Acts

1保罗定睛看着公会的人，说：「弟兄们，我在 神面前行事为人都是凭着良心，直到今日。」

2大祭司亚拿尼亚就吩咐旁边站着的人打他的嘴。

3保罗对他说：「你这粉饰的墙， 神要打你！你坐堂为的是按律法审问我，你竟违背律法，吩咐人打我吗？」

4站在旁边的人说：「你辱骂 神的大祭司吗？」

5保罗说：「弟兄们，我不晓得他是大祭司；经上记着说：『不可毁谤你百姓的官长。』」

6保罗看出大众一半是撒都该人，一半是法利赛人，就在公会中大声说：「弟兄们，我是法利赛人，也是法利赛人的子孙。我现在受审问，是为盼望死人复活。」

7说了这话，法利赛人和撒都该人就争论起来，会众分为两党。

8因为撒都该人说，没有复活，也没有天使和鬼魂；法利赛人却说，两样都有。

9于是大大地喧嚷起来。有几个法利赛党的文士站起来争辩说：「我们看不出这人有什么恶处，倘若有鬼魂或是天使对他说过话，怎么样呢？」

10那时大起争吵，千夫长恐怕保罗被他们扯碎了，就吩咐兵丁下去，把他从众人当中抢出来，带进营楼去。

11当夜，主站在保罗旁边，说：「放心吧！你怎样在耶路撒冷为我作见证，也必怎样在罗马为我作见证。」

杀害保罗的阴谋

12到了天亮，犹太人同谋起誓，说：「若不先杀保罗就不吃不喝。」

13这样同心起誓的有四十多人。

14他们来见祭司长和长老，说：「我们已经起了一个大誓，若不先杀保罗就不吃什么。

15现在你们和公会要知会千夫长，叫他带下保罗到你们这里来，假作要详细察考他的事；我们已经预备好了，不等他来到跟前就杀他。」

16保罗的外甥听见他们设下埋伏，就来到营楼里告诉保罗。

17保罗请一个百夫长来，说：「你领这少年人去见千夫长，他有事告诉他。」

18于是把他领去见千夫长，说：「被囚的保罗请我到他那里，求我领这少年人来见你；他有事告诉你。」

19千夫长就拉着他的手，走到一旁，私下问他说：「你有什么事告诉我呢？」

20他说：「犹太人已经约定，要求你明天带下保罗到公会里去，假作要详细查问他的事。

21你切不要随从他们；因为他们有四十多人埋伏，已经起誓说，若不先杀保罗就不吃不喝。现在预备好了，只等你应允。」

22于是千夫长打发少年人走，嘱咐他说：「不要告诉人你将这事报给我了。」

保罗被解交腓力斯巡抚

23千夫长便叫了两个百夫长来，说：「预备步兵二百，马兵七十，长枪手二百，今夜亥初往凯撒利亚去；

24也要预备牲口叫保罗骑上，护送到巡抚腓力斯那里去。」

25千夫长又写了文书，

26大略说：「克劳第·吕西亚，请巡抚腓力斯大人安。

27这人被犹太人拿住，将要杀害，我得知他是罗马人，就带兵丁下去救他出来。

28因要知道他们告他的缘故，我就带他下到他们的公会去，

29便查知他被告是因他们律法的辩论，并没有什么该死该绑的罪名。

30后来有人把要害他的计谋告诉我，我就立时解他到你那里去，又吩咐告他的人在你面前告他。」

31于是，兵丁照所吩咐他们的，将保罗夜里带到安提帕底。

32第二天，让马兵护送，他们就回营楼去。

33马兵来到凯撒利亚，把文书呈给巡抚，便叫保罗站在他面前。

34巡抚看了文书，问保罗是哪省的人，既晓得他是基利家人，

35就说：「等告你的人来到，我要细听你的事」；便吩咐人把他看守在希律的衙门里。

1And Paul having earnestly beheld the sanhedrim, said, 'Men, brethren, I in all good conscience have lived to God unto this day;'

2and the chief priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to smite him on the mouth,

3then Paul said unto him, 'God is about to smite thee, thou whitewashed wall, and thou — thou dost sit judging me according to the law, and, violating law, dost order me to be smitten!'

