1
Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, "Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience until this day."
2
But the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.
3
Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?"
4
And those standing nearby said, "Do you dare revile God's high priest?"
5
"I did not know, brothers," Paul said, "that it was the high priest. For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people. "
6
When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!"
7
When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8
For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and no angel or spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.
9
The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party got up and argued vehemently: "We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"
10
When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, rescue him from them, and bring him into the barracks.
The Plot against Paul
11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, "Have courage! For as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."
12
When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse: neither to eat nor to drink until they had killed Paul.
13
There were more than 40 who had formed this plot.
14
These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won't eat anything until we have killed Paul
15
So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. However, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him."
16
But the son of Paul's sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul.
17
Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him."
18
So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."
19
Then the commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, "What is it you have to report to me?"
20
"The Jews," he said, "have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him.
21
Don't let them persuade you, because there are more than 40 of them arranging to ambush him, men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they kill him. Now they are ready, waiting for a commitment from you."
22
So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, "Don't tell anyone that you have informed me about this."