Paulus
The Conspiracy Against Paul and His Rescue
More than forty men took an oath to kill Paul, but his sister's son exposed the plot. The commander Claudius Lysias sent Paul safely to Caesarea under heavy military escort with a letter to the governor Felix.
Apostlagärningarna 23,12-35
12When morning came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
Γενομένης δὲ ἡμέρας ποιήσαντες ⸂συστροφὴν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι⸃ ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς λέγοντες μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀποκτείνωσιν τὸν Παῦλον.
13More than forty men were involved in this plot.
ἦσαν δὲ πλείους τεσσεράκοντα οἱ ταύτην τὴν συνωμοσίαν ⸀ποιησάμενοι·
14They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves by a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
οἵτινες προσελθόντες τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις εἶπαν· Ἀναθέματι ἀνεθεματίσαμεν ἑαυτοὺς μηδενὸς γεύσασθαι ἕως οὗ ἀποκτείνωμεν τὸν Παῦλον.
15So now, you and the council petition the commander to bring him down to you, as though you intend to examine his case more closely. And we will be ready to kill him before he arrives."
νῦν οὖν ὑμεῖς ἐμφανίσατε τῷ χιλιάρχῳ σὺν τῷ συνεδρίῳ ⸀ὅπως ⸂καταγάγῃ αὐτὸν εἰς⸃ ὑμᾶς ὡς μέλλοντας διαγινώσκειν ἀκριβέστερον τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἡμεῖς δὲ πρὸ τοῦ ἐγγίσαι αὐτὸν ἕτοιμοί ἐσμεν τοῦ ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν.
16But the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, so he went to the barracks and told Paul.
Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀδελφῆς Παύλου ⸂τὴν ἐνέδραν⸃ παραγενόμενος καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ Παύλῳ.
17Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to report to him."
προσκαλεσάμενος δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ἕνα τῶν ἑκατονταρχῶν ἔφη· Τὸν νεανίαν τοῦτον ⸀ἄπαγε πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον, ἔχει γὰρ ⸂ἀπαγγεῖλαί τι⸃ αὐτῷ.
18So the centurion took him along and brought him to the commander, saying, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, since he has something to tell you."
ὁ μὲν οὖν παραλαβὼν αὐτὸν ἤγαγεν πρὸς τὸν χιλίαρχον καὶ φησίν· Ὁ δέσμιος Παῦλος προσκαλεσάμενός με ἠρώτησεν τοῦτον τὸν ⸀νεανίαν ἀγαγεῖν πρὸς σέ, ἔχοντά τι λαλῆσαί σοι.
19The commander took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, "What is it you have to report to me?"
ἐπιλαβόμενος δὲ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ὁ χιλίαρχος καὶ ἀναχωρήσας κατʼ ἰδίαν ἐπυνθάνετο· Τί ἐστιν ὃ ἔχεις ἀπαγγεῖλαί μοι;
20He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, on the pretext of inquiring more closely into his case.
εἶπεν δὲ ὅτι Οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι συνέθεντο τοῦ ἐρωτῆσαί σε ὅπως αὔριον ⸂τὸν Παῦλον καταγάγῃς εἰς τὸ συνέδριον⸃ ὡς ⸀μέλλον τι ἀκριβέστερον πυνθάνεσθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ·
21Do not let them persuade you. More than forty of them are lying in ambush for him, men who have sworn an oath neither to eat nor drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent."
σὺ οὖν μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς, ἐνεδρεύουσιν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες πλείους τεσσεράκοντα, οἵτινες ἀνεθεμάτισαν ἑαυτοὺς μήτε φαγεῖν μήτε πιεῖν ἕως οὗ ἀνέλωσιν αὐτόν, καὶ νῦν ⸂εἰσιν ἕτοιμοι⸃ προσδεχόμενοι τὴν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐπαγγελίαν.
22The commander dismissed the young man with the order, "Tell no one that you have reported this to me."
