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Acts 23 :: New International Version (NIV)

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Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:1 - Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:2 - At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:3 - Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:4 - Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:5 - Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:6 - Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:7 - When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:8 - (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:9 - There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:10 - The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:11 - The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

The Plot to Kill Paul

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:12 - The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:13 - More than forty men were involved in this plot.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:14 - They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:15 - Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:16 - But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:17 - Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:18 - So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:19 - The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:20 - He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:21 - Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:22 - The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:23 - Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen[fn] to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:24 - Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:25 - He wrote a letter as follows:
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:26 - Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:27 - This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:28 - I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:29 - I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:30 - When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:31 - So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:32 - The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:33 - When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:34 - The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,
Unchecked Copy BoxAct 23:35 - he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.
NIV Footnotes
Exodus 22:28
The meaning of the Greek for this word is uncertain.
NIV

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For more information on this translation, see the NIV Preface.

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