23

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

1Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 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!”
4Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”
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.’
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.” 7When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
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?” 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.
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

12The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13More than forty men were involved in this plot. 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. 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.”
16But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
17Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” 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.”
19The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”
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. 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.”
22The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

23Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
25He wrote a letter as follows:
26Claudius Lysias,
 To His Excellency, Governor Felix:
 Greetings.
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. 28I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 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. 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.
31So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. 33When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, 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.

23

1Povlauj saib ntsoov rua cov thawj kws tuaj sablaaj hov hab has tas, “Cov kwvtij, kuv ruaj sab tas kuv xyum zoo taab meeg Vaajtswv lub xubndag txug naj nub nwgnuav.” 2Tug tuam pov thawj hlub Anania txawm has kuas cov tuabneeg kws nyob ze ntaus Povlauj qhov ncauj. 3Povlauj txhad has rua nwg tas, “Vaajtswv yuav ntaus koj, koj yog lub phaab ntsaa kws luam moov swb dawb paug xwb. Koj nyob lub rooj txav txem rua kuv lawv le kevcai los koj tseed has kuas puab ntaus kuv, yog qhov kws ua txhum kevcai lov?” 4Cov tuabneeg kws sawv ntawd txawm has tas, “Koj yuav has lug saib tsw taug Vaajtswv tug tuam pov thawj hlub hab lov?” 5Povlauj txawm has tas, “Cov kwvtij, kuv tsw paub tas nwg yog tug tuam pov thawj hlub, tsua qhov muaj lug sau ca has tas, ‘Tsw xob has lug phem rua tug kws kaav koj cov tuabneeg.’ ”
6Thaus Povlauj pum tas puab cov ib txha yog Xantukai, ib txha yog Falixai nwg txhad has nrov rua huv lub rooj sablaajq tas, “Cov kwvtij, kuv yog ib tug Falixai, yog cov Falixai le tub. Qhov kws kuv raug txav txem nuav vem yog kuv muaj chaw vaam qhov kws caj sawv huv qhov tuag rov lug.” 7Thaus nwg has le ntawd cov Falixai hab cov Xantukai txawm sws caav hab lub rooj sablaaj tawg ua ob paab, 8vem cov Xantukai has tas tsw muaj qhov kws caj sawv huv qhov tuag rov lug, hab tsw muaj tubkhai ntuj hab tsw muaj ntsuj plig. Tassws cov Falixai ntseeg tas puavleej muaj. 9Tes txawm muaj lug sws caav nrov. Cov xwbfwb qha Vaajtswv kevcai kws yog Falixai qee leej sawv tseeg caav nrov has tas, “Peb tsw pum tas tug nuav muaj kev txhum. Yog tas ntsuj plig lossws tubkhai ntuj has rua nwg nev, mej yuav has le caag?” 10Thaus sws caav luj heev tug thawj rog kws kaav ib txheeb ntshai tsaam Povlauj yuav raug puab muab dua ua tej dwb daim, nwg txawm has kuas cov tub rog moog txeeb Povlauj ntawm puab coj moog rua huv lub yeej lawm.
11Mo ntawd tug Tswv lug sawv ntawm Povlauj ib saab hab has tas, “Koj ca le ua sab tuab, vem koj tau ua timkhawv txug kuv huv lub nroog Yeluxalee le caag lawm, koj yuav tsum ua timkhawv rua huv lub nroog Loo ib yaam le ntawd hab.”

