1 And Paul, fixing his eyes on the council, said, Brethren, I have walked in all good conscience with God unto this day. 2 But the high priest Ananias ordered those standing by him to smite his mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, God will smite thee, whited wall. And thou, dost thou sit judging me according to the law, and breaking the law commandest me to be smitten? 4 And those that stood by said, Dost thou rail against the high priest of God? 5 And Paul said, I was not conscious, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evilly of the ruler of thy people.

6 But Paul, knowing that the one part of them were of the Sadducees and the other of the Pharisees, cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, son of Pharisees: I am judged concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead. 7 And when he had spoken this, there was a tumult of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided. 8 For Sadducees say there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but Pharisees confess both of them. 9 And there was a great clamour, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part rising up contended, saying, We find nothing evil in this man; and if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel... 10 And a great tumult having arisen, the chiliarch, fearing lest Paul should have been torn in pieces by them, commanded the troop to come down and take him by force from the midst of them, and to bring him into the fortress. 11 But the following night the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good courage; for as thou hast testified the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so thou must bear witness at Rome also.

12 And when it was day, the Jews, having banded together, put themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they should kill Paul. 13 And they were more than forty who had joined together in this oath; 14 and they went to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have cursed ourselves with a curse to taste nothing until we kill Paul. 15 Now therefore do ye with the council make a representation to the chiliarch so that he may bring him down to you, as about to determine more precisely what concerns him, and we, before he draws near, are ready to kill him. 16 But Paul’s sister’s son, having heard of the lying in wait, came and entered into the fortress and reported it to Paul. 17 And Paul, having called one of the centurions, said, Take this youth to the chiliarch, for he has something to report to him. 18 He therefore, having taken him with him, led him to the chiliarch, and says, The prisoner Paul called me to him and asked me to lead this youth to thee, who has something to say to thee. 19 And the chiliarch having taken him by the hand, and having gone apart in private, inquired, What is it that thou hast to report to me? 20 And he said, The Jews have agreed together to make a request to thee, that thou mayest bring Paul down to-morrow into the council, as about to inquire something more precise concerning him. 21 Do not thou then be persuaded by them, for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who have put themselves under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they kill him; and now they are ready waiting the promise from thee. 22 The chiliarch then dismissed the youth, commanding him, Utter to no one that thou hast represented these things to me. 23 And having called to him certain two of the centurions, he said, Prepare two hundred soldiers that they may go as far as Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred light-armed footmen, for the third hour of the night. 24 And he ordered them to provide beasts, that they might set Paul on them and carry him safe through to Felix the governor, 25 having written a letter, couched in this form: 26 Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix, greeting. 27 This man, having been taken by the Jews, and being about to be killed by them, I came up with the military and took out of their hands, having learned that he was a Roman. 28 And desiring to know the charge on which they accused him, I brought him down to their council; 29 whom I found to be accused of questions of their law, but to have no charge laid against him making him worthy of death or of bonds. 30 But having received information of a plot about to be put in execution against the man by the Jews, I have immediately sent him to thee, commanding also his accusers to say before thee the things that are against him. Farewell.31 The soldiers therefore, according to what was ordered them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris, 32 and on the morrow, having left the horsemen to go with him, returned to the fortress. 33 And these, having entered into Caesarea, and given up the letter to the governor, presented Paul also to him. 34 And having read it, and asked of what eparchy he was, and learned that he was of Cilicia, 35 he said, I will hear thee fully when thine accusers also are arrived. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s praetorium.

1 Paulus vaatas aga otse Suurkohtu poole ja ütles: „Mu vennad, mina olen oma kohust Jumala ees täitnud tänini ausa südametunnistusega." 2 Selle peale ülempreester Ananias käskis Pauluse lähedalseisjaid lüüa talle vastu suud. 3 Siis Paulus ütles talle: „Küll Jumal lööb ka sind, sa lubjatud sein! Sina istud siin, et minu üle kohut mõista Seaduse järgi, ise aga rikud Seadust sellega, et käsid mind lüüa!"

4 Lähedalseisjad aga küsisid: „Kuidas sa julged solvata Jumala ülempreestrit?"

5 Paulus vastas: „Vennad, ma ei saanud aru, et ta on ülempreester; sest on ju kirjutatud: „Ärge rääkige oma rahva valitsejatest halvasti." "

6 Kuna Paulus teadis, et osa neist olid saduserid ja teine osa variserid, siis ta kuulutas Suurkohtus: „Mu vennad, mina olen variser, olen variseri poeg. Ma seisan kohtu ees surnuist ülestõusmise lootuse pärast." 7 Niipea kui ta seda oli öelnud, tõusis variseride ja saduseride vahel tüli ja kogu jagunes kaheks. 8 (Saduserid usuvad, et ülestõusmist ei ole ja pole ka ingleid ega vaime, kuid variserid usuvad seda kõike.)

