The Early Church

and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was being poured forth, I also was standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death;

and he said unto me, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.'

And they were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, `Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.'

And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing dust into the air,

the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, saying, `By scourges let him be examined;' that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him.

And as he was stretching him with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who was standing by, `A man, a Roman, uncondemned--is it lawful to you to scourge;'

and the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, `Take heed what thou art about to do, for this man is a Roman;'

and the chief captain having come near, said to him, `Tell me, art thou a Roman?' and he said, `Yes;'

and the chief captain answered, `I, with a great sum, did obtain this citizenship;' but Paul said, `But I have been even born so .'

Immediately, therefore, they departed from him who are about to examine him, and the chief captain also was afraid, having learned that he is a Roman, and because he had bound him,

and on the morrow, intending to know the certainty wherefore he is accused by the Jews, he did loose him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrim to come, and having brought down Paul, he set him before them.

And Paul having earnestly beheld the sanhedrim, said, `Men, brethren, I in all good conscience have lived to God unto this day;'

and the chief priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to smite him on the mouth,

then Paul said unto him, `God is about to smite thee, thou whitewashed wall, and thou--thou dost sit judging me according to the law, and, violating law, dost order me to be smitten!'

And those who stood by said, `The chief priest of God dost thou revile?'

and Paul said, `I did not know, brethren, that he is chief priest: for it hath been written, Of the ruler of thy people thou shalt not speak evil;'

and Paul having known that the one part are Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out in the sanhedrim, `Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee--son of a Pharisee--concerning hope and rising again of dead men I am judged.'

And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,

for Sadducees, indeed, say there is no rising again, nor messenger, nor spirit, but Pharisees confess both.

And there came a great cry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part having arisen, were striving, saying, `No evil do we find in this man; and if a spirit spake to him, or a messenger, we may not fight against God;'

and a great dissension having come, the chief captain having been afraid lest Paul may be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiery, having gone down, to take him by force out of the midst of them, and to bring him to the castle.

And on the following night, the Lord having stood by him, said, `Take courage, Paul, for as thou didst fully testify the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so it behoveth thee also at Rome to testify.'

And day having come, certain of the Jews having made a concourse, did anathematize themselves, saying neither to eat nor to drink till they may kill Paul;

and they were more than forty who made this conspiracy by oath,

who having come near to the chief priests and to the elders said, `With an anathema we did anathematize ourselves--to taste nothing till we have killed Paul;