Acts 23:1–15

²³While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, “Brothers,^g up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.”^{* 2}Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth.^{* 3}At this Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?”^{* 4}Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” ⁵And Paul said, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.’ ”^*

⁶When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, “Brothers,^h I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrectionⁱ of the dead.”^{* 7}When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.)^{* 9}Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”^{* 10}When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.^*

¹¹That night the Lord stood near him and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.”^*

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹²In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.^{* 13}There were more than forty who joined in this conspiracy. ¹⁴They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food until we have killed Paul.^{* 15}Now then, you and the council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you, on the pretext that you want to make a more thorough examination of his case. And we are ready to do away with him before he arrives.”^*