1
Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled
my duty to God in all good conscience to his day."
2
At thie the high priest Ananias ordered these standing near Paul to strike him
on the mouth.
3
Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!
You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate
thelaw by commanding that I be struck!"
4
Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God's high priest?"
5
Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest;
for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.' "
6
Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees,
called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee.
I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead."
7
When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees
and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8
(The Sadducess say that there is no resurrection, and that there are
neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowlede them all.)
9
There was a great uproar, and jsme of the teachers of thelaw who were Pharisees stood up and argued virorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
10
The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid
Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down
and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11
The following night the Lord stood near Papul and said, "Take courage!
As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."
12
The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves
with an oath not to drink or drink until they had killed Paul.
13
More than forty men were involved in his plot.
14
They went to the chief priests and elders and said,
"We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
15
Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring
him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information
about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here."
16
But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot,
he went into the barracks and told Paul.
17
Then Paul called one of the centurions and said,
"Take this young man to the commander;
he has something to tell him."
18
So he took him to the commander. The centurion said,
"Paul, the prisoner, sent fo rme and asked me to bring this youngman
to you because he has something to tell you."
19
The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked,
"What is it you want to tell me?"
20
He said:
"The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow
on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.
21
Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting
in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until
they have killed him. They are ready now,
waiting for your consent to their request."
22
The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him,
"Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me."
23
Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them,
"Get ready a detachment of two hundred solders, seventy horsemen
and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.
24
Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix."
25
He wrote a letter as follows:
26
Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
27
This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him,
but I came with my troops and rescued him,
for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.
28
I wanted to know why they were accusing him,
so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.
29
I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law,
but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.
30
When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man,
I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers o present to you
their case against him.
31
So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during
the night and brought him as far as Antipatris.
32
The next day they let the cavalry go on with him,
while they returned to the barracks.
33
When the cavalru arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter
to the governor and handed Paul over to him.
34
The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from.
Learning that he was from Cilicia,
35
he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers get here."
Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.
