1Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”
4Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”
5Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’23:5 Exodus 22:28”
6Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” 7When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
9There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
The Plot to Kill Paul
12The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”
16But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
17Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” 18So he took him to the commander.
The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”
19The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”
20He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 21Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”
22The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”
Paul Transferred to Caesarea
23Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen23:23 The meaning of the Greek for this word is uncertain. to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
25He wrote a letter as follows:
26Claudius Lysias,
To His Excellency, Governor Felix:
Greetings.
27This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. 30When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.
31So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. 33When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, 35he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.
1Paulo hwɛɛ agyinatufo no dinn kae se, “Anuanom, ahonim pa na mede ayɛ Onyankopɔn adwuma de abesi nnɛ da yi.” 2Anania a na ɔyɛ Ɔsɔfopanyin no hyɛɛ nnipa a na wogyina Paulo ho no se wɔmmɔ nʼano so. 3Paulo ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Wo a wote sɛ ɔfasu a wɔasra ho fitaa, Onyankopɔn bɛbɔ wo. Wote ha de mmara rebu me atɛn, nanso wubu mmara no so hyɛ sɛ wɔmmɔ me!”
4Nnipa a na wogyina Paulo nkyɛn no bisaa no se, “Sɛɛ na ɛsɛ sɛ wokasa kyerɛ Onyankopɔn sɔfopanyin?”
5Paulo buaa wɔn se, “Anuanom, minnim sɛ ɔyɛ Ɔsɔfopanyin. Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se, ‘Monnkasa ntia wɔn a wodi mo so.’ ”
6Bere a Paulo huu sɛ nnipa no bi yɛ Sadukifo na bi yɛ Farisifo no, ɔteɛɛ mu wɔ agyinatufo no anim se, “Me nuanom, meyɛ Farisini. Mʼawofo yɛ Farisifo. Gyidi a mewɔ wɔ awufosɔre mu no nti na migyina ha ama wɔredi mʼasɛm yi.” 7Asɛm a Paulo kae yi maa ntawntaw sii Farisifo ne Sadukifo no ntam maa wɔn mu kyɛɛ abien 8efisɛ na Sadukifo no nnye owusɔre, abɔfo ne honhom nni. Nanso Farisifo no de, wogye saa nneɛma abiɛsa no di.
9Nteɛteɛmu no kɔɔ so kosii sɛ Kyerɛwsɛm no akyerɛkyerɛfo no mu bi a wɔyɛ Farisifo no sɔre gyinaa hɔ kae se, “Yenhu bɔne biara a saa onipa yi ayɛ! Ebia honhom anaa ɔbɔfo na ɔkasa kyerɛɛ no!” 10Akasakasa no mu yɛɛ den maa ɔsafohene no suroo sɛ anhwɛ a wɔbɛtetew Paulo mu; ɛno nti ɔhyɛɛ nʼasraafo sɛ, wɔnkɔ nnipa no mu na wonkogye Paulo mfi wɔn nsam mfa no nkɔ aban mu.
11Anadwo no, Awurade begyinaa Paulo nkyɛn ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Nsuro! Sɛnea woadi me ho adanse wɔ Yerusalem ha no, saa ara nso na kodi me ho adanse wɔ Roma.”
Wɔbɔ Paulo Ho Pɔw
12Ade kyee no, Yudafo bi hyia kaa ntam, dii nsew sɛ wɔrennidi na wɔrennom nso kosi sɛ wobekum Paulo. 13Na saa nnipa no dodow bɛboro aduanan. 14Afei wɔkɔɔ asɔfo mpanyin ne mpanyin no nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Yɛaka ntam adi nsew sɛ hwee renka yɛn ano kosi sɛ yebekum Paulo. 15Mo ne agyinatufo no nsoma nkɔ Roma ɔsafohene no nkyɛn nhyɛ da nka se, mopɛ sɛ mubisa nea Paulo ayɛ no mu yiye enti ɔmma wɔmfa no mmra mo anim. Ansa na wɔde no bedu hɔ no na yɛakum no dedaw.”
