused about issues of their Law, but having no accusation^[o] worthy of death or imprisonment. ³⁰ And a plot having been disclosed to me that would be against the man, I sent him to you at once, having also ordered his accusers to speak the things against him before you”.

Roman Soldiers Take Paul To Caesarea, Where He Awaits The Arrival of His Accusers

³¹ So indeed the soldiers, in accordance with the thing having been commanded them, having picked-up Paul, brought him during the night to Antipatris. ³² And on the next day, they^[p] returned to the barracks, having let the horsemen depart with him— ³³ who, having entered into Caesarea, and having delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul to him also. ³⁴ And having read it, and having asked from what province he was, and having learned that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also arrive”— having ordered that he be guarded in the Praetorium^[q] of Herod.