Intendens autem in concilium Paulus, ait: Viri fratres, ego omni conscientia bona conversatus sum ante Deum usque in hodiernum diem.

And Paul looking upon the council, said: Men, brethren, I have conversed with all good conscience before God until this present day.

Paul fastened his eyes on the Council, and said, Brethren, all my life I have behaved myself with full loyalty of conscience towards God.

Princeps autem sacerdotum Ananias præcepit astantibus sibi percutere os ejus.

And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

At this, the high priest Ananias bade those who were standing near smite him on the mouth.

Tunc Paulus dixit ad eum: Percutiet te Deus, paries dealbate. Et tu sedens judicas me secundum legem, et contra legem jubes me percuti?

Then Paul said to him: God shall strike thee, thou whited wall. For sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and contrary to the law commandest me to be struck?

Then Paul said to him, It is God that will smite thee, for the whitened wall thou art; thou art sitting there to judge me according to the law, and wilt thou break the law by ordering them to smite me?

Et qui astabant dixerunt: Summum sacerdotem Dei maledicis.

And they that stood by said: Dost thou revile the high priest of God?

What, said the bystanders, wouldst thou insult God’s high priest?

Dixit autem Paulus: Nesciebam, fratres, quia princeps est sacerdotum. Scriptum est enim: Principem populi tui non maledices.

And Paul said: I knew not, brethren, that he is the high priest. For it is written: Thou shalt not speak evil of the prince of thy people.

And Paul said, Brethren, I could not tell that it was the high priest; to be sure, it is written, Thou shalt not speak ill of him who rules thy people.

Sciens autem Paulus quia una pars esset sadducæorum, et altera pharisæorum, exclamavit in concilio: Viri fratres, ego pharisæus sum, filius pharisæorum: de spe et resurrectione mortuorum ego judicor.

And Paul knowing that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out in the council: Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees: concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

And now, finding that there were two factions among them, one of the Sadducees and the other of the Pharisees, Paul cried out in the Council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, and my fathers were Pharisees before me. And I am standing on my trial because I am one who hopes for the resurrection of the dead.

Et cum hæc dixisset, facta est dissensio inter pharisæos et sadducæos, et soluta est multitudo.

And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the multitude was divided.

When he said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the assembly was in two minds.

Sadducæi enim dicunt non esse resurrectionem, neque angelum, neque spiritum: pharisæi autem utraque confitentur.

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

The Sadducees will have it that there is no resurrection, that there are no angels or spirits, whereas the Pharisees believe in both.

Factus est autem clamor magnus. Et surgentes quidam pharisæorum, pugnabant, dicentes: Nihil mali invenimus in homine isto: quid si spiritus locutus est ei, aut angelus?

And there arose a great cry. And some of the Pharisees rising up, strove, saying: We find no evil in this man. What if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel?

So that a great clamour followed; and some of the Pharisees came forward to protest; We cannot find any fault in this man, they said. Perhaps he has had a message from a spirit, or an angel.

Et cum magna dissensio facta esset, timens tribunus ne discerperetur Paulus ab ipsis, jussit milites descendere, et rapere eum de medio eorum, ac deducere eum in castra.

And when there arose a great dissension, the tribune fearing lest Paul should be pulled in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

Then dissension rose high; and the captain, who was afraid that they would tear Paul in pieces, ordered his troops to come down and rescue Paul from their midst, and bring him safe to the soldiers’ quarters.

Sequenti autem nocte assistens ei Dominus, ait: Constans esto: sicut enim testificatus es de me in Jerusalem, sic te oportet et Romæ testificari.

And the night following the Lord standing by him, said: Be constant; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

On the next night, the Lord came to his side, and told him, Do not lose heart; thou hast done with bearing me witness in Jerusalem, and now thou must carry the same witness to Rome.

Facta autem die collegerunt se quidam ex Judæis, et devoverunt, se dicentes neque manducaturos, neque bibituros donec occiderent Paulum.

