1Paul looked intently at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God with a clear conscience until today.”
2The high priest, Ananias, ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
3Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you hypocrite! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you command me to be struck in violation of the law?”
4Those who stood by said, “Are you insulting God’s high priest?”
5Paul said, “I didn’t know, brothers, that he was the high priest. It is written, ‘You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
6But when Paul realized that one part of the council were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he shouted in the council, “Fellow Israelites, I am a Pharisee, born of Pharisees. I am being judged because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead!”
7When he said this, an argument broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.
8For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, no angel, and no spirit; but the Pharisees believe in all of these.
9A great uproar arose, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued strongly, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him? Let’s not fight against God!”
10When a large argument broke out, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn apart by them, ordered the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
11The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Be encouraged, Paul! Just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
12The next morning, some of the Jews formed a conspiracy. They took an oath that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13More than forty men were involved in this plot.
14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have sworn a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
15Now, you and the council should ask the commanding officer to bring Paul down to you tomorrow, pretending that you want to examine his case more thoroughly. We will be ready to kill him before he even gets close."
16But Paul's nephew, his sister's son, heard about their ambush. He went into the army barracks and told Paul.
17Paul called one of the Roman captains and said, "Take this young man to the commanding officer, because he has something important to tell him."
18So the captain took him to the commanding officer and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."
19The commanding officer took the young man by the hand, led him aside, and privately asked, "What do you have to tell me?"
20He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, pretending they want to question him more accurately."
21Don’t let them convince you, because more than forty men are planning to ambush him. They have sworn an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your agreement."
22The commanding officer sent the young man away, ordering him, "Don't tell anyone that you have revealed this to me."
23Then he called two of his captains and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. They need to depart at nine o'clock tonight."
24He also told them to provide horses so Paul could ride safely to Governor Felix.
25He wrote a letter that said:
26"Claudius Lysias to His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
27This man was captured by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. I came with my soldiers and rescued him when I learned he was a Roman citizen.
28I wanted to find out why they were accusing him, so I brought him before their council.
29I discovered that their accusations were about matters of their own law, and he was not charged with anything deserving death or imprisonment.
30When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I immediately sent him to you. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you. Farewell."
31So the soldiers, following their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32The next day, they sent the horsemen on with him and returned to the barracks.
33When they arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and also presented Paul to him.
34After reading the letter, the governor asked what province Paul was from. When he learned Paul was from Cilicia, he said,
35"I will hear your case fully when your accusers also arrive." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.