1Pavol sa pokojne a bez strachu zahľadel na členov rady a povedal: „Bratia! Až dodnes som žil s čistým svedomím pred Bohom.“2Veľkňaz Ananiáš to pokladal za rúhanie a rozkázal tým, čo stáli pri ňom, aby ho udreli po ústach.3Ale Pavol zvolal: „Ty pokrytec! Za to teba udrie Boh. Aký si to sudca, keď sa sám previňuješ proti zákonu a dávaš ma biť!“4No tí, čo stáli vedľa Pavla, ho napomenuli: „Ako si dovoľuješ urážať veľkňaza?“5Pavol sa ospravedlnil: „Nevedel som, bratia, že je to veľkňaz. A v Písme sa naozaj hovorí: Nehovor zle o svojom predstavenom!“6Pavol vedel, že vo veľrade sú zastúpené dve strany: saduceji a farizeji. Preto nahlas zvolal: „Bratia, som farizej ako všetci moji predkovia. Stojím dnes pred súdom, lebo verím vo vzkriesenie a večný život!“7Tým sa mu podarilo vniesť do rady rozkol.8Saduceji totiž popierajú vzkriesenie, večný život aj existenciu duchovného sveta, kým farizeji toto všetko vyznávajú.9Tu sa strhol veľký krik a niektorí židovskí vodcovia vstali a chytili stranu Pavlovi: „Nič zlé na ňom nevidíme. Čo ak naozaj k nemu na ceste do Damasku prehovoril duch alebo anjel?“10Tu nastala taká haravara, až sa veliteľ zľakol, že Pavla roztrhajú na kúsky. Dal preto príkaz, aby vojaci násilím vytrhli Pavla z ich rúk a odviedli ho do pevnosti.11Tej noci sa ukázal Pavlovi Pán a povzbudil ho: „Neboj sa, Pavol! Ako si svedčil o mne v Jeruzaleme, tak musíš svedčiť aj v Ríme.“
Sprisahanie proti Pavlovi
12Na druhé ráno sa stretlo asi13štyridsať Židov a zaprisahali sa, že nebudú jesť ani piť, kým Pavla nezabijú.14Zašli k veľkňazom a starším, oznámili im svoje rozhodnutie a naliehali:15„Požiadajte veliteľa, aby dal znova predviesť Pavla pod zámienkou, že chce dôkladnejšie vyšetriť jeho prípad. A my sa ho zmocníme a zabijeme ho skôr, ako dôjde na miesto.“16O týchto úkladoch sa dozvedel syn Pavlovej sestry. Podarilo sa mu preniknúť do pevnosti a oznámiť to ujovi.17Pavol si zavolal službukonajúceho dôstojníka a požiadal ho: „Zaveď tohto chlapca k veliteľovi, chce mu oznámiť niečo dôležité.“18Dôstojník vyhovel jeho žiadosti.19Veliteľ chlapca prijal a pozhováral sa s ním medzi štyrmi očami.20„Židia kujú sprisahanie,“ oznámil chlapec. „Požiadajú ťa, aby si zajtra dal predviesť Pavla pred veľradu, že ho musia ešte dôkladnejšie vypočuť.21Cestou však bude na Pavla striehnuť viac ako štyridsať mužov. Zaprisahali sa, že nebudú ani jesť, ani piť, kým ho nezabijú. Sú odhodlaní na všetko a čakajú iba na tvoj súhlas.“22Veliteľ prepustil chlapca a povedal mu: „Pred nikým ani len nemukni, čo si mi prezradil.“
Pavla odošlú do Cézarey
23Veliteľ si ihneď zavolal dvoch dôstojníkov a prikázal im: „Pripravte na deviatu hodinu večer dvesto pešiakov na cestu do Cézarey, sedemdesiat jazdcov a dvesto kopijníkov.24Dajte koňa aj Pavlovi a postarajte sa, aby ste ho dopravili k miestodržiteľovi Felixovi.“25Potom napísal list tohto znenia:26„Klaudius Lyziáš pozdravuje veľaváženého miestodržiteľa Felixa.27Muža, ktorého ti posielam, chytili Židia a chceli ho zabiť. Keď som sa dozvedel, že je to rímsky občan, zakročil som so svojím oddielom a vytrhol im ho z rúk.28Aby som zistil, z čoho ho vlastne obviňujú, predviedol som ho pred veľradu.29Ukázalo sa, že nejde o nijaký vážny zločin, ktorý by si zasluhoval väzenie alebo smrť, iba o ich náboženské spory.30No dostal som správu, že ho chcú úkladne zavraždiť, preto ho posielam k tebe. Zároveň som dal na vedomie žalobcom, aby žalobu proti nemu podali u teba.“31Ešte v tú noc dorazili vojaci s Pavlom do Antipatrídy.32Na druhé ráno sa vrátili do pevnosti33a jazdci ďalej sprevádzali Pavla do Cézarey. Tu odovzdali list aj väzňa miestodržiteľovi.34Felix si prečítal odkaz a spýtal sa Pavla, z ktorej provincie pochádza. Keď sa dozvedel, že je z Cilície,35povedal: „Vypočujem ťa, až prídu tvoji žalobcovia.“ Potom dal príkaz, aby Pavla strážili v Herodesovom paláci.
