Paul before the Sanhedrin 1 UDB Paul looked at the Jewish council members and said: "My fellow Jews, all my life I have lived respecting our God, and I do not know of anything that I have done that I knew was wrong." BSB BSB: Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”
2 UDB When Ananias the high priest heard what Paul said, he told the men who were standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth. BSB BSB: At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
3 UDB Then Paul said to Ananias, "God will punish you for that, you hypocrite! You sit there and judge me, using the laws that God gave Moses. But you yourself disobey those laws, because you commanded me to be struck without having proved that I have done anything that is wrong!" BSB BSB: Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”
4 UDB The men who were standing near Paul said to him, "You should not speak badly to God's servant, our high priest!" BSB BSB: But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”
5 UDB Paul replied, "My fellow Jews, I am sorry that I said that. I did not know that the man who told one of you to hit me is the high priest. If I had known that, I would not have talked badly about our high priest, because I know that it is written in our Jewish law, 'Do not speak evil of any of your rulers!'" BSB BSB: “Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
6 UDB Paul knew that some of the council members were Sadducees and others were Pharisees. So he called out in the council hall, "My fellow Jews, I am a Pharisee, and all in my family were also Pharisees. I have been put on trial here because I am sure that one day God will cause those who have died to become alive again." BSB BSB: Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
7 UDB When he said that, the Pharisees and Sadducees started to argue with one another about whether or not people who have died will become alive again, and each of them was arguing with the other. BSB BSB: As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 UDB The Sadducees believe that after people die, they will not become alive again. They also believe that there are no angels and no other kinds of spirits. But the Pharisees believe all these things. BSB BSB: For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection nor angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
9 UDB They began shouting at one another as they argued. Some of the teachers of the laws who were Pharisees stood up. One of them said, "We think that this man has done nothing wrong. Maybe an angel or some other spirit spoke to him and what he says is true." BSB BSB: A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
10 UDB The argument became so great that the Pharisees and Sadducees began to fight with one another. Seeing this, the commander of the Roman soldiers was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces, so he told the men under his command to go down to the place where Paul was, and to take a number of soldiers who could be able to safely bring him from there and to take him to the place where the soldiers were staying. BSB BSB: The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 UDB That night, Paul saw the Lord Jesus come and stand near him. The Lord said to him, "Have courage! You have told people here in Jerusalem about me, and you must tell people in Rome about me too." BSB BSB: The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”
The Plot to Kill Paul (John 16:1–4)
12 UDB The next morning some of the Jews who hated Paul met and talked about how to kill him. They told themselves that they would not eat or drink anything until he was dead. They asked God to curse them if they did not do what they promised. BSB BSB: When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13 UDB There were more than forty men who wanted to kill Paul. BSB BSB: More than forty of them were involved in this plot.
14 UDB They went to the chief priests and Jewish elders and told them, "God has heard us promise that we will not eat or drink anything until we have killed Paul. BSB BSB: They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
15 UDB So we request that you go to the commander and ask him, on behalf of the whole Jewish council, to bring Paul down to us. Tell the commander that you want to talk to Paul some more. We will be waiting to kill Paul while he is on the way here." BSB BSB: Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.”
16 UDB But the son of Paul's sister heard what they were planning to do, so he went into the fortress and told Paul. BSB BSB: But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
17 UDB When Paul heard that, he called one of the officers and said to him, "Please take this young man to the commander because he needs to tell him something." BSB BSB: Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”
18 UDB So the officer took the young man to the commander. The officer said to the commander, "The prisoner Paul called me and said, 'Please take this young man to the commander because he needs to tell him something.'" BSB BSB: So the centurion took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
19 UDB The commander took the young man by the hand, led him off by himself, and asked him, "What do you need to tell me?" BSB BSB: The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?”
20 UDB He said, "There are some Jews who want to bring Paul before their council tomorrow. They will say that they want to ask him some more questions. But that is not true. BSB BSB: He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.
21 UDB Do not do what they ask you to do, because there are more than forty Jewish men who will be hiding and waiting to kill Paul when he passes by on the way to the council. They even promised to God that they will not eat or drink anything until they have killed Paul. They are ready to do it, and right now they are waiting for you to agree to do what they are asking you to do." BSB BSB: Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”
22 UDB The commander said to the young man, "Do not tell anyone that you have told me about their plan." Then he sent the young man away. BSB BSB: So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”
Paul Sent to Felix 23 UDB Then the commander called two of his officers and told them, "Get a group of two hundred soldiers ready to travel. Take along seventy soldiers riding horses, and two hundred other soldiers carrying spears. All of you must be ready to leave at nine o'clock tonight, to go down to the city of Caesarea. BSB BSB: Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.
24 UDB Also, take along horses for Paul to ride, and escort him to the palace of Governor Felix." BSB BSB: Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”
25 UDB Then the commander wrote a letter to send to the governor. This is what he wrote: BSB BSB: And he wrote the following letter:
26 UDB "I am Claudius Lysias writing to you. You, Felix, are our governor whom we honor, and I send you my greetings. BSB BSB: Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
27 UDB I have sent you this man Paul because certain Jews seized him and were about to kill him. But I heard someone tell me that he is a Roman citizen, so I and my soldiers went and rescued him. BSB BSB: This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen,
28 UDB I wanted to know what those Jews were saying that he had done wrong, so I took him to their Jewish council. BSB BSB: and since I wanted to understand their charges against him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.
29 UDB I listened while they asked this man questions and he answered them. The things they accused him about had to do with their Jewish laws. But Paul has not disobeyed any of our Roman laws. So our officials should not execute him or even put him in prison. BSB BSB: I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
30 UDB Someone told me that some Jews were planning to kill this man, so I sent him to you, so that you may give him a fair trial there. I have also commanded the Jews who have accused him to go there to Caesarea and tell you what they are accusing him about. Goodbye." BSB BSB: When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
31 UDB So the soldiers did what the commander told them. They got Paul and took him with them during the night down to Antipatris. BSB BSB: So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris.
32 UDB The next day, the foot soldiers returned to Jerusalem, and the soldiers who rode horses went on with Paul. BSB BSB: The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him.
34 UDB The governor read the letter and then he said to Paul, "What province are you from?" Paul answered, "I am from Cilicia." BSB BSB: The governor read the letter and asked what province Paul was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,
35 UDB Then the governor said, "When the people who have accused you arrive, I will listen to what each of you says and then I will judge your case." Then he commanded that Paul be guarded in the palace that King Herod the Great had built. BSB BSB: he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.