Acts 23:11-24

And [that same] following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, Take courage, Paul, for as you have borne faithful witness concerning Me at Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. Now when daylight came, the Jews formed a plot and bound themselves by an oath and under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they had done away with Paul. There were more than forty [men of them], who formed this conspiracy [swearing together this oath and curse]. And they went to the chief priests and elders, saying, We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath and under a curse not to taste any food until we have slain Paul. So now you, along with the council (Sanhedrin), give notice to the commandant to bring [Paul] down to you, as if you were going to investigate his case more accurately. But we [ourselves] are ready to slay him before he comes near. But the son of Paul's sister heard of their intended attack, and he went and got into the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul, calling in one of the centurions, said, Take this young man to the commandant, for he has something to report to him. So he took him and conducted him to the commandant and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him and requested me to conduct this young man to you, for he has something to report to you. The commandant took him by the hand, and going aside with him, asked privately, What is it that you have to report to me? And he replied, The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council (Sanhedrin) tomorrow, as if [they were] intending to examine him more exactly. But do not yield to their persuasion, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush waiting for him, having bound themselves by an oath and under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him; and even now they are all ready, [just] waiting for your promise. So the commandant sent the youth away, charging him, Do not disclose to anyone that you have given me this information. Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, Have two hundred footmen ready by the third hour of the night (about 9:00 p.m.) to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. Also provide beasts for mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him in safety to Felix the governor.