Acts 23 :: New International Version (NIV)

Act 23:1

Act 23:1Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”

Act 23:2

Act 23:2At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

Act 23:3

Act 23:3Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

Act 23:4

Act 23:4Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

Act 23:5

Act 23:5Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’[fn]”

Act 23:6

Act 23:6Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”

Act 23:7

Act 23:7When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

Act 23:8

Act 23:8(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

Act 23:9

Act 23:9There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

Act 23:10

Act 23:10The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

Act 23:11

Act 23:11The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

The Plot to Kill Paul

Act 23:12

Act 23:12The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

Act 23:13

Act 23:13More than forty men were involved in this plot.

Act 23:14

Act 23:14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.

Act 23:15

Act 23:15Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

Act 23:16

Act 23:16But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.

Act 23:17

Act 23:17Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”

Act 23:18

Act 23:18So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

Act 23:19

Act 23:19The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

Act 23:20

Act 23:20He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.

Act 23:21

Act 23:21Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

Act 23:22

Act 23:22The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

Act 23:23

Act 23:23Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen[fn] to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.

Act 23:24

Act 23:24Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”

Act 23:25

Act 23:25He wrote a letter as follows:

Act 23:26

Act 23:26Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.

Act 23:27

Act 23:27This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.

Act 23:28

Act 23:28I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.

Act 23:29

Act 23:29I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.

Act 23:30

Act 23:30When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.

Act 23:31

Act 23:31So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris.

Act 23:32

Act 23:32The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.

Act 23:33

Act 23:33When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.

Act 23:34

Act 23:34The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,

Act 23:35

Act 23:35he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NIV Footnotes

(23:5)

Exodus 22:28

(23:23)

The meaning of the Greek for this word is uncertain.

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Acts Chapter 23 — Additional Translations:

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Acts 23 :: New International Version (NIV)

The Plot to Kill Paul

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

NIV Footnotes

Acts Chapter 23 — Additional Translations:

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