Acts 23:23-35

GOD’S WORD Translation

²³ Then the officer summoned two of his sergeants and told them, “I want 200 infantrymen, 70 soldiers on horseback, and 200 soldiers with spears. Have them ready to go to Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight. ²⁴ Provide an animal for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Governor Felix.” ²⁵ The officer wrote a letter to the governor with the following message:

²⁶ Claudius Lysias sends greetings to Your Excellency, Governor Felix:

²⁷ The Jews had seized this man and were going to murder him. When I found out that he was a Roman citizen, I went with my soldiers to rescue him. ²⁸ I wanted to know what they had against him. So I took him to their Jewish council ²⁹ and found their accusations had to do with disputes about their own laws. He wasn’t accused of anything for which he deserved to die or to be put into prison. ³⁰ Since I was informed that there was a plot against this man, I immediately sent him to you. I have also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in front of you.

³¹ So the infantrymen did as they had been ordered. They took Paul to the city of Antipatris during the night. ³² They returned to their barracks the next day and let the soldiers on horseback travel with Paul. ³³ When the soldiers arrived in the city of Caesarea with Paul, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.

³⁴ After the governor had read the letter, he asked Paul which province he was from. When he found out that Paul was from the province of Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I’ll hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then the governor gave orders to keep Paul under guard in Herod’s palace.