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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 ntsia ntsoov rau cov thawj uas tuaj sablaj ntawd thiab hais tias, “Cov kwvtij, kuv ruaj siab tias kuv xyaum zoo tab meeg Vajtswv lub xubntiag txog niaj hnub nimno.” 2Tus tuam pov thawj hlob Anania txawm hais kom cov neeg uas nyob ze ntaus Povlauj qhov ncauj. 3Povlauj thiaj hais rau nws tias, “Vajtswv yuav ntaus koj, koj yog lub phab ntsa uas luam hmoov zeb sib dawb paug xwb. Koj nyob lub rooj txiav txim rau kuv raws li kevcai los koj tseem hais kom lawv ntaus kuv, yog qhov uas ua txhaum kevcai lov?” 4Cov neeg uas sawv ntawd txawm hais tias, “Koj yuav hais lus saib tsis taus Vajtswv tus tuam pov thawj hlob thiab lov?” 5Povlauj txawm hais tias, “Cov kwvtij, kuv tsis paub tias nws yog tus tuam pov thawj hlob, rau qhov muaj lus sau cia hais tias, ‘Tsis txhob hais lus phem rau tus uas kav koj cov neeg.’ ”
6Thaum Povlauj pom tias lawv cov ib txhia yog Xadukai, ib txhia yog Falixai nws thiaj hais nrov rau hauv lub rooj sablajq tias, “Cov kwvtij, kuv yog ib tug Falixai, yog cov Falixai li tub. Qhov uas kuv raug txiav txim no vim yog kuv muaj chaw vam qhov uas ciaj sawv hauv qhov tuag rov los.” 7Thaum nws hais li ntawd cov Falixai thiab cov Xadukai txawm sib cav thiab lub rooj sablaj tawg ua ob pab, 8vim cov Xadukai hais tias tsis muaj qhov uas ciaj sawv hauv qhov tuag rov los, thiab tsis muaj tubtxib saum ntuj thiab tsis muaj ntsuj plig. Tiamsis cov Falixai ntseeg tias puavleej muaj. 9Ces txawm muaj lus sib cav nrov. Cov xibhwb qhia Vajtswv kevcai uas yog Falixai qee leej sawv tsees cav nrov hais tias, “Peb tsis pom tias tus no muaj kev txhaum. Yog tias ntsuj plig lossis tubtxib saum ntuj hais rau nws nev, nej yuav hais li cas?” 10Thaum sib cav loj heev tus thawj rog uas kav ib txhiab ntshai tsam Povlauj yuav raug lawv muab dua ua tej dwb daim, nws txawm hais kom cov tub rog mus txeeb Povlauj ntawm lawv coj mus rau hauv lub yeej lawm.
11Hmo ntawd tus Tswv los sawv ntawm Povlauj ib sab thiab hais tias, “Koj cia li ua siab tuab, vim koj tau ua timkhawv txog kuv hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees li cas lawm, koj yuav tsum ua timkhawv rau hauv lub nroog Loos ib yam li ntawd thiab.”

