Old/New Testament
16 Paul’s nephew (his sister’s son) heard of the plot. He went off, entered the barracks, and told Paul about it. 17 Paul called one of the centurions.
“Take this young man to the tribune,” he said. “He’s got something to tell him.”
18 So he took him off and brought him to the tribune.
“Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you,” he said. “Apparently he’s got something to tell you.”
19 So the tribune took the young man by the hand, and led him off into a private room.
“What is it you have to tell me?” he asked.
20 “The Judaeans have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow,” he said. “It will look as if they’re wanting to make a more thorough investigation about him. 21 But don’t do what they want! There are more than forty men who are setting an ambush for him, and they’ve sworn a solemn oath not to eat or drink until they’ve killed him. They are ready right now, waiting for the word from you!”
22 So the tribune dismissed the lad.
“Don’t tell anyone at all that you’ve told me about this,” he said.
We have ways of keeping you safe
23 So the tribune summoned two of the centurions.
“Get ready a squad of two hundred,” he said. “They’re going to Caesarea. Also take seventy horsemen and two hundred light-armed guards. They leave at nine o’clock tonight. 24 Get horses ready for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Felix the governor.”
25 He wrote a letter which went like this:
26 “Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greeting. 27 This man was seized by the Jews, who were going to kill him. When I learned that he was a Roman citizen I went with the guard and rescued him. 28 I wanted to know the charge on which they were accusing him, so I took him into their Sanhedrin. 29 There I discovered that he was being accused in relation to disputes about their law, but that he was not being charged with anything for which he would deserve to die or to be imprisoned. 30 I then received information that there was to be a plot against him. So I am sending him to you at once. I have told his accusers that they must inform you of their charges against him.”
31 So the soldiers did what they were told. They took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris, 32 and the next day they allowed the horsemen to go on with him while they returned to barracks. 33 The company arrived at Caesarea and handed over the letter to the governor, presenting Paul at the same time. 34 Felix read the letter, and asked which jurisdiction Paul was from. He found out that he was from Cilicia.
35 “I will hear your case,” he said, “when your accusers arrive.”
He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.