19
The commander took him by the hand, led him aside privately and asked, "What is it you have to tell me?
20
He said, "The Judeans have agreed to ask you tomorrow to bring Sha'ul down to the Sanhedrin on the pretext that they want to investigate his case more thoroughly.
21
But don't let yourself be talked into it, because more than forty men are lying in wait for him. They have taken an oath neither to eat nor to drink until they kill him; and they are ready now, only waiting for you to give your consent to their request.
22
The commander let the young man go, cautioning him, "Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me."
23
Then he summoned two of the captains and said, "Get two hundred infantry soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o'clock tonight, and seventy mounted cavalry and two hundred spearmen;
24
also provide replacements for Sha'ul's horse when it gets tired; and bring him through safely to Felix the governor."
25
And the commander wrote the following letter:
26
From: Claudius Lysias To: His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings!
27
This man was seized by the Judeans and was about to be killed by them, when I came on the scene with my troops and rescued him. After learning that he was a Roman citizen,
28
I wanted to understand exactly what they were charging him with; so I brought him down to their "Sanhedrin."
29
I found that he was charged in connection with questions of their "Torah" but that there was no charge deserving death or prison.