Acts 23

New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel

Acts 23

1Then Paul, looking intently at the council, said, “Men, brothers, I have lived with all good conscience toward God until this day.”ἀτενίσας δὲ ὁ Παῦλος τῷ συνεδρίῳ εἶπεν, Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ πάσῃ συνειδήσει ἀγαθῇ πεπολίτευμαι τῷ Θεῷ ἄχρι ταύτης τῆς ἡμέρας.

2But the high priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to strike him on the mouth.ὁ δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς Ἀνανίας ἐπέταξε τοῖς παρεστῶσιν αὐτῷ τύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ στόμα.

3Then Paul said to him, “God is about to strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit judging me according to the law, and contrary to the law do you command that I should be struck?”τότε ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπε, Τύπτειν σε μέλλει ὁ Θεός, τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε· καὶ σὺ κάθῃ κρίνων με κατὰ τὸν νόμον, καὶ παρανομῶν κελεύεις με τύπτεσθαι;

4But those standing by said, “Do you revile the high priest of God?”οἱ δὲ παρεστῶτες εἶπον, Τὸν ἀρχιερέα τοῦ Θεοῦ λοιδορεῖς;

5Then Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he is the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak wickedly of a ruler of your people.’ ”ἔφη τε ὁ Παῦλος, Οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀρχιερεύς· γέγραπται γάρ, Ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς.

6But when Paul perceived that one part was of the Sadducees and the other of the Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι τὸ ἓν μέρος ἐστὶ Σαδδουκαίων, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Φαρισαίων, ἔκραξεν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ, Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ Φαρισαῖός εἰμι, υἱὸς Φαρισαίου· περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν ἐγὼ κρίνομαι.

7And when he had spoken this, there came to be a dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοῦ λαλήσαντος, ἐγένετο στάσις τῶν Φαρισαίων, καὶ ἐσχίσθη τὸ πλῆθος.

8For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—nor angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.Σαδδουκαῖοι μὲν γὰρ λέγουσι μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν, μηδὲ ἄγγελον, μήτε πνεῦμα· Φαρισαῖοι δὲ ὁμολογοῦσι τὰ ἀμφότερα.

9And there came to be a great outcry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, saying, “We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.”ἐγένετο δὲ κραυγὴ μεγάλη· καὶ ἀναστάντες οἱ γραμματεῖς τοῦ μέρους τῶν Φαρισαίων διεμάχοντο λέγοντες, Οὐδὲν κακὸν εὑρίσκομεν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τούτῳ· εἰ δὲ πνεῦμα ἐλάλησεν αὐτῷ ἢ ἄγγελος, μὴ θεομαχῶμεν.

10And when much dissension developed, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be torn apart by them, commanded the detachment of soldiers to go down and seize him from the midst of them, and to bring him into the barracks.πολλῆς δὲ γενομένης στάσεως, εὐλαβηθεὶς ὁ χιλίαρχος μὴ διασπασθῇ ὁ Παῦλος ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν, ἐκέλευσε τὸ στράτευμα καταβῆναι καὶ ἁρπάσαι αὐτὸν ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν, ἄγειν τε εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν.

11Now on the next night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, Paul; for as you solemnly testified about the things concerning Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”Τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ νυκτὶ ἐπιστὰς αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος εἶπε, Θάρσει Παῦλε· ὡς γὰρ διεμαρτύρω τὰ περὶ ἐμοῦ εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, οὕτω σε δεῖ καὶ εἰς Ῥώμην μαρτυρῆσαι.

12Now when it was day, some of the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by a curse, saying neither would they eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας, ποιήσαντές τινες τῶν Ἰουδαίων συστροφήν, ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτούς, λέγοντες μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀποκτείνωσι τὸν Παῦλον.

13And there were over forty who had made this plot;ἦσαν δὲ πλείους τεσσαράκοντα οἱ ταύτην τὴν συνωμοσίαν πεποιηκότες·

14who came to the chief priests and to the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves by oath with a curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.οἵτινες προσελθόντες τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσι καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις εἶπον, Ἀναθέματι ἀνεθεματίσαμεν ἑαυτούς, μηδενὸς γεύσασθαι ἕως οὗ ἀποκτείνωμεν τὸν Παῦλον.

15Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you are going to determine more accurately the things concerning him; but we, before he comes near, are prepared to kill him.”νῦν οὖν ὑμεῖς ἐμφανίσατε τῷ χιλιάρχῳ σὺν τῷ συνεδρίῳ, ὅπως αὔριον αὐτὸν καταγάγῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὡς μέλλοντας διαγινώσκειν ἀκριβέστερον τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἡμεῖς δέ, πρὸ τοῦ ἐγγίσαι αὐτόν, ἕτοιμοί ἐσμεν τοῦ ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν.

16But when Paul's sister's son heard about the ambush, he came and entered into the barracks, and told this to Paul.Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀδελφῆς Παύλου τὸ ἔνεδρον, παραγενόμενος καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, ἀπήγγειλε τῷ Παύλῳ.

17And Paul, summoning one of the centurions, said, “Lead this young man away to the commander, for he has something to tell him.”προσκαλεσάμενος δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ἕνα τῶν ἑκατοντάρχων ἔφη, Τὸν νεανίαν τοῦτον ἀπάγαγε πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον· ἔχει γάρ τι ἀπαγγεῖλαι αὐτῷ.

