1 Paul [then] looked intently at the Council [i.e., the Jewish supreme court called the "Sanhedrin"] and spoke [in his defense]: "Brothers, I have lived before God with a good conscience all my life."
2 [Upon hearing this], the head priest Ananias ordered that those standing closest to Paul hit him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to the head priest, "God will hit you, you white-washed wall [i.e., you hypocrite]. Are you sitting in judgment over me according to the law of Moses and [yet] do you order me to be hit contrary to that law?"
5 Paul said, "Brothers, I did not know that he was the head priest, for it is written [Ex. 22:28], 'You shall not speak evil about a leader of your people.' "
6 When Paul realized that part [of the Sanhedrin] were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he lifted up his voice before the Council and said, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee. And it is concerning our hope that the dead will be raised that I have been brought to trial."
7 When he said this it stirred up a dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees and the assembly became divided.
8 For the Sadducees believe there is no resurrection, angels or spirits, but the Pharisees accept all of them [to be true].
9 A loud commotion developed [in the Council meeting]. Some of the teachers of the law of Moses who belonged to the Pharisee party stood up and argued, saying, "We can find nothing wrong with this man. What if an angel or spirit did speak to him?"
10 And when a serious debate broke out, the commander was afraid that Paul might [virtually] be torn apart by the mob, so he ordered his soldiers to go down [to the Council meeting] and forcibly remove Paul and take him to the battalion headquarters.
11 The next night the Lord stood beside Paul [in a supernatural dream] and said, "Take courage, for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also be my witness in Rome."
12 When daylight came, [a group of] Jews conspired together, agreeing under oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13 There were more than forty men who made this pact.
14 They went to the leading priests and [Jewish] elders and told them, "We have bound ourselves under an oath [with serious consequences] to eat nothing until we have killed Paul.
15 Therefore, [all of] you, together with the Jewish Council, should notify the commander so that he will bring Paul [back] down to you, as though you wanted to consider his case further. Then we will be ready to kill him, [even] before he comes near [you]."
16 But Paul's nephew learned of their plot and went to the headquarters and told Paul [all about it].
17 So, Paul called for one of the officers and said [to him], "Take this young man to the commander; he has something [important] to tell him."
18 So, the officer took Paul's nephew to the commander and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you."
19 The commander took him by the hand, and walking along together, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
20 And the lad said, "The Jews have plotted to ask you to take Paul down to the Council [meeting] tomorrow, as though you were going to question him further.
21 But, do not listen to them, because over forty men have laid a plot and bound themselves under an oath [with serious consequences] neither to eat nor drink [anything] until they have killed him. They are now ready [to carry out the plot] and are just waiting for you to agree [to their arrangement]."
22 So, the commander let the young man go, urging him, "Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me."
23 Then he called two of his officers and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, by nine o'clock tonight." [Note: This was calculated according to Jewish time].
24 And he [also] requested that they furnish animals for Paul to ride so he could be brought safely to Felix, the governor.
26 "Claudius Lysias, [commander of the battalion, is writing] to His Excellency, Governor Felix. Greetings:
27 This man [i.e., Paul] was grabbed by the Jews and almost killed by them when I discovered what they were doing and rescued him, after learning that he was a Roman citizen.
28 So, I brought him before the Council because I wanted to know the reasons for the charges [they were] bringing against him.
29 I found out that he was being accused over questions regarding their law, but that they had no charges against him deserving of the death penalty, or [even] of being kept in prison.
30 And when I was told that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, also ordering his accusers to present their case against him in front of you."
31 So, the soldiers took charge of Paul and took him at night to Antipatris [Note: This was a town on the road between Jerusalem and Caesarea] as they were ordered.
32 The next day the soldiers allowed the horsemen to go on with Paul, while they [themselves] returned to headquarters.
33 When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul before him.
34 And when the governor read the letter, he asked what province Paul was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35 he said, "I will hear your case fully when your accusers also get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept [under guard] in Herod's palace.