Then Paul, looking intently at ^athe Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) , said, “^bKinsmen, ^cI have lived my life before God with a perfectly good conscience until this very day.” 2 At this the high priest ^1aAnanias ordered those who stood beside him ^bto strike Paul on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, ^ayou ¹whitewashed wall! Do you actually ^bsit to judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” 4 But those who stood near Paul said, “Are you insulting the high priest of God?” 5 Paul said, “I was not aware, brothers, that he was ¹high priest; for it is written, ‘^aYOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.’” Ex 22:28

6 But recognizing that one group were ^aSadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began affirming loudly in ^bthe Council chamber, “^cKinsmen, ^dI am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for ^ethe hope and resurrection of the dead!” 7 When he said this, an angry dispute erupted between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the whole crowded assembly was divided into two factions. 8 For ^athe Sadducees say that there is no such thing as a resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees speak out freely and acknowledge their belief in them all. 9 Then a great uproar occurred, and some of ^athe scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and began to argue heatedly in Paul’s favor, saying, “^bWe find nothing wrong with this man; ^csuppose a spirit or an angel has really spoken to him?” 10 And as the dissension became even greater, the commander, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered the troops to go down and forcibly take him from them, and bring him to ^athe barracks.

11 On ^athe following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “^bBe brave; for ^cas you have ^dsolemnly and faithfully witnessed about Me at Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome.”

12 Now when day came, ^athe Jews formed a conspiracy and ^bbound themselves under an oath (curse) , saying that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty men who formed this plot and swore this oath. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have ^abound ourselves under a solemn oath not to taste anything neither food nor drink until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you, along with ^athe Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) , notify the commander to bring Paul down to you, as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But we are ready to kill him before he comes near the place.”

16 But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their planned ambush, and he went to ^athe barracks and told Paul. 17 Then Paul, calling in one of the centurions, said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and led him to the commander and said, “Paul ^athe prisoner called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.” 19 The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to ask him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, “^aThe Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to ^bthe Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tomorrow, as if they were going to interrogate him more thoroughly. 21 But do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are ^alying in wait for him, and they have ^bbound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Even now they are ready, just waiting for your promise.” 22 So the commander let the young man leave, instructing him, “Do not tell anyone that you have given me this information.”

23 Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, “Have two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night (9:00 p.m.) to go as far as ^1aCaesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred ²spearmen; 24 also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to ^1aFelix the governor.” 25 And after instructing the centurions he wrote a letter to this effect:

31 So the soldiers, in compliance with their orders, took Paul and brought him to Antipatris during the night. 32 And the next day, leaving ^athe horsemen to go on with him, they returned to ^bthe barracks. 33 When these horsemen reached ^aCaesarea, they delivered the letter to ^bthe governor, and also presented Paul to him. 34 After reading the letter, he asked which ^aprovince Paul was from, and when he learned that ^bhe was from Cilicia an imperial province, 35 he said, “I will hear your case when your ^aaccusers have arrived,” giving orders that Paul be ^bkept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium (the governor’s official residence) .