1 Paul looked straight at the council members and said, “My friends, to this day I have served God with a clear conscience!”
2 Then Ananias the high priest ordered the men standing beside Paul to hit him on the mouth. 3 Paul turned to the high priest and said, “You whitewashed wall! God will hit you. You sit there to judge me by the Law of Moses. But at the same time you order men to break the Law by hitting me.”
4 The men standing beside Paul asked, “Don't you know you are insulting God's high priest?”
5 Paul replied, “Oh! I didn't know he was the high priest. The Scriptures do tell us not to speak evil about a leader of our people.”
6 When Paul saw that some of the council members were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted, “My friends, I am a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee. I am on trial simply because I believe that the dead will be raised to life.”
7 As soon as Paul said this, the Pharisees and the Sadducees got into a big argument, and the council members started taking sides. 8 The Sadducees do not believe in angels or spirits or that the dead will rise to life. But the Pharisees believe in all of these, 9 and so there was a lot of shouting. Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were Pharisees. Finally, they became angry and said, “We don't find anything wrong with this man. Maybe a spirit or an angel really did speak to him.”
10 The argument became fierce, and the commander was afraid that Paul would be pulled apart. So he ordered the soldiers to go in and rescue Paul. Then they took him back into the fortress.
11 That night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, “Don't worry! Just as you have told others about me in Jerusalem, you must also tell about me in Rome.”
A Plot To Kill Paul
12-13 The next morning more than 40 Jewish men got together and vowed that they would not eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. 14 Then some of them went to the chief priests and the nation's leaders and said, “We have promised God that we would not eat a thing until we have killed Paul. 15 You and everyone in the council must go to the commander and pretend that you want to find out more about the charges against Paul. Ask for him to be brought before your court. Meanwhile, we will be waiting to kill him before he gets there.”
16 When Paul's nephew heard about the plot, he went to the fortress and told Paul about it. 17 So Paul said to one of the army officers, “Take this young man to the commander. He has something to tell him.”
18 The officer took him to the commander and said, “The prisoner named Paul asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”
19 The commander took the young man aside and asked him in private, “What do you want to tell me?”
20 He answered, “Some men are planning to ask you to bring Paul down to the Jewish council tomorrow. They will claim they want to find out more about him. 21 But please don't do what they say. More than 40 men are going to attack Paul. They have made a vow not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him. Even now they are waiting to hear what you decide.”
22 The commander sent the young man away after saying to him, “Don't let anyone know you told me this.”
Paul Is Sent to Felix the Governor
23 The commander called in two of his officers and told them, “By nine o'clock tonight have 200 soldiers ready to go to Caesarea. Take along 70 men on horseback and 200 foot soldiers with spears. 24 Get a horse ready for Paul and make sure he gets safely through to Felix the governor.”
25 The commander wrote a letter that said:
26 Greetings from Claudius Lysias to the Honorable Governor Felix:
27 Some Jews grabbed this man and were about to kill him. But when I found out that he was a Roman citizen, I took some soldiers and rescued him.
28 I wanted to find out what they had against him. So I brought him before their council 29 and learned that the charges concern only their religious laws. This man isn't guilty of anything for which he should die or even be put in jail.
30 As soon as I learned that there was a plot against him, I sent him to you and told their leaders to bring charges against him in your court.
31 The soldiers obeyed the commander's orders, and that same night they took Paul to the city of Antipatris. 32 The next day the foot soldiers returned to the fortress and let the soldiers on horseback take him the rest of the way. 33 When they came to Caesarea, they gave the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.
34 The governor read the letter. Then he asked Paul and found out that he was from Cilicia. 35 The governor said, “I will listen to your case as soon as the people come to bring their charges against you.” After saying this, he gave orders for Paul to be kept as a prisoner in Herod's palace.
