Do you listen in on God’s secret council? ¹  Do you limit ²  wisdom to yourself?

When day came, the council of the elders of the people gathered together, both the chief priests and the experts in the law. ¹  Then ²  they led Jesus ³  away to their council ⁴ 

Now ¹  there was a man named Joseph who was a member of the council, ²  a good and righteous man.

Now a certain man, a Pharisee ¹  named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, ² 

But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, ¹  they began to confer with one another,

When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, ¹  and the high priest questioned ²  them,

Since I wanted to know ¹  what charge they were accusing him of, ²  I brought him down to their council. ³ 

Or these men here ¹  should tell what crime ²  they found me guilty of ³  when I stood before the council, ⁴ 

Then, after conferring with his council, ¹  Festus ²  replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; ³  to Caesar ⁴  you will go!” ⁵ 

So the chief priests and the Pharisees ¹  called the council ²  together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs.

Then he said to the council, ¹  “Men of Israel, ²  pay close attention to ³  what you are about to do to these men.

So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy ¹  to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. ² 

They incited the people, the ¹  elders, and the experts in the law; ²  then they approached Stephen, ³  seized him, and brought him before the council. ⁴ 

All ¹  who were sitting in the council ²  looked intently at Stephen ³  and saw his face was like the face of an angel. ⁴ 

Paul looked directly ¹  at the council ²  and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience ³  before God to this day.”

He replied, ¹  “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council ²  tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him.

O my soul, do not come into their council, do not be united to their assembly, my heart, ¹  for in their anger they have killed men, and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen.

But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother ¹  will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults ²  a brother will be brought before ³  the council, ⁴  and whoever says ‘Fool’ ⁵  will be sent ⁶  to fiery hell. ⁷ 

Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, ¹  who was himself looking forward to ²  the kingdom of God, ³  went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴ 

But a Pharisee ¹  whose name was Gamaliel, ²  a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up ³  in the council ⁴  and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time.