Acts 23:16–35

¹⁶But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, ¹he came and entered ^athe barracks and reported it to Paul.

¹⁷And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Lead this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.”

¹⁸So he took him and led him to the ¹commander and ^*said, “Paul ^athe prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you.”

¹⁹And the ¹commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?”

²⁰And he said, “^aThe Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to ^bthe Sanhedrin, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more carefully about him.

²¹“So do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of them—who have ^abound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him—are ^blying in wait for him and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.”

²²So the commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.”

Paul Is Brought to Caesarea

²³And when he called to him two of the centurions, he said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers, ¹seventy horsemen, and two hundred ²spearmen to proceed to ^aCaesarea by the ³third hour of the night,

²⁴and provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to ^aFelix the governor.”

²⁵And he wrote a letter having this form:

²⁶“Claudius Lysias, to the ^amost excellent governor Felix, ^bgreetings.

²⁷“When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, ^aI came up to them with the troops and rescued him, ^bhaving learned that he was a Roman.

²⁸“And ^awanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I ^bbrought him down to their ^cSanhedrin;

²⁹and I found him to be accused over ^aquestions about their Law, but ¹under ^bno accusation deserving death or ²imprisonment.

³⁰“And when I was ^ainformed that there would be ^ba plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing ^chis accusers to speak against him before you.”

³¹So the soldiers, according to their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

³²But the next day, leaving ^athe horsemen to go on with him, they returned to ^bthe barracks.

³³When these had come to ^aCaesarea and delivered the letter to ^bthe governor, they also presented Paul to him.

³⁴And when he had read it, he asked from what ^aprovince he was, and when he learned that ^bhe was from Cilicia,

³⁵he said, “I will give you a hearing after your ^aaccusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be ^bkept in Herod’s ¹Praetorium.