The Bible and Holy Scriptures conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. Translated according to the Ebrue and Greke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languges. VVith moste profitable annotations vpon all the hard places, and other things of great importance as may appeare in the epistle to the reader

CHAP. XXIII.

3 The answer of Paul being smit, and the ouerthrowe of his enemies. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 The Lord encourageth him. 23 And becau se the Iewes layed waite for him, he is sent to Cesarea.

1 ANd Paul behelde earnestly the Council, and sayd, Men (and) brethren, I haue in all good conscience serued GOD vntil this daye.

2 Then the hie Priest Ananias commanded thē that stode by, to smite him on the mouth.

3 Then said Paul to him, Goda 1.1 will smite thee, thou whited wall: for thou sittest to iudge me accordyng to the Law, and commaundest thou me to be smiten contrary to the Law?

4 And they that stode by, sayd, Reuilest thou Gods hie Priest?

5 Then say de Paul, Ib 1.2 knewe not, brethren, that he was the hie Priest: for it is written, * Thou shalte not spake euill of the Ruler of thy people.* 1.3

6 But when Paul perceiued that the one parte were of the Sadduces, and the other of the Pharises, he cried in the Council, Men (and) brethren, * I am a Pharise, the sonne of a Pha rise: I am accused of the hope andc 1.4 resurre∣ction of the dead.* 1.5

7 And whē he had said this, there was a dissen* 1.6 sion betwene the Pharises and the Sadduces, so that the multitude was deuided.

8 * For the Sadduces say that there is no resur∣rection, nether Angel, nor spirit: but the Pha risses confessed 1.7 bothe.

9 Then there was a great crye: and the Scribes of the Pharises parte rose vp, and stroue, say∣ing, We finde none euill in this man: but if a spirit or an Angel hathe spoken to him, let vs not fight against God.

20 And when there was a great dissension, the chief captaine, fearing lest Paul shulde haue bene pulled in pieces of them, commaun∣ded the souldiers to go do wne, and to take him from among them, and to bring him in∣to the castel.

11 ¶ Now the night following the Lord stode by hym, and said, Be of good courage, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Ierusalem: so must thou beare witnes also at Rome.

12 And when the day was come, certeine of the Iewes made an assemblie, and bounde thē sel ues with ane 1.8 othe, saying, that they wold ne ther eat nor drinke, til they had killed Paul.

13 And they were more then fourtie, whiche had made this conspiracie.

14 And they came to the chief Priests and El∣ders, and sayd, We haue bounde our selues with a solēne othe, that we will eat nothing, vntill we haue slaine Paul.

15 Nowe therefore, ye and the Council signi∣fie to the chief Captaine, that he bring him for the vnto you to morowe, as thogh ye wolde knowe some thynge more perfitely of him, and we, or euer he come nere, wil be readie to kil him.

16 But when Pauls sistersf 1.9 sonne heard of their laying await, he went, and entred into the castle, and tolde Paul.

17 And Paul called one of the Centurions vnto him, and said, Bring thys yong man vnto the chief captaine: for he hathe a certeine thing to she we him.

18 So he toke hym, and broght hym to the chief Captaine, and sayd, Paul the prisoner called me vnto him, and prayed me to bryng this yong man vnto thee, which hath some thing to say vnto thee.

19 Thē the chief captaine to ke him by the hād, and went aparte with him alone, and asked

him, What hast thou to shewe me?

20 And he said. The Iewes haue conspired to desire thee, that thou woldest bring for the Paul to morow into the Council, as thogh they wolde inquire some what of him more perfitely.

21 But let them not persuade thee: for there lie in waite for him of them, more then fourtie men, whiche haue bounde them selues with an othe, that they wil nether eat nor drinke, til they haue killed him: and now are they readie, and wait for thy promes.

22 The chief captaine then let the yong man departe, and charged him to speake it to no man, that he had” 1.10 shewed him these things.

23 And he called vnto him two certeine Cen∣turions, saying, Make readie two hundreth souldiers, that they may go to Cesarea, and horsmen thre score and ten, and two hun∣dreth, with dartes at the thirde houre of the night.

24 And let thē make readie an horse that Paul being seton, may be broght safe vnto Felix the Gouernour.

25 And he wrote ang 1.11 epistle in this maner.

26 Claudius Lysias vnto the moste noble Go∣uernour Felix sendeth greting.

27 As this man was taken of the Iewes, and shulde haue bene killed of them, I came vpō them with the garison, and rescued him,h 1.12 per ceiuing that he was a Romaine.

28 And when I wolde haue knowen the cause wherefore they accused him, I broght him for the into their council.

29 (There) I perceiued that he was accused of questions of their Law, but had no crime worthie of death, or of bondes.

30 And when it was shewed me, how that the Iewes laid wait for the mā, I sent (him) straight way to thee, and commaunded his accusers to speake before thee the things that they had against him. Fare wel.

31 Then the souldiers as it was commaunded them, toke Paul, and broght him by night to Antipatris.

32 And the next day, they left the horsmē to go with him, and returned vnto the castel.

33 Now when they came to Cesarea, they de∣liuered the epistle to the Gouernour, and presented Paul also vnto him.

34 So when the Gouernour had red it, he asked of whati 1.13 prouince he was: & when he vnder stode that he was of Cilicia,

35 I wil heare thee, said he, whē thine accusers also are come, and commaunded him to be kept in Herodes iudgement hall.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Paul doeth not curse the hye Priest, but de∣nounceth sharp∣ly the punishe∣ment of GOD whiche shulde light vpon him, who vnder pre∣tence of maintei nyng the Lawe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 transgres∣se it.
• b 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 made this excuse as it were in mockerie, as if he wolde say, I knowe nothing in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 man wor thie the office of the hie Priest.
• * 1.3

  Exod. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• c 1.4

  He denieth not but there were other points, but he expresseth that for the whi che the Sadduces that were the chief 〈◊〉〈◊〉, hated hī most for Mat. 22. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.5

  Phili 3 5.
• * 1.6

  Chap. 24. 22.
• d 1.7

  Vnderstanding both-kindes, the Angels 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which he concludeth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 one, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 whi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is the other 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• e 1.8

  The worde si∣gnifieth cursing, as when a man either 〈◊〉〈◊〉, vo weth or wi∣s heth him self 〈◊〉〈◊〉 die, or to be giuē to the deuill, ex∣cept 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bring 〈◊〉〈◊〉 purpose to passe.
• f 1.9

  This declareth that God hath so many meanes to deliuer his chil∣dren out of dan∣ger as there are creatures in the worlde, so that the aduersaries can not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thē, but he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 infinite meanes to defeat 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wicked 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• ” 1.10

  Greke, that thou 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 these things to me.
• g 1.11

  This letter was writ partely in the fauour of Paul, that his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 might not oppresse him
• h 1.12

  The Captaine dissembleth to cōmend his own diligence: for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 did not knowe that Paul was a Romain before he had rescued him, and giuen him to be straict∣ly 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• i 1.13

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 this name the Romaines called euerie coū trey which they had subdued.