1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Acts 23
1 As Paul pleadeth his cause, 2 Ananias conmmandeth them to smite him. 7 Dissension among his accusers. 11 God encourageth him. 14 The Jews' laying wait for Paul, 20 is declared unto the chief captain. 27 He sendeth him to Felix the governor.
23:1
Paul 3972, looking 816 intently 816 at the Council 4892, said 3004, “Brethren 435 80, I have lived 4176 my life 4176 with a perfectly 3956 good 18 conscience 4893 before God 2316 up to this 3778 day 2250.”
23:2
The high 749 priest 749 Ananias 367 commanded 2004 those 3588 standing 3936 beside 3936 him to strike 5180 him on the mouth 4750.
23:3
Then 5119 Paul 3972 said 3004 to him, “God 2316 is going 3195 to strike 5180 you, you whitewashed 2867 wall 5109! Do you sit 2521 to try 2919 me according 2596 to the Law 3551, and in violation 3891 of the Law 3891 order 2753 me to be struck 5180?”
23:4
But the bystanders 3936 said 3004, “Do you revile 3058 God’s 2316 high 749 priest 749?”
23:5
And Paul 3972 said 5346, “I was not aware 3609a, brethren 80, that he was high 749 priest 749; for it is written 1125, ‘YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK 3004 EVIL 2560 OF A RULER 758 OF YOUR PEOPLE 2992.’”
23:6
¶ But perceiving 1097 that one 1520 group 3313 were Sadducees 4523 and the other 2087 Pharisees 5330, Paul 3972 [began] crying 2896 out in the Council 4892, “Brethren 435 80, I am 1510 a Pharisee 5330, a son 5207 of Pharisees 5330; I am on trial 2919 for the hope 1680 and resurrection 386 of the dead 3498!”
23:7
As he said 2980 this 3778, there occurred 1096 a dissension 4714b between the Pharisees 5330 and Sadducees 4523, and the assembly 4128 was divided 4977.
23:8
For the Sadducees 4523 say 3004 that there is no 3361 resurrection 386, nor 3383 an angel 32a, nor 3383 a spirit 4151, but the Pharisees 5330 acknowledge 3670 them all 297.
23:9
And there occurred 1096 a great 3173 uproar 2906; and some 5100 of the scribes 1122 of the Pharisaic 5330 party 3313 stood 450 up and [began] to argue 1264 heatedly 1264, saying 3004, “We find 2147 nothing 3762 wrong 2556 with this 3778 man 444; suppose 1487 1161 a spirit 4151 or 2228 an angel 32a has spoken 2980 to him?”
23:10
And as a great 4183 dissension 4714b was developing 1096, the commander 5506 was afraid 5399 Paul 3972 would be torn 1288 to pieces 1288 by them and ordered 2753 the troops 4753 to go 2597 down 2597 and take 726 him away 726 from them by force 726, and bring 71 him into the barracks 3925b.
23:11
¶ But on the night 3571 [immediately] following 1897a, the Lord 2962 stood 2186 at his side and said 3004, “Take 2293 courage 2293; for as you have solemnly 1263 witnessed 1263 to My cause 3588 4012 at Jerusalem 2419, so 3779 you must 1163 witness 3140 at Rome 4516 also 2532.”
23:12
¶ When it was day 2250, the Jews 2453 formed 4160 a conspiracy 4160 and bound 332 themselves 1438 under 332 an oath 332, saying 3004 that they would neither 3383 eat 2068 nor 3383 drink 4095 until 2193 they had killed 615 Paul 3972.
23:13
There were more 4183 than forty 5065b who formed 4160 this 3778 plot 4945.
23:14
They came 4334 to the chief 749 priests 749 and the elders 4245 and said 3004, “We have bound 332 ourselves 1438 under 332 a solemn 331 oath 332 to taste 1089 nothing 3367 until 2193 we have killed 615 Paul 3972.
23:15
“Now 3568 therefore 3767, you and the Council 4892 notify 1718 the commander 5506 to bring 2609 him down 2609 to you, as though 5613 you were going 3195 to determine 1231 his case 3588 4012 by a more 199 thorough 199 investigation 199; and we for our part are ready 2092 to slay 337 him before 4253 he comes 1448 near 1448 [the place].”