1 فنظَرَ بولُسُ إلى المجلِسِ وقالَ: «أيّها الإخوةُ، عِشتُ للهِ بِضميرٍ صالِـحٍ إلى هذا اليومِ». 2 فأمَرَ حنانيّا، رَئيسُ الكَهنَةِ، أعوانَهُ بِأنْ يَضرِبوا بولُسَ على فَمِهِ. 3 فقالَ لَه بولُسُ: «ضَرَبكَ اللهُ، أيّها الحائِطُ المُبَــيّضُ! أتَجلِسُ لتُحاكِمَني بِحَسبِ الشريعةِ، وتأمُرُ بِضَربـي فتُخالِفَ الشّريعةَ؟» 4 فقالَ الحاضِرونَ لِبولُسَ: «أنتَ تَشتُمُ رَئيسَ كَهنَةِ اللهِ!» 5 فقالَ بولُسُ: «ما كُنتُ أعرِفُ، أيّها الإخوةُ، أنّهُ رَئيسُ الكَهنَةِ. فالكُتُبُ المُقَدّسَةُ تَقولُ: «لا تَلعَنْ رَئيسَ شَعبِكَ». 6 وكانَ بولُسُ يَعرِفُ أنّ بَعضَهُم صدّوقيّونَ والبَعضَ الآخَرَ فَرّيسيّونَ، فَصاحَ في المَجلِسِ: «أيّها الإخوةُ، أنا فَرّيسيّ اَبنُ فَرّيسيّ. وأنا أحاكَمُ الآنَ لأنّي أرجو قيامَةَ الأمواتِ».
7 فلمّا قالَ هذا، وقَعَ الخِلافُ بَينَ الفَرّيسيّـينَ والصَدّوقيّـينَ واَنقَسَمَ المَجلِسُ، 8 لأنّ الصَدّوقيّينَ لا يُؤمِنونَ بِقيامَةِ الأمواتِ وبوجودِ الملائِكةِ والأرواحِ، وأمّا الفَرّيسيّونَ فيُؤمِنونَ بِهذا كُلّهِ. 9 فاَرتَفَعَ الصّياحُ، وقامَ بَعضُ مُعَلّمي الشّريعَةِ مِنَ الفَرّيسيّـينَ وأخذوا يَحتجّونَ بِشدّةٍ قالوا: «لا نَجِدُ جُرْمًا على هذا الرّجُلِ. رُبّما كَلّمَهُ رُوحٌ أو ملاكٌ». 10 واَشتَدّ الخِلافُ حتى خافَ القائِدُ أنْ يُمَزّقوا بولُسَ تَمزيقًا، فأمَرَ جُنودَهُ بِأنْ يَنزِلوا إلَيهِ ويَنتَـزِعوهُ مِنْ بَينِهِم، ويأخذوهُ إلى القَلْعَةِ.
11 وفي الليلةِ الثانِـيَةِ ظهَرَ الرّبّ لِبولُسَ وقالَ لَه: «تَشَجّعْ! فمِثلَما شَهِدتَ لي في أُورُشليمَ، هكذا يَجبُ أنْ تَشهَدَ لي في رومَةَ».
مؤامرة لاغتيال بولس
12 ولمّا طلَعَ الصّباحُ تآمَرَ اليَهودُ، فحَلَفوا لا يأكلونَ ولا يَشرَبونَ حتى يَقتُلوا بولُسَ. 13 وكانَ المُتآمرونَ أكثَرَ مِنْ أربعينَ. 14 فجاؤوا إلى رُؤساءِ الكَهنَةِ والشّيوخِ وقالوا: «حَلَفْنا لا نَذوقُ شيئًا حتى نَقتُلَ بولُسَ. 15 فاَطلُبوا أنتُم وأعضاءُ المَجلِسِ مِنْ قائِدِ الحامِيَةِ أنْ يُرسِلَ بولُسَ إلَيكُم، بِحُجّةِ أنّكُم تُريدونَ تَدقيقَ النّظَرِ في أمرِهِ، ونكونُ نَحنُ على اَستِعدادٍ لقَتلِهِ وهوَ في طريقِهِ إلَيكُم».
