Acts 23
23
1 And gazing intently at the council, Paul said, “Men and brothers,* I have conducted my life in all good conscience towards God until this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near to him to strike his mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall!* And do you sit judging me according to the Law, and while acting contrary to the Law, you order me to be struck?” 4 And those who stood by said, “Are you reviling the high priest of God?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not realise, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written: ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”*
6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he began to cry out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged with reference to the hope and the resurrection of the dead.” 7 And when he said this, a controversy arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was polarised. 8 For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge both. 9 And there arose a great clamour; and some of the scribes from the party of the Pharisees rose up and contended vehemently, saying, “We find nothing culpable in this man. But perhaps a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”* 10 And when the controversy became escalated, the military tribune, fearing lest Paul be ripped apart by them, ordered the troops to go down, take him by force from their midst, and bring him into the barracks.
11 And the subsequent night the Lord stood by him and said, “Summon courage, for as you have testified concerning Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
The Conspiracy to Kill Paul
12 And when it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse, saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty who had made this plot, 14 who went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a curse to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, together with the council,* make a report to the military tribune so that he might bring him down to you, as though you were going to ascertain more precisely the things about him. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
16 Now when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, he came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17 So Paul summoned one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the military tribune, for he has something to report to him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the military tribune and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to lead this young man to you, because he has something to say to you.” 19 And the military tribune took hold of his hand, and withdrawing in private, began to inquire, “What is that you have to report to me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more precisely about him. 21 You, therefore, do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your assent.” 22 So the military tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have disclosed these things to me.”
Paul to Appear Before Felix
23 And he summoned two of the centurions and said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, so that they may go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. 24 Provide mounts, so that they may place Paul on them and convey him safely to Felix the governor.” 25 He wrote a letter, having this form:
26 Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings.
27 This man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I intervened with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28 And resolving to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused concerning questions of their Law, but having no accusation worthy of death or imprisonment. 30 And when it was revealed to me there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you instantly, also commanding his accusers to state what they have against him before you.
31 Therefore the soldiers, in compliance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 And on the following day, permitting the horsemen to go with him, they returned to the barracks. 33 When they entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 And after reading the letter and inquiring what province he was from, and ascertaining that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will convene a hearing when your accusers come also,” giving orders for him to be guarded in the Herod's Praetorium.*
Notes
1 Greek Men, brothers. So also v. 6
3 Or hypocrite
5 Quoted from Ex. 22:28
9 Some ancient manuscripts insert at the end of the verse the dependent clause Let us not fight against God
15 One Greek manuscript omits the phrase together with the council
35 Or palace
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