Tuav huv tua Povlauj

12Thaus kaaj ntug cov Yutai tuav huv twv tsawm tas puab yuav tsw noj tsw haus moog txug thaus tua tau Povlauj. 13Cov kws tuav huv ua phem hov muaj coob dua plaub caug leej. 14Puab txawm moog cuag cov pov thawj hlub hab cov kev txwj quas laug hab has tas, “Peb twv tsawm tawv has tas peb yuav tsw noj ib yaam daabtsw txug thaus tua tau Povlauj. 15Vem le nuav, nwgnuav thov mej hab cov thawj lub rooj sablaajq has rua tug thawj rog kws kaav ib txheeb kuas coj Povlauj lug cuag mej. Mej ua txuj yuav ua tuab zoo nug nwg zaaj txhua txhua mas peb npaaj txhwj yuav muab nwg tua ua ntej kws nwg tsw tau tuaj txug.”
16Tassws Povlauj tug nyuas tshub tub paub txug qhov kws puab yuav zuv tua hov, nwg txhad nkaag moog rua huv cov tub rog lub yeej hab qha Povlauj paub. 17Povlauj txhad hu ib tug thawj kws kaav ib puas leej lug has tas, “Thov coj tug hluas nuav moog rua tug thawj kws kaav ib txheeb, vem nwg muaj lug yuav qha rua tug thawj paub.” 18Tug thawj kws kaav ib puas txawm coj nwg moog cuag tug thawj kws kaav ib txheeb hab has tas, “Tug Povlauj kws raug kaw hu kuv hab thov kuv coj tug hluas nuav tuaj cuag koj vem nwg muaj lug kws yuav qha rua koj paub.” 19Tug thawj kws kaav ib txheeb txhad tuav tug hluas hov teg coj moog rua ib qho mas nug nwg tuabywv tas, “Koj muaj daabtsw yuav has rua kuv?” 20Tug hluas has tas, “Cov Yutai has hum tas pigkig yuav thov koj coj Povlauj moog rua huv puab lub rooj sablaaj, ua txuj yuav nug nwg zaaj txhua txhua heev dua qub. 21Tassws thov tsw xob noog puab has, tsua qhov puab tub muaj coob dua plaub caug leej zuv kev tog tua Povlauj hab twv tsawm tas yuav tsw noj tsw haus moog txug tua tau Povlauj. Taamswm nuav puab npaaj txhwj lawm tog koj tso ncauj xwb.” 22Tug thawj kws kaav ib txheeb txawm tso tug hluas hov moog hab nkaw lug rua nwg tas, “Tsw xob qha rua leejtwg paub tas koj tuaj qha zaaj nuav rua kuv.”

Xaa Povlauj moog cuag Feli

23Tug thawj rog kws kaav ib txheeb txawm hu ob tug thawj kws kaav ib puas leej lug hab has tas, “Mo nuav thaus cuaj teev ca le npaaj ob puas leej tub rog hab xyaa caum leej tub rog caij neeg hab ob puas leej tub rog tuav muv yuav moog rua lub moos Xixaleya. 24Hab npaaj neeg rua Povlauj caij xaa nwg moog tso sab plhuav kuas txug tug tswv xeev Feli.” 25Tug thawj rog kws kaav ib txheeb sau tsaab ntawv le nuav moog, 26“Khaunti‑au Lixia has rua tug tswv xeev Feli kws saib hlub, nyob zoo. 27Cov Yutai nteg tug nuav ca tub yuav muab nwg tua, tassws kuv coj tub rog moog cawm tau nwg vem kuv paub tas nwg yog tuabneeg Loo. 28Kuv xaav paub lub keeb kws cov Yutai kom nwg kuv txhad coj nwg moog rua huv puab cov thawj lub rooj sablaaj.q 29Kuv pum tas qhov kws nwg raug kom vem yog tej teeb meem ntswg txug cov Yutai tej kevcai, tsw muaj ib qho txhum kws txaus nwg tuag lossws muab kaw. 30Thaus kuv paub tas muaj tswvyim phem yuav txuv nwg, kuv txhad xaa nwg tuaj cuag koj taamswm hab has rua cov yeej kom tuaj kom nwg rua ntawm koj.”
31Yog le nuav cov tub rog txhad le coj Povlauj moog mo ntuj rua lub moos Aathipati lawv le kws has. 32Nub tom qaab puab ca cov tub rog caij neeg xaa Povlauj moog mas cov tub rog moog kwtaw rov lug rua huv lub yeej. 33Thaus cov tub rog caij neeg moog txug lub moos Xixaleya lawm puab txawm cev tsaab ntawv rua tug tswv xeev hab muab Povlauj cob rua nwg. 34Thaus tug tswv xeev nyeem tsaab ntawv lawm nwg txawm nug tas Povlauj tuaj lub xeev twg tuaj. Thaus nwg paub tas Povlauj tuaj lub xeev Khilikia tuaj, 35nwg txawm has tas, “Ca yeej kom tuaj txug, kuv le noog koj peev lug.” Nwg txawm has kuas zuv Povlauj zoo rua huv lub tsev Plitholia.