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JULY 23
3 For my soul is full of troubles, as though they were going to inquire more
And my life draws near to the grave. fully about him. But do not yield to them, for
21
4 I am counted with those who go down more than forty of them lie in wait for him,
to the pit; men who have bound themselves by an oath
I am like a man who has no strength, that they will neither eat nor drink till they
5 Adrift among the dead, have killed him; and now they are ready, wait-
Like the slain who lie in the grave, ing for the promise from you.”
Whom You remember no more, 22 So the commander let the young man
And who are cut off from Your hand. depart, and commanded him, “Tell no one
that you have revealed these things to me.”
23 And he called for two centurions, saying,
“Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horse-
men, and two hundred spearmen to go to
88:4 go down to the pit.“Pit”is one of sever- 24
al references to the grave in this psalm (the Caesarea at the third hour of the night; and
dead, vv. 5, 10; the grave, vv. 3, 5, 11; place of provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him
25
destruction, v. 11). safely to Felix the governor.” He wrote a let-
ter in the following manner:
26 Claudius Lysias,
Proverbs 21:21–22
To the most excellent governor Felix:
21 He who follows righteousness, and
mercy Greetings.
Finds life, righteousness, and honor. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and
was about to be killed by them.
22 A wise man scales the city of the
mighty, Coming with the troops I rescued him,
And brings down the trusted having learned that he was a Roman.
And when I wanted to know the
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stronghold.
reason they accused him, I brought
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Acts 23:16–35 him before their council. I found out
that he was accused concerning
16 So when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their
ambush, he went and entered the barracks and questions of their law, but had nothing
charged against him deserving of death
told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centuri- or chains. And when it was told me
17
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ons to him and said, “Take this young man to that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I
the commander, for he has something to tell sent him immediately to you, and also
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him.” So he took him and brought him to the commanded his accusers to state before
commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called you the charges against him.
me to him and asked me to bring this young
man to you. He has something to say to you.” Farewell.
19 Then the commander took him by the
hand, went aside, and asked privately, “What
is it that you have to tell me?”
20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask 23:27 having learned that he was a Roman.
that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, Actually, Lysias did not find this out until after
he arrested Paul (22:25,26). Lysias sought to
portray himself in the best possible light before
the governor.For that reason,he also neglected
to mention his order to have Paul scourged
23:16 Paul’s sister’s son. The only clear refer- (22:24) and his mistaken assumption that he
ence in Scripture to Paul’s family. Why he was was the notorious Egyptian assassin (21:38).
in Jerusalem, away from the family home in
Tarsus, is not known. Nor is it evident why he
would want to warn his uncle, since Paul’s 31 Then the soldiers, as they were com-
family possibly disinherited him when he manded, took Paul and brought him by night
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became a Christian (Phil. 3:8). entered the to Antipatris. The next day they left the
barracks and told Paul. Since Paul was not horsemen to go on with him, and returned to
under arrest,but merely in protective custody, the barracks. When they came to Caesarea
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he was able to receive visitors. and had delivered the letter to the governor,
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they also presented Paul to him. And when
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