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.
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1Paulus tsa qhovmuag saib cov Yudais tej nomtswv thiab hais rau lawv hais tias, “Cov kwvtij, kuv lub siab yeej paub hais tias kuv ua kuv lub neej zoo tabmeeg Vajtswv los txog niaj hnub no.” 2Thaum tus Povthawj Hlob Ananias hnov Paulus hais li ntawd, nws kom cov neeg uas sawv ze ntawm Paulus ntaus Paulus qhovncauj. 3Paulus hais rau Ananias hais tias, “Tus niag neeg ntsejmuag ncaj siab nkhaus, Vajtswv yuav ntaus koj. Ua li cas koj tseem yuav muaj plhus tuaj nyob ntawm ko txiav txim rau kuv raws li Mauxes txoj Kevcai? Qhov uas koj kom lawv ntaus kuv, koj twb ua txhaum Mauxes txoj Kevcai lawm los sav!” 4Cov neeg uas sawv ze Paulus hais rau Paulus hais tias, “Koj tseem yuav saib tsis taus tus Povthawj Hlob uas ua Vajtswv tes haujlwm thiab los?” 5Paulus teb lawv hais tias, “Cov kwvtij, kuv tsis paub hais tias nws yog tus Povthawj Hlob, yog kuv paub ces kuv yuav tsis hais li ntawd, rau qhov Vajtswv Txojlus sau tseg hais tias, ‘Nej tsis txhob thuam tus uas saib nej.’ ” 6Thaum Paulus pom hais tias cov neeg uas tuaj sablaj ntawd muaj ibtxhia yog cov Xadukais thiab ibtxhia yog cov Falixais, ces Paulus txawm hais nrov nrov rau sawvdaws hais tias, “Cov kwvtij, kuv yog ib tug Falixais, kuv txiv yog ib tug Falixais thiab. Qhov uas lawv coj kuv tuaj rau nej taug kuv zaj, twb yog vim kuv cia siab hais tias cov neeg uas tuag lawm yuav muaj sia sawv hauv qhov tuag rov qab los.” 7Thaum Paulus hais li ntawd tas, cov Falixais thiab cov Xadukais txawm sib cav heev thiab lawv tsis sib haum lawm. ( 8Rau qhov cov Xadukais tsis ntseeg hais tias neeg yuav sawv tau hauv qhov tuag rov qab los thiab tsis ntseeg hais tias muaj cov timtswv ceebtsheej lossis muaj ntsujplig, tiamsis cov Falixais ntseeg hais tias muaj peb yam ntawd huv tibsi.) 9Sawvdaws yimhuab sib cav heev dua; cov xibhwb uas qhia Vajtswv txoj Kevcai uas yog cov Falixais pab muaj qee leej txawm sawv tsees thiab cem hais tias, “Peb tsis pom tus txivneej no ua ib qhov txhaum li! Tej zaum yog ntsujplig lossis timtswv ceebtsheej los hais rau nws tiag.” 10Thaum tus thawj tubrog pawg txhiab pom sawvdaws sib cav heev, nws ntshai nyob tsam lawv muab Paulus chua ntuag ua ob peb ceg, nws thiaj kom nws cov tubrog coj Paulus tawm hauv cov neeg ntawd mus rau hauv lub yeej. 11Hmo ntawd tus Tswv los sawv ntawm Paulus ib sab thiab hais rau Paulus hais tias, “Koj tsis txhob ntshai! Koj twb ua timkhawv qhia kuv zaj hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees lawm, koj yuav tsum ua ib yam li ntawd tim lub nroog Loos thiab.”
