Acts 23-25

21st Century King James Version

23 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God to this day.”

² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

³ Then said Paul unto him, “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall! For sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?”

⁴ And those who stood by said, “Revilest thou God’s high priest?”

⁵ Then said Paul, “I knew not, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.’”

⁶ But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out to the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: for the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called into question!”

⁷ And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.

⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

⁹ And there arose a great cry, and the scribes who were on the Pharisees’ side arose and strove, saying, “We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.”

¹⁰ And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

¹¹ And that night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified for Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.”

¹² And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

¹³ And there were more than forty who entered into this conspiracy.

¹⁴ And they came to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

¹⁵ Now, therefore, ye, of the council, ask the chief captain that he bring him down unto you tomorrow, as though ye would inquire somewhat more thoroughly concerning him; and we, even before he comes near, are ready to kill him.”

¹⁶ But when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul.

¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him and said, “Bring this young man unto the chief captain, for he hath a certain thing to tell him.”

¹⁸ So he took him and brought him to the chief captain and said, “Paul, the prisoner, called me unto him and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, as he hath something to say unto thee.”

¹⁹ Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside with him privately, asked him, “What is it that thou hast to tell me?”

²⁰ And he said, “The Jews have agreed to request thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they wished to inquire of him somewhat more thoroughly.

²¹ But do not thou yield unto them, for there lie in wait for him more than forty of their men, who have bound themselves with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready, looking for consent from thee.”

²² So the chief captain then let the young man depart and charged him, “See thou tell no man that thou hast revealed these things to me.”

²³ And he called unto him two centurions, saying, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and threescore and ten horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night;

²⁴ and provide them with beasts that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.”

²⁵ And he wrote a letter in this manner:

²⁶ “Claudius Lysias, unto the most excellent governor Felix, sendeth greeting:

²⁷ This man was taken by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them. Then came I with an army and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

²⁸ And desiring to know the cause whereof they accused him, I brought him forth into their council.

²⁹ I perceived him to be accused about questions of their law, but there was nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

³⁰ And when it was told me how the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him straightway to thee, and gave a command to his accusers also to speak before thee what they have against him. Farewell.”

³¹ Then the soldiers took Paul, as it was commanded them, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

³² On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him and returned to the castle,

³³ who, when they had come to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

³⁴ And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province Paul was. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia,

³⁵ he said, “I will hear thee when thine accusers have also come.” And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.

24 And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders and with him a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

² And when Paul was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Seeing that by thee we enjoy much quietness, most noble Felix, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,

³ we accept it always and in all places with all thankfulness.

⁴ Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear from us in thy clemency a few words.

⁵ For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,

⁶ who also hath gone about profaning the temple. Him we took and would have judged according to our law.

⁷ But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

⁸ commanding his accusers to come unto thee, so that by examining him thyself, thou mayest have knowledge of all of these things whereof we accuse him.”

⁹ And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

¹⁰ Then Paul, after the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered: “Inasmuch as I know that thou hast been for many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself.

¹¹ For thou mayest understand that there have been yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

¹² And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither stirring up the people, neither in the synagogues nor in the city.

¹³ Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

¹⁴ But this I confess unto thee, that according to the Way, which they call heresy, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

¹⁵ And I have hope in God, which they themselves also hold, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

¹⁶ And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.

¹⁷ “Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings,

¹⁸ whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, with neither crowd nor tumult.

¹⁹ These ought to have been here before thee to object if they had aught against me;

²⁰ or else let these same say here if they have found any evildoing in me when I stood before the council,

²¹ unless it be for this one utterance that I cried out standing among them: ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am called into question by you this day.’”

²² And when Felix heard these things, having a more complete knowledge of that Way, he deferred the hearing and said, “When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.”

²³ And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, but to let him have some liberties, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintances to minister or come unto him.

²⁴ And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

²⁵ And as Paul reasoned about righteousness, temperance, and the Judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, “Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient occasion I will call for thee.”

²⁶ He hoped also that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him the oftener and communed with him.

²⁷ But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’s position; and Felix, wanting to show the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.

25 Now when Festus had come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

² Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him,

³ desiring a favor against him: that he would have Paul brought to Jerusalem, so that they might lie in wait on the way to kill him.

⁴ But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.

⁵ “Let those therefore,” he said, “who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.”

⁶ And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea. And the next day, sitting in the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.

⁷ And when he had come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,

⁸ while Paul answered for himself: “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I offended any thing at all.”

⁹ But Festus, desiring to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things before me?”

¹⁰ Then said Paul, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.

¹¹ For if I am an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I should not refuse to die; but if there is nothing to these things whereof they accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.”

¹² Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go!”

¹³ Some days later, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.

¹⁴ And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, “There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix,

¹⁵ about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.

¹⁶ To them I answered, ’It is not in the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he that is accused has the accusers face to face, and has license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.’

¹⁷ Therefore when they had come hither, without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought forth,

¹⁸ against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation of such things as I supposed,

¹⁹ but had certain questions against him concerning their own superstition and of one Jesus, who was dead and whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

²⁰ And because I was in doubt as to this manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged on these matters.

²¹ But when Paul appealed to be reserved for a hearing by Augustus, I commanded him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar.”

²² Then Agrippa said unto Festus, “I would also hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “thou shalt hear him.”

²³ And on the morrow, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought forth.

²⁴ And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all men who are here present with us, ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have applied to me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵ But when I found that he hath committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

²⁶ Of him I have nothing certain to write unto my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before thee, O King Agrippa, that after we have examined him I might have something to write.

²⁷ For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not also to specify the crimes laid against him.”