AC-23:1  And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men

[and]

brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until

this

day.

AC-23:2  And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by

him to smite him on the mouth.

AC-23:3  Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, [thou]

whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and

commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

AC-23:4  And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high

priest?

AC-23:5  Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the

high

priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the

ruler of

thy people.

AC-23:6  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: of the hope and

resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

AC-23:7  And when he had so said, there arose a dissension

between

the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

AC-23:8  For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection,

neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

AC-23:9  And 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 hath spoken to him, let us

not

fight against God.

AC-23:10  And when there arose a great dissension, the chief

captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of

them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force

from among them, and to bring [him] into the castle.

AC-23:11  And 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 bear witness also at Rome.

AC-23:12  And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded

together,

and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would

neither

eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

AC-23:13  And they were more than forty which had made this

conspiracy.

AC-23:14  And they came to the chief priests and elders, and

said,

We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat

nothing until we have slain Paul.

AC-23:15  Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief

captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye

would inquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or

ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

AC-23:16  And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in

wait,

he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

AC-23:17  Then Paul called one of the centurions unto [him], and

said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a

certain thing to tell him.

AC-23:18  So he took him, and brought [him] to the chief captain,

and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto [him], and prayed me

to

bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto

thee.

AC-23:19  Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went

[with him] aside privately, and asked [him], What is that thou

hast

to tell me?

AC-23:20  And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that

thou

wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though

they

would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly.

AC-23:21  But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait

for

him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves

with an

oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed

him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.

AC-23:22  So the chief captain [then] let the young man depart,

and

charged [him, See thou] tell no man that thou hast showed these

things to me.

AC-23:23  And he called unto [him] two centurions, saying, Make

ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen

threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour

of

the night;

AC-23:24  And provide [them] beasts, that they may set Paul on,

and

bring [him] safe unto Felix the governor.

AC-23:25  And he wrote a letter after this manner:

AC-23:26  Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix

[sendeth] greeting.

AC-23:27  This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been

killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having

understood that he was a Roman.

AC-23:28  And when I would have known the cause wherefore they

accused him, I brought him forth into their council:

AC-23:29  Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their

law,

but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of

bonds.

AC-23:30  And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for

the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his

accusers also to say before thee what [they had] against him.

Farewell.

AC-23:31  Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul,

and brought [him] by night to Antipatris.

AC-23:32  On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him,

and

returned to the castle:

AC-23:33  Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the

epistle

to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

AC-23:34  And when the governor had read [the letter], he asked

of

what province he was. And when he understood that [he was] of

Cilicia;

AC-23:35  I 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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