Acts 23

New Matthew Bible

Paul comes before the council. Debate arises among the people. The high captain delivers him. God comforts him.

23 Paul beheld the council and said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. ² Then the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by to strike him on the mouth.

³ Then Paul said to him, God smite you, you painted wall! Do you sit and judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?

⁴ And those who stood by said, Do you revile God’s high priest?

⁵ Then Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest. For it is written: You shall not curse the ruler of your people.

⁶ When Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is concerning the hope and resurrection from death that I am on trial.

⁷ And when he had said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and also no angels or spirits. But the Pharisees grant both. ⁹ And there arose a great cry, and the scribes who were of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, We find no evil in this man. And if a spirit or an angel has appeared to him, let us not strive against God.

¹⁰ And when great controversy arose, the captain, fearing lest Paul should be pulled apart by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him from among them, and to bring him into the castle. ¹¹ The night following, the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul. For as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you bear witness at Rome.

¹² When day came, certain of the Jews gathered themselves together and made a vow, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were about forty who conspired this together. ¹⁴ And they went to the chief priests and elders and said, We have bound ourselves with a vow that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore, petition the high captain and the council to bring him forth to us tomorrow, as though we want to better understand something concerning him. But we, before he comes near, are ready meanwhile to kill him.

¹⁶ When the son of Paul’s sister heard of their plan to lie in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul. ¹⁷ And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Bring this young man to the high captain, because he has a certain thing to tell him. ¹⁸ And he brought him and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has a certain matter to tell you of.

¹⁹ The high captain took him by the hand and went apart with him privately, and asked him, What have you to say to me? ²⁰ And he said, The Jews have resolved to ask you to bring forth Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they want to make further enquiries of him. ²¹ But do not go along with them, because there will be more than forty men lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves with a vow that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready and waiting for your word.

²² The high captain let the young man depart, and instructed him, See you tell no one that you have told these things to me. ²³ And he called to him two centurions, saying, Make ready 200 soldiers to go to Caesarea, and 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen, at the third hour of the night. ²⁴ And provide horses to put Paul on, and bring him safe to Felix, the governor. ²⁵ And he wrote a letter in this manner:

²⁶ Claudius Lysias to the most noble Governor Felix, sends greetings. ²⁷ This man was taken by the Jews, and was near to being killed by them. Then I came with soldiers and rescued him, and learned that he was a Roman. ²⁸ And when I wished to know the offence for which they accused him, I brought him forth into their council. ²⁹ There I could see that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but was not guilty of anything worthy of death or of bonds. ³⁰ Afterward, when it was reported to me that the Jews were lying in wait for the man, I sent him straightaway to you, and directed his accusers, if they had anything against him, to tell it to you. Farewell.

³¹ Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. ³² The next day they left horsemen to go with him and returned to the castle.

³³ When the horsemen got to Caesarea, they delivered the epistle to the governor and presented Paul before him. ³⁴ When the governor had read the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, ³⁵ I will hear you when your accusers have come also.

And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s palace.