Acts:23

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* Then Paul , looking intently at the council , said , "Men , brothers , I have lived with all good conscience toward God until this day ." * But the high priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to strike his mouth . * Then Paul said to him , "God is about to strike you , you whitewashed wall ! For you sit judging me according to the law , and contrary to the law do you command that I should be struck ?" * But those standing by said , "Do you revile the high priest of God ?" * Then Paul said , "I did not know , brothers , that he is the high priest ; for it is written , 'You shall not speak wickedly of a ruler of your people .' " * But when Paul perceived that one part was of the Sadducees and the other of the Pharisees , he cried out in the Sanhedrin , "Men , brothers , I am a Pharisee , a son of a Pharisee ; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged !" * And when he had spoken this , there came to be a dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees , and the assembly was divided . * For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection-nor angel nor spirit ; but the Pharisees confess both . * And there came to be a great outcry , and the scribes of the Pharisees ' party stood up and contended sharply , saying , "We find no evil in this man ; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him , let us not fight against God ." * And when much dissension developed , the commander , fearing lest Paul might be torn apart by them , commanded the detachment of soldiers to go down and seize him from the midst of them , and to bring [him ] into the barracks . * Now on the next night the Lord stood by him and said , "Take courage , Paul ; for as you solemnly testified about the things concerning Me in Jerusalem , so you must also testify in Rome ." * Now when it was day , some of the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by a curse , saying neither would they eat nor drink until they would kill Paul . * And there were over four hundred who had made this plot ; * who came to the chief priests and to the elders and said , "We have bound ourselves by oath with a curse to taste nothing until we kill Paul . * Now you , therefore , together with the council , suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow , as though you are going to determine more accurately the things concerning him ; but we , before he comes near , are prepared to kill him ." * But when Paul 's sister 's son heard about the ambush , he came and entered into the barracks , and told [this ] to Paul . * And Paul , summoning one of the centurions and said , "Lead this young man away to the commander , for he has something to tell him ." * Therefore taking him along , he brought him to the commander and said , "The prisoner Paul , having summoned me , asked me to bring this young man to you , for he has something to say to you ." * And the commander , taking him by his hand , withdrew to a private place and inquired , "What is it that you have to tell me ?" * And he said , "The Jews have agreed to ask that tomorrow you bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin , as though they are going to learn something more accurate concerning him . * Therefore you [must ] not be persuaded by them ; for more than four hundred of them are lying in wait for him , who have bound themselves by a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they kill him ; and now they are prepared , waiting for the promise from you ." * Then the commander dismissed the young man , and commanded him , "Tell no one that you have made known these things to me ." * And having summoned two of the centurions he said , "Make ready two hundred soldiers , and seventy horsemen , and two hundred spearmen , in order that they may go to Caesarea , to leave at the third hour of the night ; * and place mounts at [their ] disposal , in order that they may put Paul on them , and bring him safely to Felix the governor ." * And he wrote a letter which contained this content : * Claudius Lysias , to the most excellent governor Felix : Greetings . * This man , having been arrested by the Jews , was about to be killed by them . I came upon [them ] with the detachment of soldiers and rescued him , having learned that he is a Roman . * And desiring to know the cause for which they were accusing him , I took him down to their council ; * and I found that he was accused concerning questions of their law , [but ] had no accusation [against him ] worthy of death or chains . * And when it became known to me that a plot against the man by the Jews was about to happen , I sent him at once to you , and also commanded the accusers to state the charges against him before you . Farewell . * Then the soldiers , as they were commanded , took Paul and brought him during the night to Antipatris . * And on the next day they left the horsemen to go on with him , and returned to the barracks . * When they entered into Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor , [they ] also presented Paul to him . * And when the governor read the letter , he asked what province he was from . And learning that he was from Cilicia , * he said , "I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive ."And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod 's Praetorium .

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