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23
1 And Paul looking earnestly upon the council, said: Brethren! I have ordered my life in all good conscience before God to this day. 2 And the high-priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, God will smite thee, thou whited wall! Art thou then sitting to judge me according to the law, and dost thou command me to be smitten contrary to the law? 4 And they that stood by said, Dost thou revile God's high-priest? 5 Then said Paul, I knew not, brethren, that he was high-priest; for it is written, “Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of thy people.” 6 But Paul, perceiving one part to be Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried aloud in the council, Brethren! I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; for the hope of the resurrection of the dead I am now tried. 7 And when he had said this, 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, and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees affirm both. 9 And there arose a great clamor; and scribes of the party of the Pharisees arose, and contended, saying, We find nothing amiss in this man; but if a spirit hath spoken to him or an angel— 10 And a great dissension arising, the chief captain, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, ordered the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle. 11 And the night following, the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good courage; for as thou hast borne witness concerning me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. 12 And when it was day, 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 there were more than forty who took this oath together. 14 And they came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore do ye with the council give notice to the chief captain, that he bring him down to you, as though ye were about to examine his case more thoroughly; and we are ready to kill him before he cometh near you. 16 But Paul's sister's son hearing of the plot went, and entering the castle, told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions to him, and said, Take this young man to the chief captain; for he hath something to tell him. 18 So he took him and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to thee, as he hath something to say to thee. 19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand and went aside privately, and asked him, What is it that thou hast to tell me? 20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask thee to bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though thou wert about to inquire more thoroughly concerning him. 21 But do not thou yield to them; for there lie in wait for him more than forty men of them, who have bound themselves with an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him; and they are now ready, looking for the promise from thee. 22 The chief captain then dismissed the young man with the charge, Tell no one that thou hast disclosed these things to me. 23 And he called to him two of the centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night; 24 and provide beasts, whereon they may set Paul, and carry him safe to Felix the governor. 25 And he wrote a letter after this manner: 26 Claudius Lysias to the moss excellent governor Felix, greeting. 27 This man was taken by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them; but I came upon them with the soldiery, and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. 28 And wishing to know the crime of which they accused him, I brought him down to their council; 29 but I found him to be accused only on account of questions of their law, and to have nothing laid to his charge deserving death or bonds. 30 And having been informed of a plot against the man, I sent him at once to thee, and directed his accusers also to bring their charges against him before thee. 31 Then the soldiers, as was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 But on the morrow they left the horsemen to go on with him, and returned to the castle. 33 And they, when they had come to Caesarea, and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also before him. 34 And having read the letter, he asked of what province he was; and when he understood that he was of Cilicia, 35 he said, I will hear thee fully, when thy accusers also have arrived. And he ordered him to be kept in Herod's palace.

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