Modern Literal Version
[Acts 23]
23:1 Now Paul, having stared toward the council, said, Men, brethren, I have behaved-as a Jewishcitizen toward God in all good conscience till this day.
23:2 But the high-priest Ananias commanded to those who are standing beside him to beat his mouth.
23:3 Then Paul said to him, God is about to beat you, you whitewashed wall. And you sit judging me according to the law, and yet violating the law, you are commanding me to be beaten.
23:4 But those who are standing beside him said, Are you reviling God's high-priest?
23:5 And Paul said, Brethren, I did not know that he was the high-priest; for* it has been written, 'You will not speak evilly of a ruler of your people.' {Exo 22:28}23:6 But after Paul knew that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee. I am being judged concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead.23:7 But after he spoke this, there became a dissension from the Pharisees and the multitude was split-apart. 23:8 (For* the Sadducees indeed say that there is no resurrection, neither messenger nor spirit, but the Pharisees are confessing both.)
23:9 Now there became a great outcry, and part of the scribes of the Pharisees stood up and were quarreling, saying, We are finding no evil in this man, but if a spirit or a messenger spoke to him, we should not quarrel against God. 23:10 Now after much dissension happened, the commander, was scared, lest Paul might be torn to shreds by them, and commanded the army to go-down and seize him from the midst of them, and lead him back into the encampment.
23:11 Now whenthe Lord stood by him the next night, he said, Paul, have courage; for* as you havethoroughly testified concerning me in Jerusalem, so it is essential for you to also testify in Rome.
23:12 Now after it became day, some of the Jews made* a conspiracy and they vowed forthemselves, saying, they were neither to eat nor to drink until they should kill Paul. 23:13 Now they were more-than forty who had made* this gang; 23:14 who came near to the high-priests and the elders and said, We vowed that ourselves are to be accursed, to taste nothing until we should kill Paul. 23:15Therefore now, you*, together with the council, disclose*it to the commander *that he should be led to you* the next-day, as if being about to investigate more accurately the things concerning him. Now we are ready to assassinate him before he draws near.
23:16 But Paul's sister's son, having heard of their murderous plot, came* and entered into the encampment and reported to Paul. 23:17 Now Paul, having called one of the centurions, said, Lead this young-man away to the commander; for* he has something to report to him.
23:18 Therefore indeed, he took him and led him to the commander and says, Paul the prisoner, having called me, asked me to lead this young-man to you, who has something to say to you.
23:19 Now the commander grabbed his hand and departed privately, and was inquiring, What is it that you have to report to me?
23:20 Now he said, The Jews themselves covenanted* together to ask you *that you should lead Paul into the Jewish council the next-day, as if being about to inquire more accurately something concerning him. 23:21 Therefore you, do not be persuaded by them; for* more-than forty men out of them are plotting against him, who vowed for themselves neither to eat nor to drink until they should assassinate him, and they are ready now, waiting for the promise from you.
23:22 Therefore indeed, the commander dismissed the young-man, having commanded him to tell no one that you disclosed these things to me.
{May 25, 59 AD. Paul is sent to the political capital at Caesarea.}
23:23 And having called to him a certain two of the centurions, he said, Prepare* at the third hour of the night {i.e. 9:00 PM} two hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen,*that they should travel to Caesarea, 23:24 and animals to be present, in order that after they mounted Paul upon one of them, they might save him for Felix the governor.
23:25Now he wrote a letter in this pattern containing:
23:26 Claudius Lysias to the most-excellent governor Felix. Hail to you. 23:27When this man was taken by the Jews and being about to be assassinated by them, I stood up together with the army and liberated him, having learned that he was a Roman. 23:28 But planning to know the accusation (because of which they were accusing him), I led him into their council; 23:29 whom I found to be accused concerning debates of their law, having nothing in way of an accusation worthy of death or of bonds. 23:30 But after it was divulged to me of a future pact by the Jews *for the man, I promptly sent him to you, having also commanded his accusers to speak the things to him in front of you. Good-bye.
23:31 Therefore indeed, the soldiers, according to what had been commanded to them, took Paul and led him through the night to Antipatris. 23:32 But on the next-day, having permitted the horsemen to travel together with him, they returned to the encampment, 23:33 who, having entered into Caesarea, and having given over the letter to the governor, also presented Paul to him. 23:34 Now the governor read the letter and having asked: What province is he from? And having inquired: he is from Cilicia.23:35 He was saying, I will hear you fully whenever your accusers also come*. And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod's palace.
Modern Literal Version Preface & Appendix , copyright 1987, 1999, 2013 by G. Allen Walker for the MLV New Testament Committee.
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