Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹² Then Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and see, my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”

¹³ “Good!” said David. “I will cut a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you will not see my face unless you first bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see my face.”

¹⁴ Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ish-bosheth demanding, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for 100 Philistine foreskins.” ¹⁵ So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish. ¹⁶ But her husband accompanied her, weeping as he went, and followed her as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return!” So he returned.

Conspiracy to Kill Paul

¹² When it was day, the Judean leaders formed a conspiracy. They bound themselves by an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty who formed this plot. ¹⁴ They went to the ruling kohanim and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ So now you and the Sanhedrin serve notice to the commander to bring him down to you—like you are about to investigate his case more thoroughly. But we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

¹⁶ But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush. He went into the headquarters and told Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has a message for him.”

¹⁸ So the centurion took him and led him to the commander and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.”

¹⁹ The commander took him by the hand, stepped aside, and began asking him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?”

²⁰ And he said, “The Judean leaders have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow—as if they are about to investigate more thoroughly about him. ²¹ But do not give in to them, for more than forty of them have bound themselves by an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Even now, they are ready and waiting for your consent.”

²² So the commander dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me about these things.”

Escorted to Caesarea

²³ Calling two of his centurions, he said, “At the third hour of the night,^[a] prepare two hundred soldiers, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, to proceed as far as Caesarea. ²⁴ Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, so that he might be brought safely to Felix the governor.”

²⁵ He wrote a letter to this effect:

²⁶ “Claudius Lysias,

To the Most Excellent Governor Felix:

Greetings!

²⁷ This man was seized by the Judean leaders and was about to be killed by them, when I came on the scene with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman citizen. ²⁸ Desiring to know the charge of which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin. ²⁹ I found that he was accused concerning issues of their law, but charged with nothing worthy of death or imprisonment. ³⁰ When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, also ordering his accusers to state before you what they have against him.”

³¹ So the soldiers, in keeping with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. ³² On the next day, they returned to headquarters, leaving the horsemen to go on with him. ³³ When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul before him. ³⁴ Upon reading the letter, the governor asked what province he was from. When he learned that Paul was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers have arrived also.” Then he gave orders for Paul to be guarded in Herod’s Praetorium.