Cov Yudais Tuavhauv Yuav Tua Paulus
12Thaum kaj ntug cov Yudais txawm tuaj ua ke sablaj. Lawv coglus hais tias lawv yuav tsis noj tsis haus ib yam dabtsi mus txog thaum lawv tua tau Paulus tso. 13Cov neeg uas tuavhauv ntawd muaj plaub caug tawm leej. 14Ces lawv txawm mus cuag cov thawj ntawm cov povthawj thiab cov txwjlaug, thiab lawv hais tias, “Peb twb coglus lawm hais tias peb yuav tsis noj tsis haus ib yam dabtsi mus txog thaum uas peb tua tau Paulus tso. 15Yog li ntawd, nej thiab cov Yudais tej nomtswv cia li txib neeg mus hais rau cov neeg Loos tus thawj tubrog pawg txhiab kom coj Paulus tuaj cuag peb. Nej ua txuj hais rau nws hais tias nej xav taug Paulus zaj kom paub tseeb dua thawj zaug. Yog nej ua li ntawd peb yuav mus tos kev tua Paulus povtseg thaum nws tseem tuaj tsis tau txog ntawm no.” 16Tiamsis Paulus tus muam tus tub hnov lawv tuavhauv yuav muab Paulus tua povtseg, nws txawm mus rau hauv cov tubrog lub yeej thiab qhia qhov uas nws hnov ntawd rau Paulus paub. 17Paulus txawm hu ib tug thawj tubrog pawg pua los cuag nws thiab hais tias, “Thov koj coj tus tub hluas no mus cuag tus thawj tubrog pawg txhiab, nws muaj lus yuav hais rau tus thawj tubrog ntawd mloog.” 18Tus thawj tubrog pawg pua txawm coj tus tub hluas ntawd mus cuag tus thawj tubrog pawg txhiab thiab hais tias, “Tus Paulus uas raug txim ntawd thov kuv coj tus tub hluas no tuaj cuag koj; tus tub hluas no muaj lus yuav hais rau koj mloog.” 19Tus thawj tubrog pawg txhiab tuav tus tub hluas ntawd tes coj mus rau ib qho thiab nug hais tias, “Koj muaj lus dabtsi yuav hais rau kuv?” 20Tus tub hluas ntawd teb hais tias, “Cov Yudais tej nomtswv twb sablaj haum lawm hais tias tagkis lawv yuav tuaj thov koj coj Paulus mus cuag cov Yudais tej nomtswv; lawv yuav ua txuj hais tias, ‘Cov Yudais tej nomtswv xav taug Paulus zaj kom paub tseeb dua thawj zaug.’ 21Tiamsis koj tsis txhob mloog lawv hais, rau qhov twb muaj plaub caug tawm leej tabtom tos kev yuav tua Paulus. Cov neeg ntawd twb coglus tseg lawm hais tias, lawv yuav tsis noj tsis haus ib yam dabtsi mus txog thaum uas lawv tua tau Paulus tso. Lawv twb npaj txhij lawm, tiamsis lawv tseem tos saib koj yuav hais li cas xwb.” 22Tus thawj tubrog pawg txhiab txawm hais rau tus tub hluas ntawd hais tias, “Koj cia li rov qab mus tsev, thiab koj tsis txhob qhia qhov uas koj tuaj hais rau kuv no rau leejtwg li.”
Xa Paulus Mus Cuag Felis
23Tus thawj tubrog pawg txhiab hu nws ob tug thawj tubrog pawg pua los cuag nws thiab hais tias, “Neb cia li mus txhij ob puas leej tubrog, txhij cov tubrog caij neeg xya caum leej thiab cov tubrog nkaug hmuv ob puas leej; thaum cuaj teev tsaus ntuj, nej mus rau pem lub nroog Xixaleyas. 24Nej nrhiav nees rau Paulus caij, nej yuav tsum saib nws zoo zoo thiab xa nws mus kom txog Felis uas yog tus tswvxeev.” 25Tus thawj tubrog pawg txhiab sau ib tsab ntawv xa mus rau Felis. Tsab ntawv ntawd nws sau hais li no: 26“Hawm txog tus tswvxeev Felis, kuv yog Kelaudi-us Lixias. Kuv sau tsab ntawv no tuaj qhia rau koj paub hais tias 27cov Yudais tau ntes tus txivneej no; lawv twb yuav muab nws tua povtseg. Kuv hnov hais tias nws yog neeg Loos, kuv thiaj coj kuv cov tubrog mus pab nws. 28Kuv xav paub tseeb hais tias tej lus uas cov Yudais nkaug nws yog li cas tiag, kuv thiaj coj nws mus cuag cov Yudais tej nomtswv. 29Thaum peb taug nws zaj, kuv pom hais tias tej lus uas lawv nkaug nws, lawv hais txog qhov uas nws ua txhaum cov Yudais txoj kevcai xwb. Kuv tsis pom nws ua ib qho txhaum uas yuav tsimnyog muab nws tua povtseg lossis muab nws kaw rau hauv tsev lojcuj. 30Thaum kuv hnov hais tias cov Yudais tuavhauv yuav tos kev muab nws tua povtseg, kuv thiaj xa nws tuaj cuag koj. Kuv hais rau cov neeg uas nkaug nws hais tias kom lawv cia li tuaj hais tim ntsej tim muag ntawm koj.” 31Cov tubrog ntawd mus ua raws li tus thawj tubrog pawg txhiab hais. Hmo ntawd lawv coj Paulus mus txog pem lub nroog Atipatis. 32Hnub tom qab cov tubrog uas mus kotaw txawm rov qab mus rau nram lawv lub yeej lawm, tsuas tseg cov tubrog uas caij neeg xa Paulus mus rau pem lub nroog Xixaleyas xwb. 33Thaum lawv mus txog hauv lub nroog Xixaleyas lawm, lawv muab tsab ntawv uas Kelaudi-us Lixias sau rau tus tswvxeev thiab muab Paulus cob rau nws. 34Thaum tus tswvxeev nyeem tsab ntawv ntawd tas, nws nug Paulus hais tias, “Koj nyob lub tebchaws twg tuaj?” Thaum tus tswvxeev paub hais tias Paulus tuaj pem tebchaws Kilikias tuaj, 35tus tswvxeev hais rau Paulus hais tias, “Tos cov neeg uas nkaug koj tuaj txog tso kuv mam li mloog koj peev koj tej lus.” Tus tswvxeev kom cov tubrog zov Paulus zoo zoo hauv Vajntxwv Helauj lub loog.