16. When Paul's nephew heard about the plot, he went to the fortress and told Paul about it.
17. So Paul said to one of the army officers, “Take this young man to the commander. He has something to tell him.”
18. The officer took him to the commander and said, “The prisoner named Paul asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”
19. The commander took the young man aside and asked him in private, “What do you want to tell me?”
20. He answered, “Some men are planning to ask you to bring Paul down to the Jewish council tomorrow. They will claim that they want to find out more about him.
21. But please don't do what they say. More than forty men are going to attack Paul. They have made a vow not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him. Even now they are waiting to hear what you decide.”
22. The commander sent the young man away after saying to him, “Don't let anyone know that you told me this.”
23. The commander called in two of his officers and told them, “By nine o'clock tonight have two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea. Take along seventy men on horseback and two hundred foot soldiers with spears.
24. Get a horse ready for Paul and make sure that he gets safely through to Felix the governor.”
25. The commander wrote a letter that said:
26. Greetings from Claudius Lysias to the Honourable Governor Felix:
27. Some Jews grabbed this man and were about to kill him. But when I found out that he was a Roman citizen, I took some soldiers and rescued him.
28. I wanted to find out what they had against him. So I brought him before their council
29. and learnt that the charges concern only their religious laws. This man isn't guilty of anything for which he should die or even be put in jail.
30. As soon as I learnt that there was a plot against him, I sent him to you and told their leaders to bring charges against him in your court.
31. The soldiers obeyed the commander's orders, and that same night they took Paul to the city of Antipatris.
32. The next day the foot soldiers returned to the fortress and let the soldiers on horseback take him the rest of the way.