Atos 23

¹ And Paulos, looking upon their assembly, said, Men, brethren, I in all good conscience have conversed before Aloha, unto this day.

² And Hanania the priest commanded them who stood by him to smite Paulos upon his mouth.

³ And Paulos said to him, It will be that Aloha will smite thee, (thou) whitened wall: thou sittest to judge me according to the law, while thou transgressest the law, and commandest that they smite me!

⁴ And they who stood there said to him, The priest of Aloha revilest thou?

⁵ Paulos said to them, I knew not, my brethren, that he is the priest; for it is written, Of the chief of thy people thou shalt not speak evil.

⁶ And when Paulos knew that (part) of the people were of the Zadukoyee and (part) of it of the Pharishee, he cried in the assembly, Men, my brethren, I am a Pharisha, the son of Pharishee; and for the hope of the resurrection of the dead am I judged.

⁷ And when he had said this, the Pharishee and the Zadukoyee fell on one another, and the people was divided.

⁸ For the Zadukoyee say that there is no resurrection, nor angels, nor spirit; but the Pharishee confess all these.

⁹ And there was made a great noise. And certain sophree of the choice of the Pharishee arose and contended with them, and said, We have not found any thing of evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken with him, what is there in this?

¹⁰ And when there was a great commotion among them, the tribune feared lest they should tear Paulos in pieces, and he sent to the Rumoyee to come and carry him away from the midst of them, and take him into the fortress.

¹¹ And when it was night our Lord appeared unto Paulos, and said to him, Be strong: for as thou hast testified of me in Urishlem, so is it to be that thou also in Ruma shalt testify.

¹² AND when it became morning, men of the Jihudoyee gathered and bound a vow upon themselves, that they would not eat or drink till they had killed Paulos.

¹³ But there were of those who established by oath this compact more than forty men.

¹⁴ And they drew nigh to the priests and to the elders, and said, A vow we have vowed upon us, that nothing will we taste until we have killed Paulos.

¹⁵ And now do you and the princes of the synagogue request from the tribune to bring him to you, as if you sought to investigate more truly his work, and we are prepared to kill him while he shall come to you.

¹⁶ And the son of the sister of Paulos heard this plot, and he entered the fortress and informed Paulos.

¹⁷ And Paulos sent (and) called one of the centurions, and said to him, Bring this youth to the tribune, for he has somewhat to tell him.

¹⁸ And the centurion conducted the youth, and introduced him to the tribune, and said, Paulos the prisoner called me, and requested of me to bring this youth to thee, because he hath somewhat to tell thee.

¹⁹ And the tribune took the youth by his hand, and led him on one side, and asked him, What hast thou to tell me?

²⁰ And the youth said to him, The Jihudoyee have determined to request of thee to send down Paulos, tomorrow, to their synagogue, as if willing to learn somewhat more from him:

²¹ thou therefore yield not to them; for, behold, more than forty men of them watch for him in ambush, and have bound a curse upon themselves, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and, behold, they are ready, and wait thy promise.

²² And the tribune dismissed the youth, when he had admonished him, Let no man know that these thou hast informed me.

²³ And he called two centurions, and said to them, Go, prepare two hundred Romans to go to Cesarea, and seventy horsemen and right-handed spearmen two hundred, to go forth at the third hour of the night;

²⁴ but provide also a beast to carry Paulos, and escape to Felix the governor.

²⁵ And he wrote a letter, and gave it to them, which was thus:

²⁶ Klaudios Lusios unto Felix the victorious governor, peace.

²⁷ The Jihudoyee had seized this man to kill him; and I arose with the Romans and rescued him, when I had learned that he is a Roman.

²⁸ And when I sought to know the occasion of which they accused him, I brought him down to their synagogue.

²⁹ And I found that concerning questions of their law they accused him; and a cause worthy of bonds or of death was not in him.

³⁰ And when it was told me of the treachery of a plot which the Jihudoyee wrought against him, I straightway sent him to thee; and I have commanded his accusers to come and speak with him before thee. Farewell.

³¹ Then the Rumoyee, as they had been commanded, took Paulos by night, and brought him to Antipatros the city;

³² and the day after the horsemen sent away their foot-companions to return to the fortress.

³³ And they came to Cesarea. And they gave the letter to the governor, and made Paulos stand before him.

³⁴ And when he had read the letter, he asked him from what province he was. And when he had heard that (he was) from Cilicia,

³⁵ he said to him, I will hear thee when thy accusers have come. And he commanded that they should keep him in the pretorium of Herodes.