Acts 23:11-22 - The Plot Against Paul

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Have courage, for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."

¹² When morning came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. ¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to partake of anything until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ So now you and the council request the commanding officer to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine his case by conducting a more thorough inquiry. We are ready to kill him before he comes near this place."

¹⁶ But when the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, he came and entered the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷ Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to report to him."

¹⁸ So the centurion took him and brought him to the commanding officer and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."

¹⁹ The commanding officer took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, "What is it that you want to report to me?"

²⁰ He replied, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him. ²¹ So do not let them persuade you to do this, because more than forty of them are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request."

²² Then the commanding officer sent the young man away, directing him, "Tell no one that you have reported these things to me."