1 Fitando Paulo os olhos no Sinédrio, disse: Varões, irmãos, tenho andado diante de Deus com toda a boa consciência até ao dia de hoje. 2 Mas o sumo sacerdote, Ananias, mandou aos que estavam perto dele que lhe batessem na boca. 3 Então, lhe disse Paulo: Deus há de ferir-te, parede branqueada! Tu estás aí sentado para julgar-me segundo a lei e, contra a lei, mandas agredir-me? 4 Os que estavam a seu lado disseram: Estás injuriando o sumo sacerdote de Deus? 5 Respondeu Paulo: Não sabia, irmãos, que ele é sumo sacerdote; porque está escrito:

Não falarás mal de uma autoridade do teu povo.

6 Sabendo Paulo que uma parte do Sinédrio se compunha de saduceus e outra, de fariseus, exclamou: Varões, irmãos, eu sou fariseu, filho de fariseus! No tocante à esperança e à ressurreição dos mortos sou julgado! 7 Ditas estas palavras, levantou-se grande dissensão entre fariseus e saduceus, e a multidão se dividiu. 8 Pois os saduceus declaram não haver ressurreição, nem anjo, nem espírito; ao passo que os fariseus admitem todas essas coisas. 9 Houve, pois, grande vozearia. E, levantando-se alguns escribas da parte dos fariseus, contendiam, dizendo: Não achamos neste homem mal algum; e será que algum espírito ou anjo lhe tenha falado? 10 Tomando vulto a celeuma, temendo o comandante que fosse Paulo espedaçado por eles, mandou descer a guarda para que o retirassem dali e o levassem para a fortaleza.

11 Na noite seguinte, o Senhor, pondo-se ao lado dele, disse: Coragem! Pois do modo por que deste testemunho a meu respeito em Jerusalém, assim importa que também o faças em Roma.

12 Quando amanheceu, os judeus se reuniram e, sob anátema, juraram que não haviam de comer, nem beber, enquanto não matassem Paulo. 13 Eram mais de quarenta os que entraram nesta conspirata. 14 Estes, indo ter com os principais sacerdotes e os anciãos, disseram: Juramos, sob pena de anátema, não comer coisa alguma, enquanto não matarmos Paulo. 15 Agora, pois, notificai ao comandante, juntamente com o Sinédrio, que vo-lo apresente como se estivésseis para investigar mais acuradamente a sua causa; e nós, antes que ele chegue, estaremos prontos para assassiná-lo.

16 Mas o filho da irmã de Paulo, tendo ouvido a trama, foi, entrou na fortaleza e de tudo avisou a Paulo. 17 Então, este, chamando um dos centuriões, disse: Leva este rapaz ao comandante, porque tem alguma coisa a comunicar-lhe. 18 Tomando-o, pois, levou-o ao comandante, dizendo: O preso Paulo, chamando-me, pediu-me que trouxesse à tua presença este rapaz, pois tem algo que dizer-te. 19 Tomou-o pela mão o comandante e, pondo-se à parte, perguntou-lhe: Que tens a comunicar-me? 20 Respondeu ele: Os judeus decidiram rogar-te que, amanhã, apresentes Paulo ao Sinédrio, como se houvesse de inquirir mais acuradamente a seu respeito. 21 Tu, pois, não te deixes persuadir, porque mais de quarenta entre eles estão pactuados entre si, sob anátema, de não comer, nem beber, enquanto não o matarem; e, agora, estão prontos, esperando a tua promessa. 22 Então, o comandante despediu o rapaz, recomendando-lhe que a ninguém dissesse ter-lhe trazido estas informações. 23 Chamando dois centuriões, ordenou: Tende de prontidão, desde a hora terceira da noite, duzentos soldados, setenta de cavalaria e duzentos lanceiros para irem até Cesareia; 24 preparai também animais para fazer Paulo montar e ir com segurança ao governador Félix. 25 E o comandante escreveu uma carta nestes termos:

26 Cláudio Lísias ao excelentíssimo governador Félix, saúde. 27 Este homem foi preso pelos judeus e estava prestes a ser morto por eles, quando eu, sobrevindo com a guarda, o livrei, por saber que ele era romano. 28 Querendo certificar-me do motivo por que o acusavam, fi-lo descer ao Sinédrio deles; 29 verifiquei ser ele acusado de coisas referentes à lei que os rege, nada, porém, que justificasse morte ou mesmo prisão. 30 Sendo eu informado de que ia haver uma cilada contra o homem, tratei de enviá-lo a ti, sem demora, intimando também os acusadores a irem dizer, na tua presença, o que há contra ele. [Saúde.]

31 Os soldados, pois, conforme lhes foi ordenado, tomaram Paulo e, durante a noite, o conduziram até Antipátride; 32 no dia seguinte, voltaram para a fortaleza, tendo deixado aos de cavalaria o irem com ele; 33 os quais, chegando a Cesareia, entregaram a carta ao governador e também lhe apresentaram Paulo. 34 Lida a carta, perguntou o governador de que província ele era; e, quando soube que era da Cilícia, 35 disse: Ouvir-te-ei quando chegarem os teus acusadores. E mandou que ele fosse detido no pretório de Herodes.

1 Paul looked straight at the Council and said, "Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty before God up to this very day."2 Then the high priest Ananias ordered the men standing near him to strike him on the mouth.3 At this Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there and judge me according to the law and yet in violation of the law order me to be struck?"4 The men standing near him asked, "Do you mean to insult God's high priest?"5 Paul answered, "I didn't realize, brothers, that he is the high priest. After all, it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’"6 When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead."7 After he said that, an angry quarrel broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and that there is no such thing as an angel or spirit, but the Pharisees believe in all those things.9 There was a great deal of shouting until some of the scribes who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and argued forcefully, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"10 The quarrel was becoming violent, and the tribune was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces. So he ordered the soldiers to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.11 That night the Lord stood near him and said,"Have courage! For just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, you must testify in Rome, too."12 In the morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and took an oath not to eat or drink anything before they had killed Paul.13 More than forty men formed this conspiracy.14 They went to the high priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to taste any food before we have killed Paul.15 Now then, you and the Council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you on the pretext that you want to look into his case more carefully, but before he arrives we'll be ready to kill him."16 But the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, so he came and got into the barracks and told Paul.17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the tribune, because he has something to tell him."18 So he took him, brought him to the tribune, and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you."19 The tribune took him by the hand, stepped aside to be alone with him, and asked, "What have you got to tell me?"20 He answered, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Council tomorrow as though they were going to examine his case more carefully.21 Don't believe them, because more than forty of them are planning to ambush him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink before they have killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent."22 The tribune dismissed the young man and ordered him not to tell anyone that he had notified him.23 Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, "Get 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o'clock tonight, along with seventy mounted soldiers and 200 soldiers with spears.24 Provide an animal for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Governor Felix."25 He wrote a letter with this message:26 "From Claudius Lysias to Your Excellency, Governor Felix. Greetings.27 This man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I went with the guard and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.28 I wanted to know the exact charge they were making against him, so I had him brought before their Council.29 I found that, although he was charged with questions about their law, there was no charge against him deserving death or imprisonment.30 Since a plot against the man has been reported to me, I am at once sending him to you and have also ordered his accusers to present their charges against him before you."31 So the soldiers, in keeping with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.32 The next day they let the horsemen ride on with him while they returned to their barracks.33 When these came to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.34 After reading the letter, he asked which province he was from. On learning that he was from Cilicia,35 he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers arrive." Then he ordered him to be kept in custody in Herod's palace.