And when day was come, some of the Jews gathered together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat, nor drink, till they killed Paul.

When day came, the Jews held a conclave, and bound themselves under a solemn curse that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul;

Erant autem plus quam quadraginta viri qui hanc conjurationem fecerant:

And they were more than forty men that had made this conspiracy.

more than forty of them joined in this conspiracy.

qui accesserunt ad principes sacerdotum et seniores, et dixerunt: Devotione devovimus nos nihil gustaturos, donec occidamus Paulum.

Who came to the chief priests and the ancients, and said: We have bound ourselves under a great curse that we will eat nothing till we have slain Paul.

So they went to the chief priests and elders, and told them, We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse not to take food until we have killed Paul.

Nunc ergo vos notum facite tribuno cum concilio, ut producat illum ad vos, tamquam aliquid certius cognituri de eo. Nos vero priusquam appropiet, parati sumus interficere illum.

Now therefore do you with the council signify to the tribune, that he bring him forth to you, as if you meant to know something more certain touching him. And we, before he come near, are ready to kill him.

Your part, then, is to signify to the captain your wish and the Council’s, that he would bring him down before you, as if you meant to examine his cause more precisely; and we are ready to make away with him before he reaches you.

Quod cum audisset filius sororis Pauli insidias, venit, et intravit in castra, nuntiavitque Paulo.

Which when Paul’s sister’s son had heard, of their lying in wait, he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.

Paul’s sister had a son who heard of this ambush being laid; and he went to the soldiers’ quarters and gave news of it to Paul.

Vocans autem Paulus ad se unum ex centurionibus, ait: Adolescentem hunc perduc ad tribunum, habet enim aliquid indicare illi.

And Paul, calling to him one of the centurions, said: Bring this young man to the tribune, for he hath some thing to tell him.

Whereupon Paul had one of the centurions brought to him, and said, Take this young man to the captain; he has news to give him.

Et ille quidem assumens eum duxit ad tribunum, et ait: Vinctus Paulus rogavit me hunc adolescentem perducere ad te, habentem aliquid loqui tibi.

And he taking him, brought him to the tribune, and said: Paul, the prisoner, desired me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath some thing to say to thee.

So he bade him follow, and took him to the captain; The prisoner, Paul, he said, had me summoned and asked me to take this young man into thy presence; he has a message for thee.

Apprehendens autem tribunus manum illius, secessit cum eo seorsum, et interrogavit illum: Quid est quod habes indicare mihi?

And the tribune taking him by the hand, went aside with him privately, and asked him: What is it that thou hast to tell me?

And the captain, taking him by the hand and drawing him aside, asked, What is the news thou bringest me?

Ille autem dixit: Judæis convenit rogare te ut crastina die producas Paulum in concilium, quasi aliquid certius inquisituri sint de illo:

And he said: The Jews have agreed to desire thee, that thou wouldst bring forth Paul to morrow into the council, as if they meant to inquire some thing more certain touching him.

The Jews, he said, have formed this design; they will ask thee to bring Paul down before the Council to-morrow, as if they meant to examine his cause more precisely.

tu vero ne credideris illis: insidiantur enim ei ex eis viri amplius quam quadraginta, qui se devoverunt non manducare, neque bibere donec interficiant eum: et nunc parati sunt, exspectantes promissum tuum.

But do not thou give credit to them; for there lie in wait for him more than forty men of them, who have bound themselves by oath neither to eat, nor to drink, till they have killed him: and they are now ready, looking for a promise from thee.

Do not listen to them; some of them will be lying in ambush for him, more than forty in number. They have sworn not to eat or drink until they have made away with him; even now they are in readiness, only waiting for thy consent.

Tribunus igitur dimisit adolescentem, præcipiens ne cui loqueretur quoniam hæc nota sibi fecisset.

The tribune therefore dismissed the young man, charging him that he should tell no man, that he had made known these things unto him.

Thereupon the captain dismissed the young man, warning him not to let anyone know that he had revealed this secret to him.

