| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, "Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience until this day." | 1Paul looked directly at the council and said, "Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God to this day." |
| 2But the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth. | 2At that the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. |
| 3Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law are you ordering 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?" |
| 4And those standing nearby said, "Do you dare revile God's high priest?"" | 4Those standing near him said, "Do you dare insult God's high priest?" |
| 5I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest," replied Paul. "For it is written, You must not speak evil of 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 realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees! I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!" | 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!" |
| 7When he said this, a dispute 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. |
| 8For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and no angel or spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all. | 8(For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) |
| 9The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party got up and argued vehemently: "We find nothing evil in 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?" |
| 10When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, rescue him from them, 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. |
| 11The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, "Have courage! For as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." | 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." |
| 12When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse: neither to eat nor to drink until 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. |
| 13There were more than 40 who had formed this plot. | 13There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. |
| 14These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won't eat anything until 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. |
| 15So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. However, before he gets near, we are 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, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to 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 commander, because he has something to report to 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 he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because 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." |
| 19Then the commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, "What is it you have to report to me?"" | 19The commanding officer took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, "What is it that you want to report to me?" |
| 20The Jews," he said, "have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. | 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 let them persuade you, because there are more than 40 of them arranging to ambush him, men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they kill him. Now they are ready, waiting for a commitment from you." | 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." |
| 22So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, "Don't tell anyone that you have informed me about this." | 22Then the commanding officer sent the young man away, directing him, "Tell no one that you have reported these things to me." |
| 23He summoned two of his centurions and said, "Get 200 soldiers ready with 70 cavalry and 200 spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. | 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, |
| 24Also provide mounts so they can put Paul on them and bring him safely to Felix the governor." | 24and provide mounts for Paul to ride so that he may be brought safely to Felix the governor." |
| 25He wrote a letter of this kind: | 25He wrote a letter that went like this: |
| 26Claudius Lysias, To the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings. | 26Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor Felix, greetings. |
| 27When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is 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. |
| 28Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. | 28Since I wanted to know what charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down to their council. |
| 29I found out that the accusations were about disputed matters in their law, and that there was no charge that merited death or chains. | 29I found he was accused with reference to controversial questions about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment. |
| 30When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in your presence. | 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. |
| 31Therefore, the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. | 31So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him to Antipatris during the night. |
| 32The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. | 32The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, and they returned to the barracks. |
| 33When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. | 33When the horsemen came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. |
| 34After he read it, he asked what province he was from. So when he learned 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 give you a hearing whenever your accusers get here too." And he ordered that he be kept under guard 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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