4And those who stood by said, 'The chief priest of God dost thou revile?'

5and Paul said, 'I did not know, brethren, that he is chief priest: for it hath been written, Of the ruler of thy people thou shalt not speak evil;'

6and Paul having known that the one part are Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out in the sanhedrim, 'Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee — son of a Pharisee — concerning hope and rising again of dead men I am judged.'

7And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,

8for Sadducees, indeed, say there is no rising again, nor messenger, nor spirit, but Pharisees confess both.

9And there came a great cry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part having arisen, were striving, saying, 'No evil do we find in this man; and if a spirit spake to him, or a messenger, we may not fight against God;'

10and a great dissension having come, the chief captain having been afraid lest Paul may be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiery, having gone down, to take him by force out of the midst of them, and to bring [him] to the castle.

11And on the following night, the Lord having stood by him, said, 'Take courage, Paul, for as thou didst fully testify the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so it behoveth thee also at Rome to testify.'

12And day having come, certain of the Jews having made a concourse, did anathematize themselves, saying neither to eat nor to drink till they may kill Paul;

13and they were more than forty who made this conspiracy by oath,

14who having come near to the chief priests and to the elders said, 'With an anathema we did anathematize ourselves — to taste nothing till we have killed Paul;

15now, therefore, ye, signify ye to the chief captain, with the sanhedrim, that to-morrow he may bring him down unto you, as being about to know more exactly the things concerning him; and we, before his coming nigh, are ready to put him to death.'

16And the son of Paul's sister having heard of the lying in wait, having gone and entered into the castle, told Paul,

17and Paul having called near one of the centurions, said, 'This young man lead unto the chief captain, for he hath something to tell him.'

18He indeed, then, having taken him, brought him unto the chief captain, and saith, 'The prisoner Paul, having called me near, asked [me] this young man to bring unto thee, having something to say to thee.'

19And the chief captain having taken him by the hand, and having withdrawn by themselves, inquired, 'What is that which thou hast to tell me?'

20and he said — 'The Jews agreed to request thee, that to-morrow to the sanhedrim thou mayest bring down Paul, as being about to enquire something more exactly concerning him;

21thou, therefore, mayest thou not yield to them, for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who did anathematize themselves — not to eat nor to drink till they kill him, and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from thee.'

22The chief captain, then, indeed, let the young man go, having charged [him] to tell no one, 'that these things thou didst shew unto me;'

23and having called near a certain two of the centurions, he said, 'Make ready soldiers two hundred, that they may go on unto Caesarea, and horsemen seventy, and spearmen two hundred, from the third hour of the night;

24beasts also provide, that, having set Paul on, they may bring him safe unto Felix the governor;'

25he having written a letter after this description:

26'Claudius Lysias, to the most noble governor Felix, hail:

27This man having been taken by the Jews, and being about to be killed by them — having come with the soldiery, I rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman;

28and, intending to know the cause for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their sanhedrim,

29whom I found accused concerning questions of their law, and having no accusation worthy of death or bonds;

30and a plot having been intimated to me against this man — about to be of the Jews — at once I sent unto thee, having given command also to the accusers to say the things against him before thee; be strong.'

31Then, indeed, the soldiers according to that directed them, having taken up Paul, brought him through the night to Antipatris,

32and on the morrow, having suffered the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the castle;

33those having entered into Caesarea, and delivered the letter to the governor, did present also Paul to him.

34And the governor having read [it], and inquired of what province he is, and understood that [he is] from Cilicia;

35'I will hear thee — said he — when thine accusers also may have come;' he also commanded him to be kept in the praetorium of Herod.