Et vocatis duobus centurionibus, dixit illis: Parate milites ducentos ut eant usque Cæsaream, et equites septuaginta, et lancearios ducentos a tertia hora noctis,

Then having called two centurions, he said to them: Make ready two hundred soldiers to go as far as Cæsarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen for the third hour of the night:

Then he summoned two of the centurions, and told them, You are to have two hundred men from the cohort ready to march to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen; they will set out at the third hour of the night.

et jumenta præparate ut imponentes Paulum, salvum perducerent ad Felicem præsidem.

And provide beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe to Felix the governor.

And you must provide beasts, so that they can mount Paul and take him safely to the governor, Felix.

(Timuit enim ne forte raperent eum Judæi, et occiderent, et ipse postea calumniam sustineret, tamquam accepturus pecuniam.)

(For he feared lest perhaps the Jews might take him away by force and kill him, and he should afterwards be slandered, as if he was to take money.) And he wrote a letter after this manner:

(He was afraid that the Jews might seize on Paul and kill him; and that he himself might be falsely accused of taking a bribe from them.) He also wrote a letter, with these contents:

Scribens epistolam continentem hæc: Claudius Lysias optimo præsidi Felici, salutem.

Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor, Felix, greeting.

Claudius Lysias, to his excellency Felix, the governor, sends greeting.

Virum hunc comprehensum a Judæis, et incipientem interfici ab eis, superveniens cum exercitu eripui, cognito quia Romanus est.

This man being taken by the Jews, and ready to be killed by them, I rescued coming in with an army, understanding that he is a Roman:

Here is a man whom the Jews seized, and set about killing him; but I came up with my men and rescued him, learning that he was a Roman citizen.

Volensque scire causam quam objiciebant illi, deduxi eum in concilium eorum.

And meaning to know the cause which they objected unto him, I brought him forth into their council.

Since I had a mind to discover what complaint it was they had against him, I took him down into the presence of their Council;

Quem inveni accusari de quæstionibus legis ipsorum, nihil vero dignum morte aut vinculis habentem criminis.

Whom I found to be accused concerning questions of their law; but having nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bands.

but I found that the accusation was concerned with disputes about their own law, and that he was charged with nothing that deserved death or imprisonment.

Et cum mihi perlatum esset de insidiis quas paraverant illi, misi eum ad te, denuntians et accusatoribus ut dicant apud te. Vale.

And when I was told of ambushes that they had prepared for him, I sent him to thee, signifying also to his accusers to plead before thee. Farewell.

And now, since I have information of a plot which they have laid against him, I am sending him to thee, telling his accusers at the same time that they must plead their cause before thee. Farewell.

Milites ergo secundum præceptum sibi assumentes Paulum, duxerunt per noctem in Antipatridem.

Then the soldiers, according as it was commanded them, taking Paul, brought him by night to Antipatris.

The soldiers, obeying their orders, took Paul with them, and conducted him, travelling all night, to Antipatris.

Et postera die dimissis equitibus ut cum eo irent, reversi sunt ad castra.

And the next day, leaving the horsemen to go with him, they returned to the castle.

Next day they left the horsemen to accompany him, and went back to their quarters.

Qui cum venissent Cæsaream, et tradidissent epistolam præsidi, statuerunt ante illum et Paulum.

Who, when they were come to Cæsarea, and had delivered the letter to the governor, did also present Paul before him.

The horsemen, upon reaching Caesarea, delivered the letter to the governor, and brought Paul, too, into his presence.

Cum legisset autem, et interrogasset de qua provincia esset, et cognoscens quia de Cilicia:

And when he had read it, and had asked of what province he was, and understood that he was of Cilicia;

So the governor read the letter, asked from what province he came, and was told, From Cilicia;

Audiam te, inquit, cum accusatores tui venerint. Jussitque in prætorio Herodis custodiri eum.

I will hear thee, said he, when thy accusers come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.

then he said, I will give thee a hearing when thy accusers, too, are present. And he gave orders that he should be kept safe in Herod’s palace.