Paul before the Sanhedrin

1Paul behelde the counsell and sayde: men and brethre I have lived in all good coscience before God vntill this daye. 2The hye prest Ananias comaunded the that stode by to smyte him on the mouth. 3Then sayde Paul to him: God smyte the thou payntyd wall. Sittest thou and iudgest me after the lawe: and commaundest me to be smytten contrary to the lawe? 4And they that stode by sayde: revylest thou Goddes hye preste? 5Then sayd Paul: I wist not brethren that he was the hye preste. For it is writte thou shalt not curse the rular of thy people.

6When Paul perceaved that the one parte were Saduces and the other Pharises: he cryed oute in the counsell. Men and brethren I am a Pharisaye the sonne of a Pharisaye. Of the hope and resurreccion fro deeth I am iudged. 7And when he had so sayde ther arose a debate bitwene the Pharisayes and ye Saduces and the multitude was devided. 8For ye Saduces saye that ther is no resurreccio nether angell nor sprete. But the Pharisayes graunt bothe. 9And ther arose a great crye and the Scribes which were of the Pharisayes parte arose and strove sayinge: we fynde none evyll in this man. Though a sprete or an angell hath apered to him let vs not stryve agaynst God. 10And when ther arose greate debate the captayne fearynge lest Paul shuld have bene pluckt asondre of them comaunded the soudiers to goo doune and to take him from amonge them and to bringe him into the castle.

11The nyght folowyng God stode by him and sayde: Be of good cheare Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem so must thou beare witnes at Rome.

The Plot to Kill Paul
(John 16:1–4)

12When daye was come certayne of the Iewes gaddered them selves to geder and made a vowe sayinge that they wolde nether eate nor drinke till they had killed Paul. 13They were aboute .xl. which had made this conspiracio. 14And they cam to ye chefe prestes and elders and sayde: we have boude oure selves with a vowe that we will eate nothinge vntill we have slayne Paul. 15Now therfore geve ye knowlege to the vpper captayne and to the counsell that he bringe him forth vnto vs to morow as though we wolde knowe some thinge more perfectly of him. But we (or ever he come neare) are redy in ye meane season to kill him.

16When Pauls sisters sonne hearde of their layinge awayte he wet and entred into the castle and tolde Paul. 17And Paul called one of ye vnder captaynes vnto him and sayde: bringe this younge man vnto ye hye captayne: for he hath a certayne thinge to shewe him. 18And he toke him and sayd: Paul ye presoner called me vnto him and prayed me to brige this youge ma vnto ye which hath a certayne matter to shewe ye. 19The hye captayne toke him by the hond and wet a parte with him out of the waye: and axed him: what hast tho u to saye vnto me? 20And he sayd: the Iewes are determined to desyre the yt thou woldest brynge forth Paul to morowe into the counsell as though they wolde enquyre somwhat of him more parfectly. 21But folowe not their mindes: for ther lyein wayte for him of the moo then .xl. men which have boude the selves wt a vowe that they will nether eate ner drinke till they have killed him. And now are they redy and loke for thy promes. 22The vpper captayne let ye yoge man departe and charged: se thou tell it out to no man that thou hast shewed these thinges to me.

Paul Sent to Felix

23And he called vnto him two vnder captaynes sayinge: make redy two hondred soudiers to goo to Cesarea and horsmen threscore and ten and speare men two houndred at the thyrde houre of the nyght. 24And delyvre them beastes that they maye put Paul on and bringe him safe vnto Felix the hye debite 25and wrote a letter in this maner.

26Claudius Lisias vnto ye most mighty rular Felix sendeth gretinges.

27This man was take of the Iewes and shuld have bene killed of them. Then cam I with soudiers and rescued him and perceaved that he was a Romayne. 28And when I wolde have knowen the cause wherfore they accused him I brought him forth into their cousell. 29There perceaved I yt he was accused of questios of their lawe: but was not giltye of eny thinge worthy of deeth or of bondes.

30Afterwarde when it was shewed me how that ye Iewes layde wayte for ye man I sent him strayght waye to the and gave commaundmet to his accusars yf they had ought agaynst him to tell it vnto ye: fare well. 31Then ye soudiers as it was comaunded the toke Paul and brought him by nyght to Antipatras. 32On the morowe they lefte horsmen to goo with him and returned vnto the castle. 33Which when they cam to Cesarea they delivered the epistle to the debite and presented Paul before him. 34When the debite had redde the letter he axed of what countre he was and when he vnderstode that he was of Cicill 35I will heare the (sayde he) whe thyne accusars are come also: and commaunded him to be kepte in Herodes pallys.