12
When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
13
There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy.
14
They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
15
Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near."
16
But Paul`s sister`s son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.
17
Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, "Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him."
18
So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called me to himself, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you."
19
The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
20
He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring down Paul tomorrow to the council, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.
21
Therefore don`t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you."
22
So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, "Tell no one that you have told these things to me."
23
He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, "Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night."
24
He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix, the governor.
25
He wrote a letter like this:
26
"Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
27
"This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came on them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.