ὁ μὲν οὖν χιλίαρχος ἀπέλυσε τὸν ⸀νεανίσκον παραγγείλας μηδενὶ ἐκλαλῆσαι ὅτι ταῦτα ἐνεφάνισας πρὸς ⸀ἐμέ.
23Then he summoned two of his centurions and said, "Have two hundred soldiers ready to march to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, by nine o'clock tonight.[^1]"
[^1]: Literally "the third hour of the night," counting from about six in the evening.
Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενός ⸂τινας δύο⸃ τῶν ἑκατονταρχῶν εἶπεν· Ἑτοιμάσατε στρατιώτας διακοσίους ὅπως πορευθῶσιν ἕως Καισαρείας, καὶ ἱππεῖς ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ δεξιολάβους διακοσίους, ἀπὸ τρίτης ὥρας τῆς νυκτός,
24Also provide mounts for Paul, so that he may be brought safely to Felix the governor."
κτήνη τε παραστῆσαι ἵνα ἐπιβιβάσαντες τὸν Παῦλον διασώσωσι πρὸς Φήλικα τὸν ἡγεμόνα,
25And he wrote a letter to this effect:
γράψας ἐπιστολὴν ⸀ἔχουσαν τὸν τύπον τοῦτον·
26Claudius Lysias, to His Excellency Governor Felix: Greetings.
Κλαύδιος Λυσίας τῷ κρατίστῳ ἡγεμόνι Φήλικι χαίρειν.
27This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.
τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον συλλημφθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ μέλλοντα ἀναιρεῖσθαι ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἐπιστὰς σὺν τῷ στρατεύματι ⸀ἐξειλάμην, μαθὼν ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστιν,
28Wanting to know the charge on which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council.
βουλόμενός ⸀τε ⸀ἐπιγνῶναι τὴν αἰτίαν διʼ ἣν ἐνεκάλουν αὐτῷ, ⸀κατήγαγον εἰς τὸ συνέδριον αὐτῶν.
29I found that the accusations concerned disputes about their own law, and that he was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.
ὃν εὗρον ἐγκαλούμενον περὶ ζητημάτων τοῦ νόμου αὐτῶν, μηδὲν ⸀δὲ ἄξιον θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ⸂ἔχοντα ἔγκλημα⸃.
30When I was informed that there was to be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, instructing his accusers to state their case against him before you.
μηνυθείσης δέ μοι ἐπιβουλῆς εἰς τὸν ⸀ἄνδρα ἔσεσθαι ⸀ἐξαυτῆς ἔπεμψα πρὸς σέ, παραγγείλας καὶ τοῖς κατηγόροις ⸀λέγειν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπὶ ⸀σοῦ.
31So the soldiers, following their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
Οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατιῶται κατὰ τὸ διατεταγμένον αὐτοῖς ἀναλαβόντες τὸν Παῦλον ἤγαγον ⸀διὰ νυκτὸς εἰς τὴν Ἀντιπατρίδα·
32The next day they let the horsemen go on with him and returned to the barracks.
τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἐάσαντες τοὺς ἱππεῖς ⸀ἀπέρχεσθαι σὺν αὐτῷ ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν·
33When the horsemen came to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.
οἵτινες εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὴν Καισάρειαν καὶ ἀναδόντες τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῷ ἡγεμόνι παρέστησαν καὶ τὸν Παῦλον αὐτῷ.
34After reading the letter, he asked what province Paul was from, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said,
ἀναγνοὺς ⸀δὲ καὶ ἐπερωτήσας ἐκ ποίας ⸀ἐπαρχείας ἐστὶν καὶ πυθόμενος ὅτι ἀπὸ Κιλικίας,
35"I will hear your case when your accusers arrive." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.
Διακούσομαί σου, ἔφη, ὅταν καὶ οἱ κατήγοροί σου παραγένωνται· ⸀κελεύσας ἐν τῷ πραιτωρίῳ ⸀τοῦ Ἡρῴδου φυλάσσεσθαι ⸀αὐτόν.