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 realise 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.
1保罗注视着公会的人，说：“弟兄们，我在上帝面前行事为人一向问心无愧。” 2大祭司亚拿尼亚一听，就命那些站在旁边的人打保罗的嘴。 3保罗对亚拿尼亚说：“你这伪君子23:3 “伪君子”希腊文是“粉饰的墙”。，上帝要击打你！你坐在那里不是应当依法审问我吗？你怎么违法叫人打我？”
4站在旁边的人说：“你竟敢辱骂上帝的大祭司？” 5保罗说：“弟兄们，我不知道他是大祭司。我知道圣经上说，‘不可咒诅百姓的官长。’”
6保罗发现他们一些是法利赛人，一些是撒都该人，就在公会中高声说：“弟兄们，我是法利赛人，也是法利赛人的子孙。我因为盼望死人复活，才在这里受审！” 7这句话立刻引起法利赛人和撒都该人之间的争论，公会分成了两派。 8因为撒都该人认为没有复活，也没有天使和灵，而法利赛人认为这些都有。
9众人大声喧嚷，有几个法利赛派的律法教师站起来争辩说：“我们找不出这人有什么错处，也许真的有灵或天使跟他说过话。” 10争论越来越激烈，千夫长怕保罗会被他们扯碎了，就派人把他从人群中救出来，带回军营。
11当天晚上，主站在保罗身旁对他说：“要勇敢！正如你在耶路撒冷为我做了见证，你也必须在罗马为我做见证。”
阴谋杀害保罗
12天亮后，犹太人设下阴谋，并起誓说：“不杀保罗，誓不吃喝！” 13有四十多人参与了这个阴谋。 14他们去见祭司长和长老，说：“我们已经发了誓，不杀保罗不吃饭。 15请你们和公会出面通知千夫长，请他把保罗押到你们这里来，就说要进一步审讯他。我们准备在他到达之前杀掉他！”
16保罗的外甥听到这一阴谋，就去军营通知保罗。 17保罗请来一位百夫长，说：“请赶快带这青年去见千夫长，他有要事禀告！” 18百夫长领那青年去见千夫长，说：“那囚犯保罗叫我带这青年来，说有要事禀告。”
19千夫长就拉着那青年的手走到一旁，私下问他：“你有什么事要告诉我？” 20他说：“那些犹太人约好了，要请求你明天带保罗到公会受审，假装要详细审问他的事。 21你不要答应他们，因为他们有四十多个人会埋伏在半路，并且还起誓说，‘不杀保罗就不吃不喝’。他们现在已经准备就绪，就等你答应了。”
22千夫长听后，就叫他回去，并叮嘱道：“你向我禀告的事，不要告诉别人。”
保罗被押往凯撒利亚
23于是，千夫长召来两名百夫长，吩咐道：“预备二百名步兵、七十名骑兵、二百名长枪手，今晚九时出发去凯撒利亚。 24要给保罗预备坐骑，护送他安全抵达腓利斯总督那里。”
25千夫长写了公文给腓利斯总督，内容如下： 26“克劳狄·吕西亚敬问腓利斯总督大人安。 27这人被犹太人抓住，险些被他们杀害。我得知他是罗马公民，便带兵去救了他。 28为了弄清楚他们控告他的缘由，我押他到犹太人的公会受审， 29发现他被控告与他们的律法有关，他并没有犯该被监禁或处死的罪。 30我得知有人准备暗杀他，便立即护送他到你那里，并通知他的控告者去你那里告他。”
31军兵奉命行事，连夜护送保罗到安提帕底。 32第二天，由骑兵继续护送，其余军兵返回军营。 33他们到了凯撒利亚，将公文呈交总督，把保罗交给他。 34总督看过公文，便问保罗是哪省的人，得知保罗是基利迦人，就说： 35“等告你的人来了，我会审理你的案子。”于是下令把保罗关在希律的王府里。
