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Acts 23

23
Acts 23
1¶ Then Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
2And the prince of the priests, Ananias, commanded those that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
3Then Paul said unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whitewashed wall, for dost thou sit to judge me after the law and command me to be smitten contrary to the law?
4And those that stood by said, Dost thou revile God’s high priest?
5Then Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the prince of the priests, for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
6¶ But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, and of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
7And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.
8For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
9And there arose a great cry; and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man, but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
10And when there arose a great dissension, the tribunal, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among them and to bring him into the fortress.
11And the night following the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou also bear witness at Rome.
12¶ And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and they vowed under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13And they were more than forty who had made this conspiracy.
14And they came to the princes of the priests and the elders and said, We have made a vow of anathema that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.
15Now therefore ye with the council signify to the tribunal that he bring him down unto you tomorrow, as though ye would enquire something more certain concerning him, and we, before he arrives, are ready to kill him.
16And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush, he went and entered into the fortress and told Paul.
17Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him and said, Bring this young man unto the tribunal, for he has a certain thing to tell him.
18So he took him and brought him to the tribunal and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him and asked me to bring this young man unto thee, who has something to say unto thee.
19Then the tribunal took him by the hand and went with him aside privately and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
20And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask thee that thou would bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they would enquire something more certain of him.
21But do not believe them, for more than forty of them lie in wait to ambush him, who have vowed under a curse that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him, and now they are ready, looking for a promise from thee.
22So the tribunal then let the young man depart and charged him, See thou tell no one that thou hast showed these things to me.
23And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night
24and provide them beasts that they may set Paul on and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.
25And he wrote a letter after this manner:
26Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sends greeting.
27This man was taken of the Jews and should have been killed by them; then I came with an army and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.
28And when I desired to know the cause of why they accused him, I brought him forth into their council,
29whom I found to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
30And when it was told me how the Jews lay in wait to ambush the man, I sent straightway to thee and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.
31Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32On the next day they left the horsemen to go with him and returned to the fortress,
33who, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
34And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia,
35I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.

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Acts 23: JUB

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