Acts, Chapter 23
{23:1} Sha'ul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, "Brothers,
I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day."
{23:2} The [1>]Kohen Gadol[<1], Hananyah, commanded those who stood
by him to strike him on the mouth.
{23:3} Then Sha'ul said to him, "God will strike you, you
whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and
command me to be struck contrary to the law?"
{23:4} Those who stood by said, "Do you malign God's [2>]Kohen
Gadol[<2]?"
{23:5} Sha'ul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was [3>]Kohen
Gadol[<3]. For it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of
your people.'" {23:6} But when Sha'ul perceived that the one part were
Tzedukim and the other Perushim, he cried out in the council, "Men and
brothers, I am a Parush, a son of Perushim. Concerning the hope and
resurrection of the dead I am being judged!"
{23:7} When he had said this, an argument arose between the Perushim
and Tzedukim, and the assembly was divided. {23:8} For the Tzedukim
say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the
Perushim confess all of these. {23:9} A great clamor arose, and some
of the [4>]Sofrim[<4] of the Perushim part stood up, and contended,
saying, "We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has
spoken to him, let's not fight against God!"
{23:10} When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing
that Sha'ul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to
go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the
barracks.
{23:11} The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, "Cheer
up, Sha'ul, for as you have testified about me at Yerushalayim, so you
must testify also at Rome."
{23:12} When it was day, some of the Yehudim banded together, and
bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor
drink until they had killed Sha'ul. {23:13} There were more than forty
people who had made this conspiracy. {23:14} They came to the chief
[5>]Kohanim[<5] and the Zakenim, and said, "We have bound ourselves
under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Sha'ul.
{23:15} Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding
officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you
were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him
before he comes near."
{23:16} But Sha'ul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and
he came and entered into the barracks and told Sha'ul. {23:17} Sha'ul
summoned one of the centurions, and said, "Bring this young man to the
commanding officer, for he has something to tell him."
{23:18} So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer,
and said, "Sha'ul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring
this young man to you, who has something to tell you."
{23:19} The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going
aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
{23:20} He said, "The Yehudim have agreed to ask you to bring Sha'ul
down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat
more accurately concerning him. {23:21} Therefore don't yield to them,
for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves
under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him.
Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you."
{23:22} So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging
him, "Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me." {23:23}
He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, "Prepare two
hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and
two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night."
{23:24} He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Sha'ul
on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor. {23:25} He wrote a
letter like this:
{23:26} "Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings.
{23:27} "This man was seized by the Yehudim, and was about to be
killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having
learned that he was a Roman. {23:28} Desiring to know the cause why
they accused him, I brought him down to their council. {23:29} I found
him to be accused about questions of their law, but to have nothing
laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. {23:30} When I was
told that the Yehudim lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you
immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations
against him before you. Farewell."
{23:31} So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Sha'ul and
brought him by night to Antipatris. {23:32} But on the next day they
left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks.
{23:33} When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the
governor, they also presented Sha'ul to him. {23:34} When the governor
had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood
that he was from Cilicia, he said, {23:35} "I will hear you fully when
your accusers also arrive." He commanded that he be kept in Herod's
palace.
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Footnotes:
[1] {23:2} high priest
[2] {23:4} high priest
[3] {23:5} high priest
[4] {23:9} scribes
[5] {23:14} priests
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