Parallel Bible results for "acts 23"

Acts 23

Hebrew Names Version HNV

1 Sha'ul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, "Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day."

2 The Kohen Gadol, Hananyah, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

3 Then Sha'ul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?"

4 Those who stood by said, "Do you malign God's Kohen Gadol?

5 Sha'ul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was Kohen Gadol. For it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"

6 But when Sha'ul perceived that the one part were Tzedukim and the other Perushim, he cried out in the council, "Men and brothers, I am a Parush, a son of Perushim. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!"

7 When he had said this, an argument arose between the Perushim and Tzedukim, and the assembly was divided.

8 For the Tzedukim say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Perushim confess all of these.

9 A great clamor arose, and some of the Sofrim of the Perushim part stood up, and contended, saying, "We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let's not fight against God!"

10 When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Sha'ul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

11 The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, "Cheer up, Sha'ul, for as you have testified about me at Yerushalayim, so you must testify also at Rome."

12 When it was day, some of the Yehudim banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Sha'ul.

13 There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy.

14 They came to the chief Kohanim and the Zakenim, and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Sha'ul

15 Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near."

16 But Sha'ul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Sha'ul.

17 Sha'ul summoned one of the centurions, and said, "Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him."

18 So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, "Sha'ul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you."

19 The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?

20 He said, "The Yehudim have agreed to ask you to bring down Sha'ul tomorrow to the council, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.

21 Therefore don't yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you.

22 So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, "Tell no one that you have told these things to me."

23 He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, "Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night."

24 He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Sha'ul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

25 He wrote a letter like this:

26 "Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.

27 "This man was seized by the Yehudim, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.

28 Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council.

29 I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

30 When I was told that the Yehudim lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell."

31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Sha'ul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

32 But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks.

33 They, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Sha'ul also before him.

34 When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,

35 "I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive." He commanded that he be kept in Herod's palace.

The Message Bible MSG

1 Paul surveyed the members of the council with a steady gaze, and then said his piece: "Friends, I've lived with a clear conscience before God all my life, up to this very moment."

2 That set the Chief Priest Ananias off. He ordered his aides to slap Paul in the face.

3 Paul shot back, "God will slap you down! What a fake you are! You sit there and judge me by the Law and then break the Law by ordering me slapped around!"

4 The aides were scandalized: "How dare you talk to God's Chief Priest like that!

5 Paul acted surprised. "How was I to know he was Chief Priest? He doesn't act like a Chief Priest. You're right, the Scripture does say, 'Don't speak abusively to a ruler of the people.' Sorry."

6 Paul, knowing some of the council was made up of Sadducees and others of Pharisees and how they hated each other, decided to exploit their antagonism: "Friends, I am a stalwart Pharisee from a long line of Pharisees. It's because of my Pharisee convictions - the hope and resurrection of the dead - that I've been hauled into this court."

7 The moment he said this, the council split right down the middle, Pharisees and Sadducees going at each other in heated argument.

8 Sadducees have nothing to do with a resurrection or angels or even a spirit. If they can't see it, they don't believe it. Pharisees believe it all.

9 And so a huge and noisy quarrel broke out. Then some of the religion scholars on the Pharisee side shouted down the others: "We don't find anything wrong with this man! And what if a spirit has spoken to him? Or maybe an angel? What if it turns out we're fighting against God?"

10 That was fuel on the fire. The quarrel flamed up and became so violent the captain was afraid they would tear Paul apart, limb from limb. He ordered the soldiers to get him out of there and escort him back to the safety of the barracks.

11 That night the Master appeared to Paul: "It's going to be all right. Everything is going to turn out for the best. You've been a good witness for me here in Jerusalem. Now you're going to be my witness in Rome!"

12 Next day the Jews worked up a plot against Paul. They took a solemn oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed him.

13 Over forty of them ritually bound themselves to this murder pact

14 and presented themselves to the high priests and religious leaders. "We've bound ourselves by a solemn oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul

15 But we need your help. Send a request from the council to the captain to bring Paul back so that you can investigate the charges in more detail. We'll do the rest. Before he gets anywhere near you, we'll have killed him. You won't be involved."

16 Paul's nephew, his sister's son, overheard them plotting the ambush. He went immediately to the barracks and told Paul.

17 Paul called over one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the captain. He has something important to tell him."

18 The centurion brought him to the captain and said, "The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He said he has something urgent to tell you."

19 The captain took him by the arm and led him aside privately. "What is it? What do you have to tell me?

20 Paul's nephew said, "The Jews have worked up a plot against Paul. They're going to ask you to bring Paul to the council first thing in the morning on the pretext that they want to investigate the charges against him in more detail.

21 But it's a trick to get him out of your safekeeping so they can murder him. Right now there are more than forty men lying in ambush for him. They've all taken a vow to neither eat nor drink until they've killed him. The ambush is set - all they're waiting for is for you to send him over.

22 The captain dismissed the nephew with a warning: "Don't breathe a word of this to a soul."

23 The captain called up two centurions. "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go immediately to Caesarea. Also seventy cavalry and two hundred light infantry. I want them ready to march by nine o'clock tonight.

24 And you'll need a couple of mules for Paul and his gear. We're going to present this man safe and sound to Governor Felix."

25 Then he wrote this letter:

26 From Claudius Lysias, to the Most Honorable Governor Felix:

27 I rescued this man from a Jewish mob. They had seized him and were about to kill him when I learned that he was a Roman citizen. So I sent in my soldiers.

28 Wanting to know what he had done wrong, I had him brought before their council.

29 It turned out to be a squabble turned vicious over some of their religious differences, but nothing remotely criminal.

30 The next thing I knew, they had cooked up a plot to murder him. I decided that for his own safety I'd better get him out of here in a hurry. So I'm sending him to you. I'm informing his accusers that he's now under your jurisdiction.

31 The soldiers, following orders, took Paul that same night to safety in Antipatris.

32 In the morning the soldiers returned to their barracks in Jerusalem, sending Paul on to Caesarea under guard of the cavalry.

33 The cavalry entered Caesarea and handed Paul and the letter over to the governor.

34 After reading the letter, the governor asked Paul what province he came from and was told "Cilicia."

35 Then he said, "I'll take up your case when your accusers show up." He ordered him locked up for the meantime in King Herod's official quarters.