Ntaus tswvyim tua Povlauj

12Thaum kaj ntug cov Yudai ntaus tswvyim twv tsawm tias lawv yuav tsis noj tsis haus mus txog thaum tua tau Povlauj. 13Cov uas ntaus tswvyim ua phem ntawd muaj coob dua plaub caug leej. 14Lawv txawm mus cuag cov pov thawj hlob thiab cov kev txwj laus thiab hais tias, “Peb twv tsawm tawv hais tias peb yuav tsis noj ib yam dabtsi txog thaum tua tau Povlauj. 15Vim li no, nimno thov nej thiab cov thawj lub rooj sablajq hais rau tus thawj rog uas kav ib txhiab kom coj Povlauj los cuag nej. Nej ua txuj yuav ua tib zoo nug nws zaj txhua txhua mas peb npaj txhij yuav muab nws tua ua ntej uas nws tsis tau tuaj txog.”
16Tiamsis Povlauj tus muam li tub twb paub txog qhov uas lawv yuav zov tua ntawd, nws thiaj nkag mus rau hauv cov tub rog lub yeej thiab qhia Povlauj paub. 17Povlauj thiaj hu ib tug thawj uas kav ib puas leej los hais tias, “Thov coj tus hluas no mus rau tus thawj uas kav ib txhiab, vim nws muaj lus yuav qhia rau tus thawj paub.” 18Tus thawj uas kav ib puas txawm coj nws mus cuag tus thawj uas kav ib txhiab thiab hais tias, “Tus Povlauj uas raug kaw hu kuv thiab thov kuv coj tus hluas no tuaj cuag koj vim nws muaj lus uas yuav qhia rau koj paub.” 19Tus thawj uas kav ib txhiab thiaj tuav tus hluas ntawd tes coj mus rau ib qho mas nug nws twjywm tias, “Koj muaj dabtsi yuav hais rau kuv?” 20Tus hluas hais tias, “Cov Yudai hais hum tias tagkis yuav thov koj coj Povlauj mus rau hauv lawv lub rooj sablaj, ua txuj yuav nug nws zaj txhua txhua heev dua qub. 21Tiamsis thov tsis txhob mloog lawv hais, rau qhov lawv twb muaj coob dua plaub caug leej zov kev tos tua Povlauj thiab twv tsawm tias yuav tsis noj tsis haus mus txog tua tau Povlauj. Tamsim no lawv npaj txhij lawm tos koj tso ncauj xwb.” 22Tus thawj uas kav ib txhiab txawm tso tus hluas ntawd mus thiab nkaw lus rau nws tias, “Tsis txhob qhia rau leejtwg paub tias koj tuaj qhia zaj no rau kuv.”

Xa Povlauj mus cuag Feli

23Tus thawj rog uas kav ib txhiab txawm hu ob tug thawj uas kav ib puas leej los thiab hais tias, “Hmo no thaum cuaj teev cia li npaj ob puas leej tub rog thiab xya caum leej tub rog caij nees thiab ob puas leej tub rog tuav hmuv yuav mus rau lub moos Xixaleya. 24Thiab npaj nees rau Povlauj caij xa nws mus tso siab plhuav kom txog tus tswv xeev Feli.” 25Tus thawj rog uas kav ib txhiab sau tsab ntawv li no mus, 26“Khaunti‑au Lixia hais rau tus tswv xeev Feli uas saib hlob, nyob zoo. 27Cov Yudai ntes tus no cia twb yuav muab nws tua, tiamsis kuv coj tub rog mus cawm tau nws vim kuv paub tias nws yog neeg Loos. 28Kuv xav paub lub keeb uas cov Yudai kom nws kuv thiaj coj nws mus rau hauv lawv cov thawj lub rooj sablaj.q 29Kuv pom tias qhov uas nws raug kom vim yog tej teeb meem ntsig txog cov Yudai tej kevcai, tsis muaj ib qho txhaum uas txaus nws tuag lossis muab kaw. 30Thaum kuv paub tias muaj tswvyim phem yuav txov nws, kuv thiaj xa nws tuaj cuag koj tamsid thiab hais rau cov yeej kom tuaj kom nws rau ntawm koj.”
31Yog li no cov tub rog thiaj li coj Povlauj mus hmo ntuj rau lub moos Athipati raws li uas hais. 32Hnub tom qab lawv cia cov tub rog caij nees xa Povlauj mus mas cov tub rog mus kotaw rov los rau hauv lub yeej. 33Thaum cov tub rog caij nees mus txog lub moos Xixaleya lawm lawv txawm cev tsab ntawv rau tus tswv xeev thiab muab Povlauj cob rau nws. 34Thaum tus tswv xeev nyeem tsab ntawv lawm nws txawm nug tias Povlauj tuaj lub xeev twg tuaj. Thaum nws paub tias Povlauj tuaj lub xeev Khilikia tuaj, 35nws txawm hais tias, “Cia yeej kom tuaj txog, kuv li mloog koj peev lus.” Nws txawm hais kom zov Povlauj zoo rau hauv lub tsev Plitholia.