23:16
¶ But the son 5207 of Paul’s 3972 sister 79 heard 191 of their ambush 1747, and he came 3854 and entered 1525 the barracks 3925b and told 518 Paul 3972.
23:17
Paul 3972 called 4341 one 1520 of the centurions 1543 to him and said 5346, “Lead 520 this 3778 young 3494 man 3494 to the commander 5506, for he has 2192 something 5100 to report 518 to him.”
23:18
So 3767 he took 3880 him and led 71 him to the commander 5506 and *said 5346, “Paul 3972 the prisoner 1198 called 4341 me to him and asked 2065 me to lead 71 this 3778 young 3495 man 3495 to you since he has 2192 something 5100 to tell 2980 you.”
23:19
The commander 5506 took 1949 him by the hand 5495 and stepping 402 aside 402, [began] to inquire 4441 of him privately 2596 2398, “What 5101 is it that you have 2192 to report 518 to me?”
23:20
And he said 3004, “The Jews 2453 have agreed 4934 to ask 2065 you to bring 2609 Paul 3972 down 2609 tomorrow 839 to the Council 4892, as though 5613 they were going 3195 to inquire 4441 somewhat 5100 more 199 thoroughly 199 about 4012 him.
23:21
“So 3767 do not listen 3982 to them, for more 4183 than forty 5065b of them are lying 1748 in wait 1748 for him who 3748 have bound 332 themselves 1438 under 332 a curse 332 not to eat 2068 or 3383 drink 4095 until 2193 they slay 337 him; and now 3568 they are ready 2092 and waiting 4327 for the promise 1860 from you.”
23:22
So 3767 the commander 5506 let 630 the young 3495 man 3495 go 630, instructing 3853 him, “Tell 1583 no 3367 one 3367 that you have notified 1718 me of these 3778 things 3778.”
23:23
And he called 4341 to him two 1417 of the centurions 1543 and said 3004, “Get 2090 two 1250 hundred 1250 soldiers 4757 ready 2090 by the third 5154 hour 5610 of the night 3571 to proceed 4198 to Caesarea 2542, with seventy 1440 horsemen 2460 and two 1250 hundred 1250 spearmen 1187.”
23:24
[They were] also 5037 to provide 3936 mounts 2934 to put 1913 Paul 3972 on and bring 1295 him safely 1295 to Felix 5344 the governor 2232.
23:25
And he wrote 1125 a letter 1992 having 2192 this 3778 form 5179b:
23:26
¶ “Claudius 2804 Lysias 3079, to the most 2903 excellent 2903 governor 2232 Felix 5344, greetings 5463.
23:27
¶ “When this 3778 man 435 was arrested 4815 by the Jews 2453 and was about 3195 to be slain 337 by them, I came 2186 up to them with the troops 4753 and rescued 1807 him, having learned 3129 that he was a Roman 4514.
23:28
“And wanting 1014 to ascertain 1921 the charge 156 for which 3739 they were accusing 1458 him, I brought 2609 him down 2609 to their Council 4892;
23:29
and I found 2147 him to be accused 1458 over 4012 questions 2213 about 4012 their Law 3551, but under 2192 no 3367 accusation 1462 deserving 514 death 2288 or 2228 imprisonment 1199.
23:30
¶ “When I was informed 3377 that there would be a plot 1917 against 1519 the man 435, I sent 3992 him to you at once 1824, also 2532 instructing 3853 his accusers 2725a to bring 3004 charges 3004 against 4314 him before 1909 you.”
23:31
¶ So 3767 the soldiers 4757, in accordance 2596 with their orders 1299, took 353 Paul 3972 and brought 71 him by night 3571 to Antipatris 494.
23:32
But the next 1887 day 1887, leaving 1439 the horsemen 2460 to go 565 on with him, they returned 5290 to the barracks 3925b.
23:33
When these 3748 had come 1525 to Caesarea 2542 and delivered 325 the letter 1992 to the governor 2232, they also 2532 presented 3936 Paul 3972 to him.
23:34
When he had read 314 it, he asked 1905 from what 4169 province 1885a he was, and when he learned 4441 that he was from Cilicia 2791,
23:35
he said 5346, “I will give 1251 you a hearing 1251 after 3752 your accusers 2725a arrive 3854 also 2532,” giving 2753 orders 2753 for him to be kept 5442 in Herod’s 2264 Praetorium 4232.
