1保羅注視著公會的人，說：「弟兄們，我在上帝面前行事為人一向問心無愧。」 2大祭司亞拿尼亞一聽，就命那些站在旁邊的人打保羅的嘴。 3保羅對亞拿尼亞說：「你這偽君子23·3 「偽君子」希臘文是「粉飾的牆」。，上帝要擊打你！你坐在那裡不是應當依法審問我嗎？你怎麼違法叫人打我？」
4站在旁邊的人說：「你竟敢辱罵上帝的大祭司？」 5保羅說：「弟兄們，我不知道他是大祭司。我知道聖經上說，『不可咒詛百姓的官長。』」
6保羅發現他們一些是法利賽人，一些是撒都該人，就在公會中高聲說：「弟兄們，我是法利賽人，也是法利賽人的子孫。我因為盼望死人復活，才在這裡受審！」 7這句話立刻引起法利賽人和撒都該人之間的爭論，公會分成了兩派。 8因為撒都該人認為沒有復活，也沒有天使和靈，而法利賽人認為這些都有。
9眾人大聲喧嚷，有幾個法利賽派的律法教師站起來爭辯說：「我們找不出這人有什麼錯處，也許真的有靈或天使跟他說過話。」 10爭論越來越激烈，千夫長怕保羅會被他們扯碎了，就派人把他從人群中救出來，帶回軍營。
11當天晚上，主站在保羅身旁對他說：「要勇敢！正如你在耶路撒冷為我作了見證，你也必須在羅馬為我做見證。」
陰謀殺害保羅
12天亮後，猶太人設下陰謀，並起誓說：「不殺保羅，誓不吃喝！」 13有四十多人參與了這個陰謀。 14他們去見祭司長和長老，說：「我們已經發了誓，不殺保羅不吃飯。 15請你們和公會出面通知千夫長，請他把保羅押到你們這裡來，就說要進一步審訊他。我們準備在他到達之前殺掉他！」
16保羅的外甥聽到這一陰謀，就去軍營通知保羅。 17保羅請來一位百夫長，說：「請趕快帶這青年去見千夫長，他有要事稟告！」 18百夫長領那青年去見千夫長，說：「那囚犯保羅叫我帶這青年來，說有要事稟告。」
19千夫長就拉著那青年的手走到一旁，私下問他：「你有什麼事要告訴我？」 20他說：「那些猶太人約好了，要請求你明天帶保羅到公會受審，假裝要詳細審問他的事。 21你不要答應他們，因為他們有四十多個人會埋伏在半路，並且還起誓說，『不殺保羅就不吃不喝』。他們現在已經準備就緒，就等你答應了。」
22千夫長聽後，就叫他回去，並叮囑道：「你向我稟告的事，不要告訴別人。」
保羅被押往凱撒利亞
23於是，千夫長召來兩名百夫長，吩咐道：「預備二百名步兵、七十名騎兵、二百名長槍手，今晚九時出發去凱撒利亞。 24要給保羅預備坐騎，護送他安全抵達腓利斯總督那裡。」
25千夫長寫了公文給腓利斯總督，內容如下： 26「克勞狄·呂西亞敬問腓利斯總督大人安。 27這人被猶太人抓住，險些被他們殺害。我得知他是羅馬公民，便帶兵去救了他。 28為了弄清楚他們控告他的緣由，我押他到猶太人的公會受審， 29發現他被控告與他們的律法有關，他並沒有犯該被監禁或處死的罪。 30我得知有人準備暗殺他，便立即護送他到你那裡，並通知他的控告者去你那裡告他。」
31軍兵奉命行事，連夜護送保羅到安提帕底。 32第二天，由騎兵繼續護送，其餘軍兵返回軍營。 33他們到了凱撒利亞，將公文呈交總督，把保羅交給他。 34總督看過公文，便問保羅是哪省的人，得知保羅是基利迦人，就說： 35「等告你的人來了，我會審理你的案子。」於是下令把保羅關在希律的王府裡。
1Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin. “My brothers,” he said, “I have always done my duty to God. To this day I feel that I have done nothing wrong.” 2Ananias the high priest heard this. So he ordered the men standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth. 3Then Paul said to him, “You pretender! God will hit you! You sit there and judge me by the law. But you yourself broke the law when you commanded them to hit me!”
4Those who were standing near Paul spoke to him. They said, “How dare you talk like that to God’s high priest!”
5Paul replied, “Brothers, I didn’t realize he was the high priest. It is written, ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’ ” (Exodus 22:28)
6Paul knew that some of them were Sadducees and the others were Pharisees. So he called out to the members of the Sanhedrin. “My brothers,” he said, “I am a Pharisee. I come from a family of Pharisees. I believe that people will rise from the dead. That’s why I am on trial.” 7When he said this, the Pharisees and the Sadducees started to argue. They began to take sides. 8The Sadducees say that people will not rise from the dead. They don’t believe there are angels or spirits either. But the Pharisees believe all these things.
9People were causing trouble and making a lot of noise. Some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up. They argued strongly. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10The people arguing were getting out of control. The commanding officer was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them. So he ordered the soldiers to go down and take him away from them by force. The officer had told them to bring Paul into the fort.
11The next night the Lord stood near Paul. He said, “Be brave! You have told people about me in Jerusalem. You must do the same in Rome.”
The Plan to Kill Paul
12The next morning some Jews gathered secretly to make plans against Paul. They made a promise to themselves. They promised that they would not eat or drink anything until they killed him. 13More than 40 men took part in this plan. 14They went to the chief priests and the elders. They said, “We have made a special promise to God. We will not eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15Now then, you and the Sanhedrin must make an appeal to the commanding officer. Ask him to bring Paul to you. Pretend you want more facts about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”
16But Paul’s nephew heard about this plan. So he went into the fort and told Paul.
17Then Paul called one of the commanders. He said to him, “Take this young man to the commanding officer. He has something to tell him.” 18So the commander took Paul’s nephew to the officer.
The commander said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me. He asked me to bring this young man to you. The young man has something to tell you.”
19The commanding officer took the young man by the hand. He spoke to him in private. “What do you want to tell me?” the officer asked.
20He said, “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow. They will pretend they want more facts about him. 21Don’t give in to them. More than 40 of them are waiting in hiding to attack him. They have promised that they will not eat or drink anything until they have killed him. They are ready now. All they need is for you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin.”
22The commanding officer let the young man go. But he gave him a warning. “Don’t tell anyone you have reported this to me,” he said.
Paul Is Taken to Caesarea
23Then the commanding officer called for two of his commanders. He ordered them, “Gather a company of 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 men armed with spears. Get them ready to go to Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight. 24Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
25Here is the letter the officer wrote.
26I, Claudius Lysias, am writing this letter.
I am sending it to His Excellency, Governor Felix.
Greetings.
27The Jews grabbed Paul. They were about to kill him. But I came with my soldiers and saved him. I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28I wanted to know why they were bringing charges against him. So I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29I found out that the charge against him was based on questions about their law. But there was no charge against him worthy of death or prison. 30Then I was told about a plan against the man. So I sent him to you at once. I also ordered those bringing charges against him to present their case to you.
31The soldiers followed their orders. During the night they took Paul with them. They brought him as far as Antipatris. 32The next day they let the horsemen go on with him. The soldiers returned to the fort. 33The horsemen arrived in Caesarea. They gave the letter to the governor. Then they handed Paul over to him. 34The governor read the letter. He asked Paul where he was from. He learned that Paul was from Cilicia. 35So he said, “I will hear your case when those bringing charges against you get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.
