1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day."2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.3 Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!"4 Those who were standing near Paul said, "How dare you insult God's high priest!"5 Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.' ""6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead."7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.13 More than forty men were involved in this plot.14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here."16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him."18 So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, "Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?"20 He said: "Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.21 Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request."22 The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: "Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me."23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, "Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen "to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.24 Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix."25 He wrote a letter as follows:26 Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris.32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,35 he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.

1 فتفرس بولس في المجمع وقال ايها الرجال الاخوة اني بكل ضمير صالح قد عشت للّه الى هذا اليوم‎.2 ‎فامر حنانيا رئيس الكهنة الواقفين عنده ان يضربوه على فمه‎.3 ‎حينئذ قال له بولس سيضربك الله ايها الحائط المبيّض. أفانت جالس تحكم علي حسب الناموس وانت تأمر بضربي مخالفا للناموس‎.4 ‎فقال الواقفون أتشتم رئيس كهنة الله‎.5 ‎فقال بولس لم اكن اعرف ايها الاخوة انه رئيس كهنة لانه مكتوب رئيس شعبك لا تقل فيه سوءا6 ولما علم بولس ان قسما منهم صدوقيون والآخر فريسيون صرخ في المجمع ايها الرجال الاخوة انا فريسي ابن فريسي. على رجاء قيامة الاموات انا أحاكم‎.7 ‎ولما قال هذا حدثت منازعة بين الفريسيين والصدوقيين وانشقت الجماعة‎.8 ‎لان الصدوقيين يقولون انه ليس قيامة ولا ملاك ولا روح. واما الفريسيون فيقرون بكل ذلك‎.9 ‎فحدث صياح عظيم ونهض كتبة قسم الفريسيين وطفقوا يخاصمون قائلين لسنا نجد شيئا رديّا في هذا الانسان. وان كان روح او ملاك قد كلمه فلا نحاربنّ الله10 ولما حدثت منازعة كثيرة اختشى الامير ان يفسخوا بولس فامر العسكر ان ينزلوا ويختطفوه من وسطهم ويأتوا به الى المعسكر‎.11 ‎وفي الليلة التالية وقف به الرب وقال ثق يا بولس لانك كما شهدت بما لي في اورشليم هكذا ينبغي ان تشهد في رومية ايضا12 ولما صار النهار صنع بعض اليهود اتفاقا وحرموا انفسهم قائلين انهم لا يأكلون ولا يشربون حتى يقتلوا بولس‎.13 ‎وكان الذين صنعوا هذا التحالف اكثر من اربعين‎.14 ‎فتقدموا الى رؤساء الكهنة والشيوخ وقالوا قد حرمنا انفسنا حرما ان لا نذوق شيئا حتى نقتل بولس‎.15 ‎والآن أعلموا الامير انتم مع المجمع لكي ينزله اليكم غدا كانكم مزمعون ان تفحصوا باكثر تدقيق عما له. ونحن قبل ان يقترب مستعدون لقتله‎.16 ‎ولكن ابن اخت بولس سمع بالكمين فجاء ودخل المعسكر واخبر بولس‎.17 ‎فاستدعى بولس واحدا من قواد المئات وقال اذهب بهذا الشاب الى الامير لان عنده شيئا يخبره به‎.18 ‎فاخذه واحضره الى الامير وقال استدعاني الاسير بولس وطلب ان احضر هذا الشاب اليك وهو عنده شيء ليقوله لك‎.19 ‎فاخذ الامير بيده وتنحى به منفردا واستخبره ما هو الذي عندك لتخبرني به‎.20 ‎فقال ان اليهود تعاهدوا ان يطلبوا منك ان تنزل بولس غدا الى المجمع كانهم مزمعون ان يستخبروا عنه باكثر تدقيق‎.21 ‎فلا تنقد اليهم لان اكثر من اربعين رجلا منهم كامنون له قد حرموا انفسهم ان لا يأكلوا ولا يشربوا حتى يقتلوه. وهم الآن مستعدون منتظرون الوعد منك22 فاطلق الامير الشاب موصيا اياه ان لا تقل لاحد انك اعلمتني بهذا.23 ثم دعا اثنين من قواد المئات وقال اعدا مئتي عسكري ليذهبوا الى قيصرية وسبعين فارسا ومئتي رامح من الساعة الثالثة من الليل‎.24 ‎وان يقدما دواب ليركبا بولس ويوصلاه سالما الى فيلكس الوالي‎.25 ‎وكتب رسالة حاوية هذه الصورة26 كلوديوس ليسياس يهدي سلاما الى العزيز فيلكس الوالي‎.27 ‎هذا الرجل لما امسكه اليهود وكانوا مزمعين ان يقتلوه اقبلت مع العسكر وانقذته اذ أخبرت انه روماني‎.28 ‎وكنت اريد ان اعلم العلّة التي لاجلها كانوا يشتكون عليه فانزلته الى مجمعهم‎.29 ‎فوجدته مشكوا عليه من جهة مسائل ناموسهم. ولكن شكوى تستحق الموت او القيود لم تكن عليه‎.30 ‎ثم لما أعلمت بمكيدة عتيدة ان تصير على الرجل من اليهود ارسلته للوقت اليك آمرا المشتكين ايضا ان يقولوا لديك ما عليه. كن معافى31 فالعسكر اخذوا بولس كما أمروا وذهبوا به ليلا الى انتيباتريس.32 وفي الغد تركوا الفرسان يذهبون معه ورجعوا الى المعسكر‎.33 ‎وأولئك لما دخلوا قيصرية ودفعوا الرسالة الى الوالي احضروا بولس ايضا اليه‎.34 ‎فلما قرأ الوالي الرسالة وسأل من اية ولاية هو ووجد انه من كيليكية35 قال ساسمعك متى حضر المشتكون عليك ايضا. وامر ان يحرس في قصر هيرودس