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Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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THE MESSAGE

Acts 23:18

The centurion brought him to the captain and said, "The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He said he has something urgent to tell you."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Change of Venue;   Claudius Lysius;   Minister, Christian;   Paul;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Centurion;   Soldier;   War;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Lysias Claudius;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Ambush;   Letter;   Persecution in the Bible;   Prison, Prisoners;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Caesarea;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Captain;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Claudius;   Paul;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”
King James Version (1611)
So he took him, and brought him to the chiefe captaine, and said, Paul the prisoner called me vnto him, and praied mee to bring this yong man vnto thee, who hath something to say vnto thee.
King James Version
So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.
English Standard Version
So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, "Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you."
New American Standard Bible
So he took him and led him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called me over to him and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."
New Century Version
So the officer brought Paul's nephew to the commander and said, "The prisoner, Paul, asked me to bring this young man to you. He wants to tell you something."
Amplified Bible
So he took him and led him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So he took him and led him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you."
Legacy Standard Bible
So he took him and led him to the commander and *said, "Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you."
Berean Standard Bible
So the centurion took him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you."
Contemporary English Version
The officer took him to the commander and said, "The prisoner named Paul asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."
Complete Jewish Bible
So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, "The prisoner Sha'ul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."
Darby Translation
He therefore, having taken him with [him], led him to the chiliarch, and says, The prisoner Paul called me to [him] and asked me to lead this youth to thee, who has something to say to thee.
Easy-to-Read Version
So the army officer brought Paul's nephew to the commander. The officer said, "The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you."
Geneva Bible (1587)
So hee tooke him, and brought him to the chiefe captaine, and saide, Paul the prisoner called mee vnto him, and prayed mee to bring this yong man vnto thee, which hath some thing to say vnto thee.
George Lamsa Translation
So the centurion took the young man, and brought him to the chief captain and said, Paul, the prisoner, called me and begged me to bring this young man to you, for he has something to tell you.
Good News Translation
The officer took him, led him to the commander, and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to say to you."
Lexham English Bible
So he took him and brought him to the military tribune and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."
Literal Translation
Then indeed taking him, he brought him to the chiliarch and said, Paul the prisoner having called me near asked me to bring this young man to you, having a thing to tell you.
American Standard Version
So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and saith, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and asked me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say to thee.
Bible in Basic English
So he took him to the chief captain and said, Paul, the prisoner, made a request to me to take this young man to you, for he has something to say to you.
Hebrew Names Version
So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, "Sha'ul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you."
International Standard Version
So he took him, brought him to the tribune, and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you."
Etheridge Translation
And the centurion conducted the youth, and introduced him to the tribune, and said, Paulos the prisoner called me, and requested of me to bring this youth to thee, because he hath somewhat to tell thee.
Murdock Translation
And the centurion took the young man, and introduced him to the Chiliarch, and said: Paul the prisoner called me, and requested me to bring this youth to thee, for he hath something to tell thee.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he toke hym, and brought hym to the hye captayne, and sayde: Paul the prisoner called me vnto him, and prayed me to bryng this young man vnto thee, which hath a certayne matter to shewe thee.
English Revised Version
So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and saith, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and asked me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say to thee.
World English Bible
So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called me to himself, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
So he took and led him to the tribune, and said, Paul the prisoner, calling me to him, desired me, to bring this young man to thee, who hath something to tell thee.
Weymouth's New Testament
So he took him and brought him to the Tribune, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called me to him and begged me to bring this youth to you, because he has something to say to you."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he took hym, and ledde to the tribune, and seide, Poul, that is boundun, preide me to lede to thee this yonge man, that hath sum thing to speke to thee.
Update Bible Version
So he took him, and brought him to the colonel, and says, Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to say to you.
Webster's Bible Translation
So he took him, and brought [him] to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me to [him], and prayed me to bring this young man to thee, who hath something to say to thee.
New English Translation
So the centurion took him and brought him to the commanding officer and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."
New King James Version
So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you."
New Living Translation
So the officer did, explaining, "Paul, the prisoner, called me over and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you."
New Life Bible
The soldiers brought the young man to the captain and said, "Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you."
New Revised Standard
So he took him, brought him to the tribune, and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you; he has something to tell you."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He, therefore, taking him with him, brought him unto the captain, and saith - The prisoner Paul, calling me unto him, requested me to bring this young man unto thee, as having somewhat to tell thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he, taking him, brought him to the tribune and said: Paul, the prisoner, desired me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath some thing to say to thee.
Revised Standard Version
So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, "Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he toke him and sayd: Paul ye presoner called me vnto him and prayed me to brige this youge ma vnto ye which hath a certayne matter to shewe ye.
Young's Literal Translation
He indeed, then, having taken him, brought him unto the chief captain, and saith, `The prisoner Paul, having called me near, asked [me] this young man to bring unto thee, having something to say to thee.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He toke him, and broughte him to the vpper captayne, and sayde: Paul the presoner called me vnto him, and prayed me to brynge to the this yonge man, which hath somwhat to saye vnto the.
Mace New Testament (1729)
accordingly he went along with him, and having introduc'd him to the tribune, he said, Paul, who is in custody sent for me, and desired me to introduce this young man, who has something to tell you.
Simplified Cowboy Version
The officer took the young boy to the commander and the officer whispered in the commander's ear, "Paul, the prisoner, said it was a life and death matter that this boy be allowed to speak to you."

