Acts 23 - New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

Paul before the Council

23 Paul, looking intently at ^(A)the ^[a]Council, said, “^(B)Brethren, ^(C)I have ^[b]lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.” ² The high priest ^(D)Ananias commanded those standing beside him ^(E)to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, ^(F)you whitewashed wall! Do you ^(G)sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” ⁴ But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘^(H)You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ But perceiving that one group were ^(I)Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in ^(J)the ^[c]Council, “^(K)Brethren, ^(L)I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for ^(M)the hope and resurrection of the dead!” ⁷ As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For ^(N)the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ⁹ And there occurred a great uproar; and some of ^(O)the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, “^(P)We find nothing wrong with this man; ^(Q)suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ¹⁰ And as a great dissension was developing, the ^[d]commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into ^(R)the barracks.

¹¹ But on ^(S)the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “^(T)Take courage; for ^(U)as you have ^(V)solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.”

A Conspiracy to Kill Paul

¹² When it was day, ^(W)the Jews formed a ^[e]conspiracy and ^(X)bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty who formed this plot. ¹⁴ They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have ^(Y)bound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore, you ^[f]and ^(Z)the ^[g]Council notify the ^[h]commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case by a more thorough investigation; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near the place.”

¹⁶ But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, ^[i]and he came and entered ^(AA)the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Lead this young man to the ^[j]commander, for he has something to report to him.” ¹⁸ So he took him and led him to the ^[k]commander and *said, “Paul ^(AB)the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you.” ¹⁹ The ^[l]commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?” ²⁰ And he said, “^(AC)The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to ^(AD)the ^[m]Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. ²¹ So do not ^[n]listen to them, for more than forty of them are ^(AE)lying in wait for him who have ^(AF)bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.” ²² So the ^[o]commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.”

Paul Moved to Caesarea

²³ And he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by ^[p]the third hour of the night to proceed to ^(AG)Caesarea, ^[q]with seventy horsemen and two hundred ^[r]spearmen.” ²⁴ They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to ^(AH)Felix the governor. ²⁵ And he wrote a letter having this form:

²⁶ “Claudius Lysias, to the ^(AI)most excellent governor Felix, ^(AJ)greetings.

²⁷ “When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, ^(AK)I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, ^(AL)having learned that he was a Roman. ²⁸ “And ^(AM)wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I ^(AN)brought him down to their ^[s](AO)Council; ²⁹ and I found him to be accused over ^(AP)questions about their Law, but ^[t]under ^(AQ)no accusation deserving death or ^[u]imprisonment.

³⁰ “When I was ^(AR)informed that there would be ^(AS)a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing ^(AT)his accusers to ^[v]bring charges against him before you.”

³¹ So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. ³² But the next day, leaving ^(AU)the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to ^(AV)the barracks. ³³ When these had come to ^(AW)Caesarea and delivered the letter to ^(AX)the governor, they also presented Paul to him. ³⁴ When he had read it, he asked from what ^(AY)province he was, and when he learned that ^(AZ)he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I will give you a hearing after your ^(BA)accusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be ^(BB)kept in Herod’s ^[w]Praetorium.

Footnotes

1. Acts 23:1 Or Sanhedrin
2. Acts 23:1 Or conducted myself as a citizen
3. Acts 23:6 Or Sanhedrin
4. Acts 23:10 I.e. chiliarch, in command of one thousand troops
5. Acts 23:12 Or mob
6. Acts 23:15 Lit with
7. Acts 23:15 Or Sanhedrin
8. Acts 23:15 V 10, note 1
9. Acts 23:16 Or having been present with them, and he entered
10. Acts 23:17 V 10, note 1
11. Acts 23:18 V 10, note 1
12. Acts 23:19 V 10, note 1
13. Acts 23:20 Or Sanhedrin
14. Acts 23:21 Lit be persuaded by them
15. Acts 23:22 V 10, note 1
16. Acts 23:23 I.e. 9 p.m.
17. Acts 23:23 Lit and
18. Acts 23:23 Or slingers or bowmen
19. Acts 23:28 Or Sanhedrin
20. Acts 23:29 Lit having
21. Acts 23:29 Lit bonds
22. Acts 23:30 Lit speak against him
23. Acts 23:35 I.e. governor’s official residence

Cross references

1. Acts 23:1 : Acts 22:30; 23:6, 15, 20, 28
2. Acts 23:1 : Acts 22:5
3. Acts 23:1 : Acts 24:16; 2 Cor 1:12; 2 Tim 1:3
4. Acts 23:2 : Acts 24:1
5. Acts 23:2 : John 18:22
6. Acts 23:3 : Matt 23:27
7. Acts 23:3 : Lev 19:15; Deut 25:2; John 7:51
8. Acts 23:5 : Ex 22:28
9. Acts 23:6 : Matt 3:7; 22:23
10. Acts 23:6 : Acts 22:30; 23:1, 15, 20, 28
11. Acts 23:6 : Acts 22:5
12. Acts 23:6 : Acts 26:5; Phil 3:5
13. Acts 23:6 : Acts 24:15, 21; 26:8
14. Acts 23:8 : Matt 22:23; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27
15. Acts 23:9 : Mark 2:16; Luke 5:30
16. Acts 23:9 : Acts 23:29
17. Acts 23:9 : John 12:29; Acts 22:6ff
18. Acts 23:10 : Acts 21:34; 23:16, 32
19. Acts 23:11 : Acts 18:9
20. Acts 23:11 : Matt 9:2
21. Acts 23:11 : Acts 19:21
22. Acts 23:11 : Luke 16:28; Acts 28:23
23. Acts 23:12 : Acts 9:23; 23:30; 1 Thess 2:16
24. Acts 23:12 : Acts 23:14, 21
25. Acts 23:14 : Acts 23:12, 21
26. Acts 23:15 : Acts 22:30; 23:1, 6, 20, 28
27. Acts 23:16 : Acts 21:34; 23:10, 32
28. Acts 23:18 : Eph 3:1
29. Acts 23:20 : Acts 23:14f
30. Acts 23:20 : Acts 22:30; 23:1, 6, 15, 28
31. Acts 23:21 : Acts 23:12, 14
32. Acts 23:21 : Luke 11:54
33. Acts 23:23 : Acts 8:40; 23:33
34. Acts 23:24 : Acts 23:26, 33; 24:1, 3, 10; 25:14
35. Acts 23:26 : Luke 1:3; Acts 24:3; 26:25
36. Acts 23:26 : Acts 15:23
37. Acts 23:27 : Acts 21:32f
38. Acts 23:27 : Acts 22:25-29
39. Acts 23:28 : Acts 22:30
40. Acts 23:28 : Acts 23:10
41. Acts 23:28 : Acts 23:1
42. Acts 23:29 : Acts 18:15; 25:19
43. Acts 23:29 : Acts 23:9; 25:25; 26:31; 28:18
44. Acts 23:30 : Acts 23:20f
45. Acts 23:30 : Acts 9:24; 23:12
46. Acts 23:30 : Acts 23:35; 24:19; 25:16
47. Acts 23:32 : Acts 23:23
48. Acts 23:32 : Acts 23:10
49. Acts 23:33 : Acts 8:40; 23:23
50. Acts 23:33 : Acts 23:24, 26; 24:1, 3, 10; 25:14
51. Acts 23:34 : Acts 25:1
52. Acts 23:34 : Acts 6:9; 21:39
53. Acts 23:35 : Acts 23:30; 24:19; 25:16
54. Acts 23:35 : Acts 24:27