16 وسَمِعَ اَبنُ أُختِ بولُسَ بالكَمينِ، فذهَبَ إلى القَلعَةِ ودخَلَ على بولُسَ وأخبَرَهُ بالأمرِ. 17 فدَعا بولُسُ واحدًا مِن الضّبّاطِ وقالَ لَه: «خُذْ هذا الشّابّ إلى القائِدِ، لأنّ عِندَهُ ما يَقولُهُ لَه». 18 فأخذَهُ الضّابِطُ إلى القائِدِ وقالَ: «دَعاني السّجينُ بولُسُ وطلَبَ أنْ أَجيءَ بِهذا الشّابّ إلَيكَ، لأنّ عِندَهُ ما يَقولُهُ لكَ». 19 فأمسَكَ القائِدُ بِـيدِهِ واَنفرَدَ بِه وسألَهُ: «ما عِندَكَ؟ أخْبِرني». 20 فقالَ: «اَتّفَقَ اليَهودُ على أنْ يَطلبوا إلَيكَ أنْ تُنزِلَ بولُسَ غَدًا إلى المَجلِسِ بِحُجَةِ أنّهُم يُريدونَ تَدقيقَ النّظَرِ في أمرِهِ. 21 فلا تُصَدّقْهُم، لأنّ أكثرَ مِنْ أربعينَ رَجُلاً مِنهُم أقاموا لَه كمينًا، وحَلَفوا لا يأكلونَ ولا يَشرَبونَ حتى يَقتُلوهُ. وهُمُ الآنَ على أتَمّ الاَستعدادِ، يَنتَظِرونَ أنْ تَستَجيبَ لهُم». 22 فقالَ القائِدُ لِلشابِ: «لا تَقُلْ لأحدٍ أنّكَ أخبَرتَني بِهذا الأمرِ». وصرَفَهُ مِنْ عِندِهِ.
بولس عند الحاكم فيلكس
23 ثُمّ دَعا القائِدُ اَثنَينِ مِنْ ضُبّاطِهِ وقالَ لَهُما: «أعِدّا مِئتَي جُنديّ للذَهابِ في الساعةِ التاسِعةِ مِنَ الليلِ إلى قيصرِيّةَ، ومعَهُم سَبعونَ فارِسًا ومِئتا مُسلّحٍ بالرّماحِ. 24 وأعِدّوا لبولُسَ خَيلاً تَحمِلُهُ سالِمًا إلى الحاكِمِ فيلِكْسَ». 25 وكتَبَ إلى الحاكِمِ بِرسالةٍ يَقول فيها: 26 «مِنْ كلوديوسَ ليسياسَ إلى صاحبِ العِزّةِ فيلِكْسَ، سلامٌ: 27 أمسَكَ اليَهودُ هذا الرّجُلَ وكادوا يَقتُلونَهُ. فلمّا عرَفْتُ أنّهُ رومانيّ، أسرَعْتُ إلَيهِ معَ جُنودي فأنقَذْتُهُ. 28 وأردتُ أنْ أعرِفَ بِما يتّهِمونَهُ، فجِئتُ بِه إلى مجلِسِهِم، 29 فتَبـيّنَ لي أنّهُم يتّهِمونَهُ بِمسائِلَ في شَريعتِهِم، وأنْ لا شيءَ مِمّا يتّهِمونَهُ بِه يَستَوجِبُ الموتَ أوِ السّجنَ. 30 ثُمّ سَمِعتُ أنّهُم وضَعوا خُطّةً لاغتِـيالِهِ، فأرسلْتُهُ إلَيكَ في الحالِ، وأبلَغتُ خُصومَهُ أنْ يَرفَعوا إلَيكَ دعواهُم علَيهِ».
31 وقامَ الجُنودُ بِتَنفيذِ أوامِرِ القائِدِ، فـأخذوا بولُسَ ليلاً إلى أنْتيباتْريسَ. 32 وفي الغَدِ رَجَعوا إلى القَلعَةِ وتَرَكوا الفُرسانَ يُواصِلونَ السّفَرَ معَهُ. 33 فلمّا وصَلَ الفُرسانُ إلى قيصرِيّةَ، أدخَلوا بولُسَ على الحاكِمِ وسَلّموا إلَيهِ الرّسالَةَ. 34 فقرأها وسألَ بولُسَ عَنِ الوِلايةِ التي يَنتَمي إلَيها. فلمّا عرَفَ أنّهُ مِنْ كِيليكِيّةَ، 35 قالَ لَه: «سأسمَعُ مِنكَ متى حضَرَ خُصومُكَ». وأمَرَ جُنودَهُ بِأنْ يَحرُسوا بولُسَ في قَصْرِ هيرودُسَ.