Contextual Overview

12Next day the Jews worked up a plot against Paul. They took a solemn oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed him. Over forty of them ritually bound themselves to this murder pact and presented themselves to the high priests and religious leaders. "We've bound ourselves by a solemn oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. But we need your help. Send a request from the council to the captain to bring Paul back so that you can investigate the charges in more detail. We'll do the rest. Before he gets anywhere near you, we'll have killed him. You won't be involved." 16Paul's nephew, his sister's son, overheard them plotting the ambush. He went immediately to the barracks and told Paul. Paul called over one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the captain. He has something important to tell him." 18 The centurion brought him to the captain and said, "The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He said he has something urgent to tell you." 19 The captain took him by the arm and led him aside privately. "What is it? What do you have to tell me?" 20Paul's nephew said, "The Jews have worked up a plot against Paul. They're going to ask you to bring Paul to the council first thing in the morning on the pretext that they want to investigate the charges against him in more detail. But it's a trick to get him out of your safekeeping so they can murder him. Right now there are more than forty men lying in ambush for him. They've all taken a vow to neither eat nor drink until they've killed him. The ambush is set—all they're waiting for is for you to send him over." 22 The captain dismissed the nephew with a warning: "Don't breathe a word of this to a soul." 23The captain called up two centurions. "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go immediately to Caesarea. Also seventy cavalry and two hundred light infantry. I want them ready to march by nine o'clock tonight. And you'll need a couple of mules for Paul and his gear. We're going to present this man safe and sound to Governor Felix." 25Then he wrote this letter: From Claudius Lysias, to the Most Honorable Governor Felix: Greetings! I rescued this man from a Jewish mob. They had seized him and were about to kill him when I learned that he was a Roman citizen. So I sent in my soldiers. Wanting to know what he had done wrong, I had him brought before their council. It turned out to be a squabble turned vicious over some of their religious differences, but nothing remotely criminal. The next thing I knew, they had cooked up a plot to murder him. I decided that for his own safety I'd better get him out of here in a hurry. So I'm sending him to you. I'm informing his accusers that he's now under your jurisdiction. 31The soldiers, following orders, took Paul that same night to safety in Antipatris. In the morning the soldiers returned to their barracks in Jerusalem, sending Paul on to Caesarea under guard of the cavalry. The cavalry entered Caesarea and handed Paul and the letter over to the governor. 34After reading the letter, the governor asked Paul what province he came from and was told "Cilicia." Then he said, "I'll take up your case when your accusers show up." He ordered him locked up for the meantime in King Herod's official quarters.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Paul: Acts 16:25, Acts 27:1, Acts 28:17, Genesis 40:14, Genesis 40:15, Ephesians 3:1, Ephesians 4:1, Philemon 1:9

something: Luke 7:40

Reciprocal: Judges 3:19 - a secret 2 Kings 9:6 - he arose

Cross-References

Genesis 34:20
So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the public square and spoke to the town council: "These men like us; they are our friends. Let them settle down here and make themselves at home; there's plenty of room in the country for them. And, just think, we can even exchange our daughters in marriage. But these men will only accept our invitation to live with us and become one big family on one condition, that all our males become circumcised just as they themselves are. This is a very good deal for us—these people are very wealthy with great herds of livestock and we're going to get our hands on it. So let's do what they ask and have them settle down with us."
Ruth 4:1
Boaz went straight to the public square and took his place there. Before long the "closer relative," the one mentioned earlier by Boaz, strolled by. "Step aside, old friend," said Boaz. "Take a seat." The man sat down.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain,.... Immediately, without any more to do, without curiously inquiring into the thing, or examining the young man about it; which showed him to be a man of a good disposition, and ready to do a kind office, even to a prisoner:

and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him; either vocally or by some gesture, beckoned him to him:

and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee; in which may be observed the apostle's manner of address to the centurion, on this occasion; it was by way of entreaty; he asked it as a favour of him, to introduce his nephew to the chief captain; and the honour and modesty of the centurion, he did not seek by any methods to get the secret out, either of Paul or the young man; but readily undertakes the affair, honourably performs it, acquaints the captain with the circumstances of it, tells him the young man had something to say to him, he could not tell what, and then departs.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And prayed me - And asked me.


 
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