So you must be on the lookout for yourselves; they will turn you over to courts, and to synagogues where you will be beaten, and you must appear before governors and kings for my sake, to testify to them.

Now when they are bringing you before the synagogues or the magistrates or the authorities, never worry about how to defend yourselves, or what to say,

But before all this takes place, people will arrest you and persecute you, and turn you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake.

Men will turn you out of their synagogues. Yes, indeed, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think that he is rendering a religious service to God.

met in Jerusalem, including Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all that were members of the high priest's family.

Then the military commander went with his attendants and brought them back, but without any violence, for they were afraid of being pelted with stones by the people.

Paul fixed his eyes upon the council and said, "Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty to God up to this very day."

Councils

But I say to you: "Everyone who harbors malice against his brother, will have to answer to the court, and whoever speaks contemptuously to his brother, will have to answer to the supreme court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You cursed fool? will have to pay the penalty in the pit of torture.

Now the high priests and the whole council were trying to get false testimony against Jesus, to have Him put to death;

So the high priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and began to say, "What are we to do? For this man is certainly performing many wonder-works.

Scourge

and turn Him over to the heathen to mock and flog and crucify, but on the third day He will rise again."

Therefore, I am going to send you prophets, wise men, and scribes, some of whom you will kill -- even crucify -- and some you will flog in your synagogues and chase from city to city,

They were convinced by him, and after calling the apostles in and having them flogged, they charged them to stop speaking on the authority of Jesus, and then turned them loose.

So I said, 'Lord, they know for themselves that from one synagogue to another I used to imprison and flog those who believed in you,

I had them punished and tried to force them to use abusive language; in my extreme fury against them I continued to pursue them even into distant towns.

Five times I have taken thirty-nine lashes from the Jews,

Still others stood the test of taunts and tortures, and even chains and prisons.

General references

Now when they are bringing you before the synagogues or the magistrates or the authorities, never worry about how to defend yourselves, or what to say,