231 Paul , looking intently at the Council , said , " Brethren e , I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day ." 2 The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth . 3 Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall ! Do you sit to try me according to the Law , and in violation of the Law order me to be struck ?" 4 But the bystanders said , "Do you revile God's high priest ? 5 And Paul said , "I was not aware , brethren , that he was high priest ; for it is written , ' YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE .' "
6 But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees , Paul began crying out in the Council , " Brethren e , I am a Pharisee , a son of Pharisees ; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead !" 7 As he said this , there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees , and the assembly was divided . 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection , nor an angel , nor a spirit , but the Pharisees acknowledge them all . 9 And there occurred a great uproar ; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly , saying , " We find nothing wrong with this man ; suppose e a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" 10 And as a great dissension was developing , the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force , and bring him into the barracks . 11 But on the night immediately following , the Lord stood at his side and said , " Take courage ; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause e at Jerusalem , so you must witness at Rome also ."
12 When it was day , the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath , saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul . 13 There were more than forty who formed this plot . 14 They came to the chief priests and the elders and said , "We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul 15 "Now therefore , you and the Council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case e by a more thorough investigation ; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near the place." 16 But the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush , and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul . 17 Paul called one of the centurions to him and said , "Lead this young man to the commander , for he has something to report to him." 18 So he took him and led him to the commander and said , "Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you." 19 The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside , began to inquire of him privately e , "What is it that you have to report to me? 20 And he said , " The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council , as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. 21 "So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you. 22 So the commander let the young man go , instructing him, "Tell no one that you have notified me of these things ."
23 And he called to him two of the centurions and said , "Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea , with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen ." 24 They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor . 25 And he wrote a letter having this form : 26 "Claudius Lysias , to the most excellent governor Felix , greetings . 27 "When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman . 28 "And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council ; 29 and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law , but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment . 30 "When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man , I sent him to you at once , also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you." 31 So the soldiers , in accordance with their orders , took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris . 32 But the next day , leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks . 33 When these had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor , they also presented Paul to him. 34 When he had read it, he asked from what province he was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia , 35 he said , "I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also ," giving orders for him to be kept in Herod's Praetorium .
31 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer . 2 And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful , in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple . 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple , he began asking to receive alms . 4 But Peter , along with John , fixed his gaze on him and said , "Look at us!" 5 And he began to give them his attention , expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said , "I do not possess silver and gold , but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -walk !" 7 And seizing him by the right hand , he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened . 8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk ; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God . 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God ; 10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms , and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
11 While he was clinging to Peter and John , all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon , full of amazement .
12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people , "Men of Israel , why are you amazed at this , or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk ? 13 " The God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob , the God of our fathers , has glorified His servant Jesus , the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate , when he had decided to release Him. 14 "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life , the one whom God raised from the dead , a fact to which we are witnesses . 16 "And on the basis of faith in His name , it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know ; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all . 17 "And now , brethren , I know that you acted in ignorance , just as your rulers did also . 18 "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets , that His Christ would suffer , He has thus fulfilled . 19 "Therefore repent and return , so that your sins may be wiped away , in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord ; 20 and that He may send Jesus , the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time . 22 "Moses said , ' THE Lord GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN ; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23 ' And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people .' 24 "And likewise , all the prophets who have spoken , from Samuel and his successors onward , also announced these days . 25 "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers , saying to Abraham , ' AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED .' 26 "For you first , God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways ."
