re do ye with the council {446} request the chief
captain to bring him down unto you, as though ye would judge of his case
more exactly: and we, before he comes near, are ready to slay him."

But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and
entered into the castle, and told Paul. And Paul called unto him one of
the centurions, and said, "Bring this young man unto the chief captain:
for he hath something to tell him."

So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and saith, "Paul
the prisoner called me unto him, and asked me to bring this young man
unto thee, who hath something to say to thee."

And the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside asked him
privately, "What hast thou to tell me?"

And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask thee to bring down Paul
to-morrow unto the council, as though thou wouldest inquire somewhat
more exactly concerning him. Do not thou therefore yield unto them: for
there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who have bound
themselves by an oath, neither to eat nor to drink till they have slain
him: and now are they ready, looking for the promise from thee."

So the chief captain let the young man go, charging him, "Tell no man
that thou hast informed me of this."

And he called unto him two of the centurions, and said, "Make ready two
hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and
ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night."

And he bade them provide a beast for Paul to ride on, {447} and bring
him safe unto Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter after this
form:--

"_Claudius Lysias unto the Most Excellent Governor Felix, greeting_:--

"_This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be slain by them,
when I came upon them with the soldiers, and rescued him, having
learned that he was a Roman. And desiring to know why they accused
him, I brought him down unto their council: whom I found to be accused
about questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge
worthy of death or of bonds. And when it was shown to me that there
would be a plot against the man, I sent him to thee forthwith,
charging his accusers also to speak against him before thee_."

So the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by
night to Antipatris. But on the morrow they left the horsemen to go with
him, and returned to the castle: and they, when they came to