Acts:23

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* Then Paul , earnestly beholding the council , said , Men [and ] brethren , I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day . * And the prince of the priests , Ananias , commanded those that stood by him to smite him on the mouth . * Then Paul said unto him , God shall smite thee , [thou ] whitewashed wall , for dost thou sit to judge me after the law and command me to be smitten contrary to the law ? * And those that stood by said , Dost thou revile God 's high priest ? * Then Paul said , I did not know , brethren , that he was the prince of the priests , for it is written , Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people . * But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees , he cried out in the council , Men [and ] brethren , I am a Pharisee , the son of a Pharisee , and of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question . * And when he had so said , there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees , and the multitude was divided . * For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection , neither angel , nor spirit ; but the Pharisees confess both . * And there arose a great cry ; and the scribes [that were ] of the Pharisees ' part arose and strove , 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 there arose a great dissension , the tribunal , fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces by them , commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among them and to bring [him ] into the fortress . * And the night following the Lord stood by him and said , Be of good cheer , Paul , for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem , so must thou also bear witness at Rome . * And when it was day , certain of the Jews banded together and they vowed under a curse , saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul . * And they were more than forty who had made this conspiracy . * And they came to the princes of the priests and the elders and said , We have made a vow of anathema that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul . * Now therefore ye with the council signify to the tribunal that he bring him down unto you tomorrow , as though ye would enquire something more certain concerning him , and we , before he arrives , are ready to kill him . * And when Paul 's sister 's son heard of their ambush , he went and entered into the fortress and told Paul . * Then Paul called one of the centurions unto [him ] and said , Bring this young man unto the tribunal , for he has a certain thing to tell him . * So he took him and brought [him ] to the tribunal and said , Paul the prisoner called me unto [him ] and asked me to bring this young man unto thee , who has something to say unto thee . * Then the tribunal took him by the hand and went [with him ] aside privately and asked [him ], What is that thou hast to tell me ? * And he said , The Jews have agreed to ask thee that thou would bring down Paul tomorrow into the council , as though they would enquire something more certain of him . * But do not believe them , for more than forty of them lie in wait [to ambush ] him , who have vowed under a curse that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him , and now they are ready , looking for a promise from thee . * So the tribunal [then ] let the young man depart and charged [him , See thou ] tell no one that thou hast showed these things to me . * And he called unto [him ] two 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 * and provide [them ] beasts that they may set Paul on and bring [him ] safe unto Felix the governor . * And he wrote a letter after this manner : * Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix [sends ] greeting . * This man was taken of the Jews and should have been killed by them ; then I came with an army and rescued him , having understood that he was a Roman . * And when I desired to know the cause of why they accused him , I brought him forth into their council , * whom I found to be accused of questions of their law , but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds . * And when it was told me how the Jews lay [in ] wait to [ambush ] the man , I sent straightway to thee and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what [they had ] against him . Farewell . * Then the soldiers , as it was commanded them , took Paul and brought [him ] by night to Antipatris . * On the next day they left the horsemen to go with him and returned to the fortress , * who , when they came to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor , presented Paul also before him . * And when the governor had read [the letter ], he asked of what province he was . And when he understood that [he was ] of Cilicia , * I will hear thee , said he , when thine accusers are also come . And he commanded him to be kept in Herod 's judgement hall .:

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