Acts 23 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

1 Now Paul ^G3972, looking ^G816 intently ^G816 at the Sanhedrin ^G4892, said ^G3004, “Brothers ^G435 G80, I have [fn]lived ^G4176 my life ^G4176 in all ^G3956 good ^G18 conscience ^G4893 before God ^G2316 up to this ^G3778 day ^G2250.” 2 And the high ^G749 priest ^G749 Ananias ^G367 commanded ^G2004 those ^G3588 standing ^G3936 beside ^G3936 him to strike ^G5180 him on the mouth ^G4750. 3 Then ^G5119 Paul ^G3972 said ^G3004 to him, “God ^G2316 is ^G3195 going ^G3195 to ^G3195 strike ^G5180 you, you whitewashed ^G2867 wall ^G5109! Do you sit ^G2521 to try ^G2919 me according ^G2596 to the Law ^G3551, and in ^G3891 violation ^G3891 of ^G3891 the ^G3891 Law ^G3891 order ^G2753 me to be struck ^G5180?” 4 But those standing ^G3936 nearby ^G3936 said ^G3004, “Do you revile ^G3058 the high ^G749 priest ^G749 of God ^G2316?” 5 And Paul ^G3972 said ^G5346, “I was not aware ^G6063, brothers ^G80, that he was high ^G749 priest ^G749; for it is written ^G1125, ‘YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK ^G3004 EVIL ^G2560 OF A RULER ^G758 OF YOUR PEOPLE ^G2992.’”

6 But knowing ^G1097 that one ^G1520 group ^G3313 were Sadducees ^G4523 and the other ^G2087 Pharisees ^G5330, Paul ^G3972 began crying ^G2896 out ^G2896 in the Sanhedrin ^G4892, “Brothers ^G435 G80, I am ^G1510 a Pharisee ^G5330, a son ^G5207 of Pharisees ^G5330; I am ^G2919 on ^G2919 trial ^G2919 for the hope ^G1680 and resurrection ^G386 of the dead ^G3498!” 7 As he said ^G2980 this ^G3778, there was ^G1096 dissension ^G4714 between the Pharisees ^G5330 and Sadducees ^G4523, and the assembly ^G4128 was divided ^G4977. 8 For the Sadducees ^G4523 say ^G3004 that there is no ^G3361 resurrection ^G386, nor ^G3383 an angel ^G32, nor ^G3383 a spirit ^G4151, but the Pharisees ^G5330 acknowledge ^G3670 them all ^G297. 9 And there occurred ^G1096 a great ^G3173 outcry ^G2906; and some ^G5100 of the scribes ^G1122 of the Pharisaic ^G5330 party ^G3313 stood ^G450 up ^G450 and began to argue ^G1264 heatedly ^G1264, saying ^G3004, “We find ^G2147 nothing ^G3762 wrong ^G2556 with this ^G3778 man ^G444. Suppose ^G1487 G1161 a spirit ^G4151 or ^G2228 an angel ^G32 has spoken ^G2980 to him?” 10 And as a great ^G4183 dissension ^G4714 was developing ^G1096, because the [fn]commander ^G5506 was ^G5399 afraid ^G5399 Paul ^G3972 would be torn ^G1288 to ^G1288 pieces ^G1288 by them, he ordered ^G2753 the troops ^G4753 to go ^G2597 down ^G2597 and take ^G726 him away ^G726 from them by ^G726 force ^G726, and bring ^G71 him into the barracks ^G3925.

11 But on that very ^G1897 night ^G3571, the Lord ^G2962 stood ^G2186 at his side and said ^G3004, “Take ^G2293 courage ^G2293; for as you have solemnly ^G1263 borne ^G1263 witness ^G1263 to My cause ^G3588 G4012 at Jerusalem ^G2419, so ^G3779 you must ^G1163 bear ^G3140 witness ^G3140 at Rome ^G4516 also ^G2532.”

A Plot to Kill Paul

12 Now when it was day ^G2250, the Jews ^G2453 formed ^G4160 a [fn]conspiracy ^G4963 and bound ^G332 themselves ^G1438 under ^G332 a ^G332 curse ^G332, saying ^G3004 that they would neither ^G3383 eat ^G2068 nor ^G3383 drink ^G4095 until ^G2193 they had killed ^G615 Paul ^G3972.

13 And there were more ^G4183 than forty ^G5062 who formed ^G4160 this ^G3778 scheme ^G4945. 14 They came ^G4334 to the chief ^G749 priests ^G749 and the elders ^G4245 and said ^G3004, “We have bound ^G332 ourselves ^G1438 under ^G332 a ^G332 curse ^G331 to taste ^G1089 nothing ^G3367 until ^G2193 we have killed ^G615 Paul ^G3972. 15 So ^G3767 now ^G3568 you, along with the Sanhedrin ^G4892, notify ^G1718 the commander ^G5506 to bring ^G2609 him down ^G2609 to you, as ^G5613 though ^G5613 you were ^G3195 going ^G3195 to ^G3195 determine ^G1231 his case ^G3588 G4012 more ^G199 carefully ^G199; and we for our part are ready ^G2092 to slay ^G337 him before ^G4253 he comes ^G1448 near ^G1448.”

