Acts 23
1. And Paul, earnestly beholding * the council, said * , Men and brethren, I have lived * in all good conscience before God until this day.
2. And the high priest Ananias commanded * them that stood by * him to smite * him on the mouth.
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 * ?
4. And they that stood by * said * , Revilest thou * God's high priest?
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.
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 * .
7. And when he had * so said * , there arose * a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided * .
8. For the Sadducees say * that there is * no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess * both.
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.
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.
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.
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.
13. And they were * more than forty which had made * this conspiracy.
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.
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 * enquire * something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near * , are * ready to kill * him.
16. And when Paul's sister's son heard * of their lying in wait, he went * and entered * into the castle,and told * Paul.
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.
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.
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?
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 * enquire * somewhat of him more perfectly.
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.
22. So the chief captain then let * the young man depart * , and charged * him, See thou tell * no man that thou hast shewed * these things to me.
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;
24. And provide * them beasts, that they may set * Paul on * , and bring him safe * unto Felix the governor.
25. And he wrote * a letter after * this manner:
26. Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting * .
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.
28. And when * I would * have known * the cause wherefore they accused * him, I brought * him forth * into their council:
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.
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 * .
31. Then the soldiers, as it was commanded * them, took * Paul, and brought * him by night to Antipatris.
32. On the morrow they left * the horsemen to go * with him, and returned * to the castle:
33. Who, when they came * to Caesarea, and delivered * the epistle to the governor, presented * Paul also before him.
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;
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.