18Therefore taking him along, he brought him to the commander and said, “The prisoner Paul, having summoned me, asked me to bring this young man to you, for he has something to tell you.”ὁ μὲν οὖν παραλαβὼν αὐτὸν ἤγαγε πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον, καὶ φησίν, Ὁ δέσμιος Παῦλος προσκαλεσάμενός με ἠρώτησε τοῦτον τὸν νεανίαν ἀγαγεῖν πρός σε, ἔχοντά τι λαλῆσαί σοι.

19And the commander, taking him by his hand, withdrew to a private place and inquired, “What is it that you have to tell me?”ἐπιλαβόμενος δὲ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ χιλίαρχος, καὶ ἀναχωρήσας κατ᾽ ἰδίαν ἐπυνθάνετο, Τί ἐστιν ὃ ἔχεις ἀπαγγεῖλαί μοι;

20And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask that tomorrow you bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin, as though they are going to learn something more accurate concerning him.εἶπε δὲ ὅτι Οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι συνέθεντο τοῦ ἐρωτῆσαί σε, ὅπως αὔριον εἰς τὸ συνέδριον καταγάγῃς τὸν Παῦλον, ὡς μέλλοντά τι ἀκριβέστερον πυνθάνεσθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ.

21Therefore you must not be persuaded by them; for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves by a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him; and now they are prepared, waiting for the promise from you.”σὺ οὖν μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς· ἐνεδρεύουσι γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες πλείους τεσσαράκοντα, οἵτινες ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀνέλωσιν αὐτόν· καὶ νῦν ἕτοιμοί εἰσι προσδεχόμενοι τὴν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐπαγγελίαν.

22Then the commander dismissed the young man, and commanded him, “Tell no one that you have made known these things to me.”ὁ μὲν οὖν χιλίαρχος ἀπέλυσε τὸν νεανίαν, παραγγείλας Μηδενὶ ἐκλαλῆσαι ὅτι ταῦτα ἐνεφάνισας πρός με.

23And having summoned two of the centurions he said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, in order that they may go to Caesarea, to leave at the third hour of the night;Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος δύο τινὰς τῶν ἑκατοντάρχων εἶπεν, Ἑτοιμάσατε στρατιώτας διακοσίους ὅπως πορευθῶσιν ἕως Καισαρείας, καὶ ἱππεῖς ἑβδομήκοντα, καὶ δεξιολάβους διακοσίους, ἀπὸ τρίτης ὥρας τῆς νυκτός·

24and place mounts at their disposal, in order that they may put Paul on them, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”κτήνη τε παραστῆσαι, ἵνα ἐπιβιβάσαντες τὸν Παῦλον διασώσωσι πρὸς Φήλικα τὸν ἡγεμόνα·

25And he wrote a letter which contained this content:γράψας ἐπιστολὴν περιέχουσαν τὸν τύπον τοῦτον·

26Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.Κλαύδιος Λυσίας τῷ κρατίστῳ ἡγεμόνι Φήλικι χαίρειν.

27This man, having been arrested by the Jews, was about to be killed by them. I came upon them with the detachment of soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman.τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον συλληφθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ μέλλοντα ἀναιρεῖσθαι ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν, ἐπιστὰς σὺν τῷ στρατεύματι ἐξειλόμην αὐτόν, μαθὼν ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστι.

28And desiring to know the cause for which they were accusing him, I took him down to their council;βουλόμενος δὲ γνῶναι τὴν αἰτίαν δι᾽ ἣν ἐνεκάλουν αὐτῷ, κατήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ συνέδριον αὐτῶν·

29and I found that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had no accusation against him worthy of death or chains.ὃν εὗρον ἐγκαλούμενον περὶ ζητημάτων τοῦ νόμου αὐτῶν, μηδὲν ἄξιον θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ἔγκλημα ἔχοντα.

30And when it became known to me that a plot against the man by the Jews was about to happen, I sent him at once to you, and also commanded the accusers to state the charges against him before you. Farewell.μηνυθείσης δέ μοι ἐπιβουλῆς εἰς τὸν ἄνδρα μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἐξαυτῆς ἔπεμψα πρός σε, παραγγείλας καὶ τοῖς κατηγόροις λέγειν τὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ σοῦ. ἔρρωσο.

31Then the soldiers, as they were commanded, took Paul and brought him during the night to Antipatris.Οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατιῶται, κατὰ τὸ διατεταγμένον αὐτοῖς, ἀναλαβόντες τὸν Παῦλον, ἤγαγον διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς εἰς τὴν Ἀντιπατρίδα.

32And on the next day they left the horsemen to go on with him, and returned to the barracks.τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἐάσαντες τοὺς ἱππεῖς πορεύεσθαι σὺν αὐτῷ, ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν·

33When they entered into Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.οἵτινες εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὴν Καισάρειαν, καὶ ἀναδόντες τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῷ ἡγεμόνι, παρέστησαν καὶ τὸν Παῦλον αὐτῷ.

34And when the governor read the letter, he asked what province he was from. And learning that he was from Cilicia,ἀναγνοὺς δὲ ὁ ἡγεμών, καὶ ἐπερωτήσας ἐκ ποίας ἐπαρχίας ἐστί, καὶ πυθόμενος ὅτι ἀπὸ Κιλικίας,

35he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's Praetorium.Διακούσομαί σου, ἔφη, ὅταν καὶ οἱ κατήγοροί σου παραγένωνται. ἐκέλευσέ τε αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ πραιτωρίῳ Ἡρῴδου φυλάσσεσθαι.

The Fathers on Acts 23

Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Acts 23:6–8

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

“But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.”

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On Acts 23:31–33

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

“Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris. On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle: who, when they came to Cæsarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.”

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