16 But when the son ^G5207 of Paul’s ^G3972 sister ^G79 heard ^G191 of their ambush ^G1747, [fn]he came ^G3854 and entered ^G1525 the barracks ^G3925 and reported ^G518 it to Paul ^G3972. 17 And Paul ^G3972 called ^G4341 one ^G1520 of the centurions ^G1543 to him and said ^G5346, “Lead ^G520 this ^G3778 young ^G3494 man ^G3494 to the commander ^G5506, for he has ^G2192 something ^G5100 to report ^G518 to him.” 18 So ^G3767 he took ^G3880 him and led ^G71 him to the [fn]commander ^G5506 and *said ^G5346, “Paul ^G3972 the prisoner ^G1198 called ^G4341 me to him and asked ^G2065 me to lead ^G71 this ^G3778 young ^G3495 man ^G3495 to you since he has ^G2192 something ^G5100 to tell ^G2980 you.” 19 And the [fn]commander ^G5506 took ^G1949 him by the hand ^G5495 and stepping ^G402 aside ^G402, began to inquire ^G4441 of him privately ^G2596 G2398, “What ^G5101 is it that you have ^G2192 to report ^G518 to me?” 20 And he said ^G3004, “The Jews ^G2453 have agreed ^G4934 to ask ^G2065 you to bring ^G2609 Paul ^G3972 down ^G2609 tomorrow ^G839 to the Sanhedrin ^G4892, as ^G5613 though ^G5613 they were ^G3195 going ^G3195 to ^G3195 inquire ^G4441 somewhat ^G5100 more ^G199 carefully ^G199 about ^G4012 him. 21 So ^G3767 do not be persuaded ^G3982 by them, for more ^G4183 than forty ^G5062 of them—who ^G3748 have bound ^G332 themselves ^G1438 under ^G332 a ^G332 curse ^G332 not to eat ^G2068 or ^G3383 drink ^G4095 until ^G2193 they slay ^G337 him—are lying ^G1748 in ^G1748 wait ^G1748 for him and now ^G3568 they are ready ^G2092 and waiting ^G4327 for the promise ^G1860 from you.” 22 So ^G3767 the commander ^G5506 let ^G630 the young ^G3495 man ^G3495 go ^G630, instructing ^G3853 him, “Tell ^G1583 no ^G3367 one ^G3367 that you have notified ^G1718 me of these ^G3778 things ^G3778.”

Paul Is Brought to Caesarea

23 And when he called ^G4341 to him two ^G1417 of the centurions ^G1543, he said ^G3004, “Make ^G2090 ready ^G2090 two ^G1250 hundred ^G1250 soldiers ^G4757, [fn]seventy ^G1440 horsemen ^G2460, and two ^G1250 hundred ^G1250 [fn]spearmen ^G1187 to proceed ^G4198 to Caesarea ^G2542 by the [fn]third ^G5154 hour ^G5610 of the night ^G3571, 24 and provide ^G3936 mounts ^G2934 to put ^G1913 Paul ^G3972 on ^G1913 and bring ^G1295 him safely ^G1295 to Felix ^G5344 the governor ^G2232.” 25 And he wrote ^G1125 a letter ^G1992 having ^G2192 this ^G3778 form ^G5179:

26 “Claudius ^G2804 Lysias ^G3079, to the most ^G2903 excellent ^G2903 governor ^G2232 Felix ^G5344, greetings ^G5463.

27 “When this ^G3778 man ^G435 was arrested ^G4815 by the Jews ^G2453 and was ^G3195 about ^G3195 to ^G3195 be slain ^G337 by them, I came ^G2186 up ^G2186 to them with the troops ^G4753 and rescued ^G1807 him, having learned ^G3129 that he was a Roman ^G4514.

28 And wanting ^G1014 to ascertain ^G1921 the charge ^G156 for which ^G3739 they were accusing ^G1458 him, I brought ^G2609 him down ^G2609 to their Sanhedrin ^G4892;

29 and I found ^G2147 him to be accused ^G1458 over ^G4012 questions ^G2213 about ^G4012 their Law ^G3551, but [fn]under ^G2192 no ^G3367 accusation ^G1462 deserving ^G514 death ^G2288 or ^G2228 [fn]imprisonment ^G1199.

30 “And when I was informed ^G3377 that there would be a plot ^G1917 against ^G1519 the man ^G435, I sent ^G3992 him to you at once ^G1824, also ^G2532 instructing ^G3853 his accusers ^G2725 to speak ^G3004 against ^G4314 him before ^G1909 you.”

31 So ^G3767 the soldiers ^G4757, according ^G2596 to ^G2596 their orders ^G1299, took ^G353 Paul ^G3972 and brought ^G71 him by night ^G3571 to Antipatris ^G494. 32 But the next ^G1887 day ^G1887, leaving ^G1439 the horsemen ^G2460 to go ^G565 on with him, they returned ^G5290 to the barracks ^G3925. 33 When these ^G3748 had come ^G1525 to Caesarea ^G2542 and delivered ^G325 the letter ^G1992 to the governor ^G2232, they also ^G2532 presented ^G3936 Paul ^G3972 to him. 34 And when he had read ^G314 it, he asked ^G1905 from what ^G4169 province ^G1885 he was, and when he learned ^G4441 that he was from Cilicia ^G2791, 35 he said ^G5346, “I will give ^G1251 you a ^G1251 hearing ^G1251 after ^G3752 your accusers ^G2725 arrive ^G3854 also ^G2532,” giving ^G2753 orders ^G2753 for him to be kept ^G5442 in Herod’s ^G2264 [fn]Praetorium ^G4232.