Acts 23:12-35
Revised Geneva Translation
12 And when the day had come, some of the Jews assembled and bound themselves with a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
13 And there were more than forty of them who hatched this plot.
14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn curse, that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul.
15 “Now therefore, you and the Council send word to the chief captain as though you wanted to inquire further about him, so that he will bring him forth to you tomorrow. And we will be ready to kill him before he comes near.”
16 But when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul.
17 And Paul called one of the Centurions to him, and said, “Take this young man to the chief captain. For he has something to tell him.”
18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, “Paul, the prisoner, called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.”
19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went away with him alone, and asked him, “What have you to tell me?”
20 And he said, “The Jews have conspired to ask if you would bring forth Paul tomorrow into the Council, as though they would inquire further about him.
21 “But do not let them persuade you. For they have set an ambush for him, more than forty men, who have bound themselves with a curse that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready and await your promise.”
22 The chief captain then let the young man go, after he had instructed him to tell no one that he had told him these things.
23 And he called two certain Centurions to him, saying, “Prepare two hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night.
24 “And let them make horses ready. So that, being set upon, Paul he may be safely brought to Felix the Governor.”
25 And he wrote a letter in this manner:
26 “Claudius Lysias, to the most noble Governor Felix, sends greeting.
27 “As this man was taken by the Jews, and would have been killed by them, I came upon them with a garrison, and rescued him, perceiving that he was a Roman.
28 “And when I wanted to know the reason why they accused him, I brought him forth into their Council.
29 “I perceived that he was accused about questions of their Law, but had no crime worthy of death, or of bonds.
30 “And when it was told to me that the Jews had prepared an ambush for the man, I immediately sent him to you, and commanded his accusers to state before you the things which they had against him. Farewell.”
31 Then, as commanded, the soldiers took Paul by night and brought him to Antipatris.
32 And the next day, they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned into the Castle.
33 Now when they came to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the Governor, and also presented Paul to him.
34 So, after the Governor had read it, he asked from what province he was. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia,
35 he said, “I will hear you once your accusers have also come.” And he commanded that he be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.
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