23:1 Paul looked directly¹ at the council² and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience³ before God to this day.” 23:2 At that⁴ the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near⁵ Paul⁶ to strike⁷ him on the mouth. 23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall!⁸ Do⁹ you sit there judging me according to the law,¹⁰ and in violation of the law¹¹ you order me to be struck?” 23:4 Those standing near him¹² said, “Do you dare insult¹³ God’s high priest?” 23:5 Paul replied,¹⁴ “I did not realize,¹⁵ brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’”¹⁶

23:6 Then when Paul noticed¹⁷ that part of them were Sadducees¹⁸ and the others Pharisees,¹⁹ he shouted out in the council,²⁰ “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection²¹ of the dead!” 23:7 When he said this,²² an argument²³ began²⁴ between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 23:8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)²⁵ 23:9 There was a great commotion,²⁶ and some experts in the law²⁷ from the party of the Pharisees stood up²⁸ and protested strongly,²⁹ “We find nothing wrong³⁰ with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 23:10 When the argument became³¹ so great the commanding officer³² feared that they would tear Paul to pieces,³³ he ordered the detachment³⁴ to go down, take him away from them by force,³⁵ and bring him into the barracks.³⁶

23:11 The following night the Lord³⁷ stood near³⁸ Paul³⁹ and said, “Have courage,⁴⁰ for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”⁴¹

23:12 When morning came,⁴² the Jews formed⁴³ a conspiracy⁴⁴ and bound themselves with an oath⁴⁵ not to eat or drink anything⁴⁶ until they had killed Paul. 23:13 There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy.⁴⁷ 23:14 They⁴⁸ went⁴⁹ to the chief priests⁵⁰ and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath⁵¹ not to partake⁵² of anything until we have killed Paul. 23:15 So now you and the council⁵³ request the commanding officer⁵⁴ to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine⁵⁵ his case⁵⁶ by conducting a more thorough inquiry.⁵⁷ We are ready to kill him⁵⁸ before he comes near this place.”⁵⁹

23:16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush,⁶⁰ he came and entered⁶¹ the barracks⁶² and told Paul. 23:17 Paul called⁶³ one of the centurions⁶⁴ and said, “Take this young man to the commanding officer,⁶⁵ for he has something to report to him.” 23:18 So the centurion⁶⁶ took him and brought him to the commanding officer⁶⁷ and said, “The prisoner Paul called⁶⁸ me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.” 23:19 The commanding officer⁶⁹ took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, “What is it that you want⁷⁰ to report to me?” 23:20 He replied,⁷¹ “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council⁷² tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him. 23:21 So do not let them persuade you to do this,⁷³ because more than forty of them⁷⁴ are lying in ambush⁷⁵ for him. They⁷⁶ have bound themselves with an oath⁷⁷ not to eat or drink anything⁷⁸ until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request.”⁷⁹ 23:22 Then the commanding officer⁸⁰ sent the young man away, directing him,⁸¹ “Tell no one that you have reported⁸² these things to me.” 23:23 Then⁸³ he summoned⁸⁴ two of the centurions⁸⁵ and said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea⁸⁶ along with seventy horsemen⁸⁷ and two hundred spearmen⁸⁸ by⁸⁹ nine o’clock tonight,⁹⁰ 23:24 and provide mounts for Paul to ride⁹¹ so that he may be brought safely to Felix⁹² the governor.”⁹³ 23:25 He wrote⁹⁴ a letter that went like this:⁹⁵

23:26 “Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor⁹⁶ Felix,⁹⁷ greetings.

23:27 This man was seized⁹⁸ by the Jews and they were about to kill him,⁹⁹ when I came up¹⁰⁰ with the detachment¹⁰¹ and rescued him, because I had learned that he was¹⁰² a Roman citizen.¹⁰³ 23:28 Since I wanted to know¹⁰⁴ what charge they were accusing him of,¹⁰⁵ I brought him down to their council.¹⁰⁶ 23:29 I found he¹⁰⁷ was accused with reference to controversial questions¹⁰⁸ about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment.¹⁰⁹ 23:30 When I was informed¹¹⁰ there would be a plot¹¹¹ against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges¹¹² against him before you.”

23:31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders,¹¹³ took¹¹⁴ Paul and brought him to Antipatris¹¹⁵ during the night. 23:32 The next day they let¹¹⁶ the horsemen¹¹⁷ go on with him, and they returned to the barracks.¹¹⁸ 23:33 When the horsemen¹¹⁹ came to Caesarea¹²⁰ and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented¹²¹ Paul to him. 23:34 When the governor¹²² had read¹²³ the letter,¹²⁴ he asked¹²⁵ what province he was from.¹²⁶ When he learned¹²⁷ that he was from Cilicia,¹²⁸ 23:35 he said, “I will give you a hearing¹²⁹ when your accusers arrive too.” Then¹³⁰ he ordered that Paul¹³¹ be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.¹³²