16Nanso Paulo wɔfaase bi tee pɔw a wɔabɔ no nti ɔkɔɔ aban mu hɔ kɔbɔɔ Paulo amanneɛ.
17Paulo frɛɛ asraafo mpanyin no mu baako ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Wo ne aberante yi nkɔ ɔsahene no nkyɛn efisɛ ɔwɔ asɛm bi ka kyerɛ no.” 18Ɔsraani panyin no ne aberante no kɔɔ ɔsahene no nkyɛn.
Woduu hɔ no, ɔka kyerɛɛ ɔsahene no se, “Paulo a ɔda afiase no asoma me sɛ memfa aberante yi mmehu wo na ɔwɔ asɛm bi ka kyerɛ wo.”
19Ɔsahene no soo aberante no nsa de no kogyinaa nkyɛn baabi bisaa no se, “Asɛm bɛn na wowɔ ka kyerɛ me?”
20Aberante no ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Yudafo mpanyin no abɔ pɔw sɛ ɔkyena wɔbɛhyɛ da abɛsrɛ wo na woama wɔde Paulo abrɛ agyinatufo no sɛ wɔrebebisa no ne nsɛm no mu yiye. 21Mma wɔnnaadaa wo. Efisɛ mmarima bɛboro aduanan bi a wɔaka ntam adi nsew sɛ wɔremfa hwee nka wɔn ano kosi sɛ wobenya Paulo akum no no bɛtetew no wɔ ɔkwan so. Nea wɔretwɛn ara ne sɛ wobɛma ho kwan.”
22Ɔsafohene no gyaa aberante no kwan ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Nka nkyerɛ obiara sɛ woabɛka asɛm biara akyerɛ me.”
Wɔde Paulo Kɔ Kaesarea
23Ɔsahene no frɛɛ nʼasraafo mpanyimfo baanu ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Mompɛ asraafo ahannu ne apɔnkɔsotefo ne mpeawkurafo ahannu na mumfi ha anadwo nnɔnkron yi ara nkɔ Kaesarea. 24Mompɛ ɔpɔnkɔ mma Paulo na momfa no nkɔma Amrado Felike dwoodwoo.”
25Afei, ɔsahene no kyerɛw nhoma a emu nsɛm ka se:
26Me Klaudio Lisia a
Merekyerɛw wo Onuonyamfo Amrado Felike saa nhoma yi:
Kyia wo!
27Yudafo kyeree saa ɔbarima yi a anka wɔrekum no, nanso metee sɛ ɔyɛ Romani no, me ne mʼasraafo kogyee no fii wɔn nsam. 28Mepɛɛ sɛ mihu bɔne ko a wayɛ, enti mede no kɔmaa wɔn agyinatufo no. 29Mihui sɛ ɔnyɛɛ biribiara a ɛsɛ sɛ wogyina so kum no anaasɛ wɔde no to afiase. Asɛm a wɔka too ne so no fa wɔn mmara ho. 30Ɛno nti bere a metee sɛ Yudafo bi abɔ ne ho pɔw sɛ wɔbɛtɛw no akum no no, meyɛɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede no bɛbrɛ wo. Maka akyerɛ wɔn a wɔwɔ asɛm bi ka tia no no sɛ, wɔmmra wʼanim mmɛka.
31Asraafo no yɛɛ biribiara a wɔhyɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ no. Anadwo no ara wɔde Paulo kɔɔ Antipatri. 32Ade kyee no asraafo a wɔnam fam no san wɔn akyi, na wɔn a wɔte apɔnkɔ so no toaa so kɔɔ Kaesarea. 33Woduu no wɔde nhoma no maa Amrado no de Paulo hyɛɛ ne nsa. 34Amrado no kenkan nhoma no wiee no obisaa Paulo ɔman ko a ofi mu. Ɔtee sɛ ofi Kilikia no, 35ɔkae se, “Wɔn a wɔwɔ asɛm bi ka tia wo no ba a na metie wʼasɛm.” Afei ɔhyɛe se wɔmfa Paulo nkɔ Herode ahemfi na asraafo nwɛn no.
