Acts 23:11-22 - The Plot Against Paul

¹¹ On the following night the Lord stood beside him and said, "Courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, you must testify in Rome also."

¹² In the morning, the Jews made a conspiracy and took an oath not to eat or drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty of them involved in this plot, ¹⁴ and they went to the high priests and elders and said to them, "We have taken a solemn oath not to touch anything to eat till we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ Now you and the council must suggest to the colonel that he should have Paul brought down to you, as you mean to look into his case more carefully, and we will be ready to kill him before he gets down."

¹⁶ But Paul's nephew heard of the plot, and he came and got into the barracks, and told Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the officers and said to him, "Take this young man to the colonel, for he has something to tell him."

¹⁸ So he took him to the colonel, and said, "The prisoner Paul called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you."

¹⁹ So the colonel took him by the arm and stepping aside where they could be alone, asked, "What is it that you have to tell me?"

²⁰ "The Jews," he answered, "have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, on the ground that you mean to have a fuller inquiry made into his case. ²¹ But do not let them persuade you, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, and they have taken an oath not to eat or drink till they have killed him. They are all ready now, and are only waiting to get your promise."

²² So the colonel sent the youth away, directing him not to tell anyone that he had given him this information.