| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Paul looked straight at the Council and said, "Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty before God up to this very day." | 1Paul looked directly at the council and said, "Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God to this day." |
| 2Then the high priest Ananias ordered the men standing near him to strike him on the mouth. | 2At that the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. |
| 3At this Paul told him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there and judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?" | 3Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law you order me to be struck?" |
| 4The men standing near him asked, "Do you mean to insult God's high priest?" | 4Those standing near him said, "Do you dare insult God's high priest?" |
| 5Paul answered, "I didn't realize, brothers, that he is the high priest. After all, it is written, 'You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.'" | 5Paul replied, "I did not realize, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, 'You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.'" |
| 6When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, "Brothers, I'm a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I'm on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected." | 6Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!" |
| 7After he said that, an angry quarrel broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided, | 7When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. |
| 8because the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and that there is no such thing as an angel or spirit, but the Pharisees believe in all those things. | 8(For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) |
| 9There was a great deal of shouting until some of the scribes who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and argued forcefully, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" | 9There was a great commotion, and some experts in the law from the party of the Pharisees stood up and protested strongly, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" |
| 10The quarrel was becoming violent, and the tribune was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces. So he ordered the soldiers to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. | 10When the argument became so great the commanding officer feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, he ordered the detachment to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. |
| 11That night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Have courage! For just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, you must testify in Rome, too." | 11The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Have courage, for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." |
| 12In the morning, the Jewish leaders formed a conspiracy and took an oath not to eat or drink anything before they had killed Paul. | 12When morning came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. |
| 13More than 40 men formed this conspiracy. | 13There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. |
| 14They went to the high priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to taste any food before we have killed Paul. | 14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to partake of anything until we have killed Paul. |
| 15Now then, you and the Council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you on the pretext that you want to look into his case more carefully, but before he arrives we'll be ready to kill him." | 15So now you and the council request the commanding officer to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine his case by conducting a more thorough inquiry. We are ready to kill him before he comes near this place." |
| 16But the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, so he came and got into the barracks and told Paul. | 16But when the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, he came and entered the barracks and told Paul. |
| 17Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the tribune, because he has something to tell him." | 17Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to report to him." |
| 18So the centurion took him, brought him to the tribune, and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you." | 18So the centurion took him and brought him to the commanding officer and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you." |
| 19The tribune took him by the hand, stepped aside to be alone with him, and asked, "What have you got to tell me?" | 19The commanding officer took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, "What is it that you want to report to me?" |
| 20He answered, "The Jewish leaders have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Council tomorrow as though they were going to examine his case more carefully. | 20He replied, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him. |
| 21Don't believe them, because more than 40 of them are planning to ambush him. They've taken an oath not to eat or drink before they've killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent." | 21So do not let them persuade you to do this, because more than forty of them are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request." |
| 22The tribune dismissed the young man and ordered him not to tell anyone that he had notified him. | 22Then the commanding officer sent the young man away, directing him, "Tell no one that you have reported these things to me." |
| 23Then he summoned two centurions and ordered, "Get 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o'clock tonight, along with 70 mounted soldiers and 200 soldiers with spears. | 23Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, "Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen by nine o'clock tonight, |
| 24Provide a mount for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Governor Felix." | 24and provide mounts for Paul to ride so that he may be brought safely to Felix the governor." |
| 25He wrote a letter with this message: | 25He wrote a letter that went like this: |
| 26"From: Claudius Lysias To: Governor Felix Greetings, Your Excellency: | 26Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor Felix, greetings. |
| 27This man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I went with the guard and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. | 27This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, when I came up with the detachment and rescued him, because I had learned that he was a Roman citizen. |
| 28I wanted to know the exact charge they were making against him, so I had him brought before their Council. | 28Since I wanted to know what charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down to their council. |
| 29I found that, although he was charged with questions about their Law, there was no charge against him deserving death or imprisonment. | 29I found he was accused with reference to controversial questions about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment. |
| 30Since a plot against the man has been reported to me, I'm sending him to you at once, and I've also ordered his accusers to present their charges against him before you." | 30When I was informed there would be a plot against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges against him before you. |
| 31So the soldiers, in keeping with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. | 31So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him to Antipatris during the night. |
| 32The next day, they let the horsemen ride with Paul while they returned to their barracks. | 32The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, and they returned to the barracks. |
| 33When these men came to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. | 33When the horsemen came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. |
| 34After reading the letter, the governor asked which province Paul was from. On learning that he was from Cilicia, | 34When the governor had read the letter, he asked what province he was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia, |
| 35he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers arrive." Then he ordered Paul to be kept in custody in Herod's palace. | 35he said, "I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive too." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace. |
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