Skutky apoštolov 23
English Standard Version
od Crossway1And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” (Jób 27,5; Sk 24,16; 1 Kor 4,4; 2 Kor 1,12; 2 Kor 4,2; 2 Kor 5,11; 2 Tim 1,3; Hebr 13,18)2And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. (1 Kr 22,24; Nár 3,30; Mich 5,1; Sk 24,1; 2 Kor 11,20)3Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” (Dt 25,1; Iz 30,13; Ez 13,10; Mt 23,27; Jn 7,51)4Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” (1 Sam 2,28; Ž 106,16)5And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” (Ex 22,28; Sk 24,1)6Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” (Mt 22,23; Sk 2,26; Sk 24,15; Sk 24,21; Sk 26,5; Sk 26,6; Sk 28,20; Flp 3,5; Kol 1,5)7And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.8For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. (Lk 20,27; 1 Kor 15,12)9Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” (Mk 2,16; Lk 5,30; Jn 12,29; Sk 4,5; Sk 22,7; Sk 22,17; Sk 23,29)10And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. (Sk 21,34; Sk 22,24; Sk 23,16; Sk 23,32)11The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” (1 Sam 3,10; Sk 18,9; Sk 19,21; Sk 22,15; Sk 27,23; 2 Tim 4,17)
A Plot to Kill Paul
12When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. (Sk 23,14; Sk 23,21; Sk 23,30)13There were more than forty who made this conspiracy.14They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.15Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”16Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. (Sk 23,10; Sk 23,32)17Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.”18So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” (Ef 3,1)19The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”20And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. (Sk 23,14)21But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” (Sk 23,12; Sk 23,14)22So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
Paul Sent to Felix the Governor
23Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.[1]24Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” (Lk 20,20; Sk 23,26; Sk 23,33; Sk 24,1; Sk 24,2; Sk 24,10; Sk 25,14; Sk 26,30)25And he wrote a letter to this effect:26“Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. (Sk 15,23; Sk 24,1)27This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. (Sk 21,27; Sk 21,32; Sk 22,25)28And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. (Sk 22,30)29I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. (Sk 18,15; Sk 23,9; Sk 25,19; Sk 25,25; Sk 26,31; Sk 28,18)30And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.” (Sk 9,24; Sk 23,12; Sk 23,20; Sk 23,35; Sk 24,19; Sk 25,16)31So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.32And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. (Sk 23,10; Sk 23,16)33When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.34On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, (Sk 21,39; Sk 25,1)35he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium. (Mt 27,27; Sk 23,30)