9 Siis tõusis suur lärm, ja mõned kirjatundjad variseride hulgast tõusid püsti ja vaidlesid jõuliselt. „Meie ei leia midagi valet selles mehes," ütlesid nad. „Mis siis, kui vaim või ingel ongi temaga rääkinud?" 10 Aga vaidlus muutus vägivaldseks ja ülempealik kartis, et nad võivad Pauluse tükkideks rebida. Ta saatis väeüksuse välja, et Paulus nende käest jõuga ära võtta ja kindlusse viia.

11 Järgmisel ööl seisis Issand Pauluse juures ning ütles: „Ole julge! Nagu sa minust oled tunnistanud Jeruusalemmas, nõnda pead sa tunnistama ka Roomas!"

12 Järgmisel hommikul pidasid juudid salaplaani ja vandusid vastastikku, et nad ei söö ega joo, enne kui nad Pauluse on tapnud. 13 Selle kokkuleppega oli seotud rohkem kui nelikümmend meest. 14 Nad läksid ülempreestrite ja vanemate juurde ja ütlesid: „Me oleme vandunud, et me ei söö ega joo, enne kui me Pauluse oleme tapnud. 15 Teie pöörduge nüüd Suurkohtuga väeülema poole palvega tuua ta enda ette põhjusel, et tema juhtumit täpsemalt uurida. Meie aga oleme valmis teda tapma, enne kui ta siia jõuab."

16 Pauluse õepoeg sai sellest vandenõust kuulda, ta läks kindlusse ning teatas Paulusele.

17 Paulus kutsus ühe sadakonna ülema enese juurde ja ütles talle: „Vii see noormees ülempealiku juurde. Tal on midagi temale teatada!" 18 See viis ta ülema juurde.

Sadakonna ülem ütles: „Vang Paulus kutsus mind enese juurde ja palus tuua selle noore mehe sinu ette, sest tal on midagi sulle rääkida."

19 Ülempealik võttis noormehel käest kinni, viis ta kõrvale ja küsis: „Mis sa tahad mulle öelda?"

20 Tema ütles: „Juudid on leppinud kokku teid paluda, et te homme tooksite Pauluse Suurkohtu ette põhjusel, nagu sooviksite tema kohta saada täpsemat teavet. 21 Ärge teie andke neile järele, sest rohkem kui nelikümmend meest varitsevad, et teda rünnata. Nad on andnud vande, et ei söö ega joo, enne kui on ta tapnud. Nad on juba valmis, oodates vaid teie nõusolekut."

22 Ülempealik saatis noormehe ära, hoiatades teda: „Ära räägi kellelegi, et sa sellest mulle teada andsid."

23 Siis ta kutsus enese juurde kaks sadakonna ülemat ning käskis: „Pange valmis kakssada sõdurit, seitsekümmend ratsanikku ja kakssada odameest Kaisareasse minekuks täna öösel kolmandal tunnil*23:23 Kolmas tund on kell üheksa.. 24 Ja varuge Pauluse jaoks hobused, et ta ohutult maavanem Feeliksi ette viia."

25 Ta kirjutas ka järgmise kirja:

26 Klaudius Lüüsias,

Kõrgesti austatud maavanem Feeliksile:

Tervitused.

27 Selle mehe olid juudid kinni võtnud ja tahtsid teda tappa, aga ma tulin oma vägedega ja päästsin ta, sest olin teada saanud, et ta on Rooma kodanik. 28 Tahtes aru saada, milles nad teda süüdistavad, viisin ma ta Suurkohtu ette. 29 Siis ma leidsin, et teda süüdistatakse nende Seaduse vaidlusküsimustes, kuid ei olnud sellist süüd, mis väärinuks surma või vangistust. 30 Et ma aga kuulsin vandenõust selle mehe vastu, siis ma saadan ta otsekohe sinu juurde. Samuti käsin süüdistajatel sinule esitada tema vastu tõendid.

31 Seda käsku täites võtsid sõdurid Pauluse ja viisid ta öösel Antipatriseni. 32 Järgmisel päeval pöördusid nad tagasi kindlusse, ratsanikud läksid aga temaga edasi. 33 Need tulid Kaisareasse, toimetasid kirja maavanema kätte ja andsid ka Pauluse temale üle.

34 Maavanem luges kirja läbi ja päris, mis maakonnast ta on. Kuuldes, et ta on Kiliikiast, 35 ütles ta: „Ma kuulan su ära, kui su süüdistajad siia jõuavad." Ja ta käskis Paulust valvata Heroodese kindluses.