Acts 23:23-35

New International Version

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

²³Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen^[a] to go to Caesarea^(A) at nine tonight.^(B) ²⁴Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”^(C)

²⁵He wrote a letter as follows:

²⁶Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency,^(D) Governor Felix:

Greetings.^(E)

²⁷This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him,^(F) but I came with my troops and rescued him,^(G) for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.^(H) ²⁸I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.^(I) ²⁹I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law,^(J) but there was no charge against him^(K) that deserved death or imprisonment. ³⁰When I was informed^(L) of a plot^(M) to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers^(N) to present to you their case against him.

³¹So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. ³²The next day they let the cavalry^(O) go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.^(P) ³³When the cavalry^(Q) arrived in Caesarea,^(R) they delivered the letter to the governor^(S) and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,^(T) ³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers^(U) get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard^(V) in Herod’s palace.