Acts 23:23-35

Christian Standard Bible

To Caesarea by Night

²³ He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.^{[a](A) 24} Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”

²⁵ He wrote the following letter:^[b]

²⁶ Claudius Lysias,

To the most excellent governor Felix:

Greetings.^(B)

²⁷ When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.^{(C) 28} Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. ²⁹ I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law,^(D) and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment.^{(E) 30} When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,^[c](F) I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers^(G) to state their case against him in your presence.^[d]

³¹ So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. ³² The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. ³³ When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.^{(H) 34} After he^[e] read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia,^{(I) 35} he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.^[f](J)