7
After Paul said that, the Pharisees and Sadducees began to quarrel, and the men in the meeting were divided.
8
(The Sadducees say that the dead won't come back to life and that angels and spirits don't exist. The Pharisees believe in all these things.)
9
The shouting became very loud. Some of the scribes were Pharisees who argued their position forcefully. They said, "We don't find anything wrong with this man. Maybe a spirit or an angel actually spoke to him!"
10
The quarrel was becoming violent, and the officer was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces. So the officer ordered his soldiers to drag Paul back to the barracks.
11
The Lord stood near Paul the next night and said to him, "Don't lose your courage! You've told the truth about me in Jerusalem. Now you must tell the truth about me in Rome."
12
In the morning the Jews formed a conspiracy. They asked God to curse them if they ate or drank anything before they had killed Paul.
13
More than forty men took part in this plot.
14
They went to the chief priests and leaders [of the people] and said, "We've asked God to curse us if we taste any food before we've killed Paul.
15
Here's our plan: You and the council must go to the Roman officer on the pretext that you need more information from Paul. You have to make it look as though you want to get more accurate information about him. We'll be ready to kill him before he gets to you."
16
But Paul's nephew heard about the ambush. He entered the barracks and told Paul.
17
Then Paul called one of the sergeants and told him, "Take this young man to the officer. He has something to tell him."