Acts 23:1–24:27

Paul before the Council

1 Paul, looking intently at athe 1Council, said, “bBrethren, cI have 2lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.”

2 The high priest aAnanias commanded those standing beside him bto strike him on the mouth.

3 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?”

4 But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?”

5 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.’ ”

6 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!”

7 As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

8 For athe Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

9 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?”

10 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.

11 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.”

A Conspiracy to Kill Paul

12 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.

13 There were more than forty who formed this plot.

14 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.

15 “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.”

16 But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, 1and he came and entered athe barracks and told Paul.

17 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.”

18 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.”

19 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?”

20 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.

21 “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.”

22 So the 1commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.”

Paul Moved to Caesarea

23 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.”

24 They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to aFelix the governor.

25 And he wrote a letter having this form:

26 “Claudius Lysias, to the amost excellent governor Felix, bgreetings.

27 “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.

28 “And awanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I bbrought him down to their 1cCouncil;

29 and I found him to be accused over aquestions about their Law, but 1under bno accusation deserving death or 2imprisonment.

30 “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.”

31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

32 But the next day, leaving athe horsemen to go on with him, they returned to bthe barracks.

33 When these had come to aCaesarea and delivered the letter to bthe governor, they also presented Paul to him.

34 When he had read it, he asked from what aprovince he was, and when he learned that bhe was from Cilicia,

35 he said, “I will give you a hearing after your aaccusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be bkept in Herod’s 1Praetorium.

Chapter 24

Paul before Felix

1 After afive days the high priest bAnanias came down with some elders, 1with an 2attorney named Tertullus, and they 3brought charges to cthe governor against Paul.

2 After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying to the governor,

“Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation,

3 we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, amost excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.

4 “But, that I may not weary you any further, I beg you 1to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing.

5 “For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout 1the world, and a ringleader of the asect of the Nazarenes.

6 “And he even tried to adesecrate the temple; and 1then we arrested him. [2We wanted to judge him according to our own Law.

7 “But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands,

8 ordering his accusers to come before you.] By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him.”

9 aThe Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so.

10 When athe governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense,

11 since you can take note of the fact that no more than atwelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

12 “aNeither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or bcausing 1a riot.

13 “aNor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me.

14 “But this I admit to you, that according to athe Way which they call a bsect I do serve 1cthe God of our fathers, dbelieving everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;

15 having a hope in God, which athese men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

16 “In view of this, aI also 1do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.

17 “Now aafter several years I bcame to bring 1alms to my nation and to present offerings;

18 in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been apurified, without any bcrowd or uproar. But there were some cJews from 1Asia—

19 who ought to have been present before you and to amake accusation, if they should have anything against me.

20 “Or else let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before athe 1Council,

21 other than for this one statement which aI shouted out while standing among them, ‘For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.’ ”

22 But Felix, 1having a more exact knowledge about athe Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the 2commander comes down, I will decide your case.”

23 Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be akept in custody and yet bhave some freedom, and not to prevent any of chis friends from ministering to him.

24 But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his 1wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about afaith in Christ Jesus.

25 But as he was discussing arighteousness, bself-control and cthe judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.”

26 At the same time too, he was hoping that amoney would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him.

27 But after two years had passed, Felix 1was succeeded by Porcius aFestus, and bwishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul cimprisoned.