1And Paul, gazing intently at the Sanhedrin, said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience to this very day.”
2But the high priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to strike him on the mouth.
3Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?”
4And those standing by said, “Are you reviling God’s high priest?”
5And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest. For it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
6But when Paul perceived that one part was Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! It is concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
7And when he said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge both.
9And a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and argued vehemently, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
10And when the dissension became great, the tribune, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from their midst and bring him into the barracks.
11The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
12When day came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath, saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13There were more than forty who had made this conspiracy.
14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.”
15Now therefore, you and the Sanhedrin must make a request to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to examine his case more thoroughly. And we are ready to kill him before he arrives.
16But the son of Paul’s sister heard of the ambush, and he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
17And Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to report to him.”
18So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.”
19Then the tribune took him by the hand, and drawing him aside privately, he asked, “What is it that you have to report to me?”
20And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though you were going to inquire more thoroughly about him.
21So do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves with an oath neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”
22So the tribune dismissed the young man, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have reported these things to me.”
23Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, from the third hour of the night.”
24Also provide mounts so that they can put Paul on one and bring him safely to Felix the governor.
25And he wrote a letter with the following content:
26“Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix: Greetings.
27This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman citizen.
28And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.
29I found that he was being accused about questions of their own law, but there was no charge against him deserving of death or imprisonment.
30And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to state their case against him before you.”
31So the soldiers, according to their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32And on the next day, they left the horsemen to go on with him and returned to the barracks.
33When they entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
34When he had read it, he asked what province he was from, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers also arrive.” He then commanded that he be kept under guard in Herod’s praetorium.
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