12 The next day, some of the Jews gathered informally and pledged not to eat or drink until they’d killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty of them in this conspiracy, 14 and they approached the chief priests and elders and told them, “We’ve made an oath to taste nothing until we’ve killed Paul, otherwise we’ll bring a curse on ourselves. 15 So you guys assemble the council and report to the commander so that he’ll bring him down to you all as if you need more information about his actions, and then we’ll have an opportunity to kill before he gets here.

16 But a nephew of Paul had heard about this ambush and went in to the barracks to inform Paul. 17 Paul then called one of the Roman centurions and told him to take the young man to the commander because he had something to tell him. 18 So the centurion took him to the commander, explaining, “The prisoner Paul, called me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to report to you.”

19 The commander took the young man by the hand and led him into his private office and asked, “What do you have to tell me?”

20 “The Jews have decided to ask you,”, he said, “that tomorrow you bring Paul down to the council as if they wanted to question him further. 21 But don’t listen to them because over forty of their men will be lying in wait for him, and they have sworn not to eat or drink until they’ve killed him. In fact, they’re all set up already, just waiting for your consent.”

22 The commander told the young man not to tell anyone else about the ambush and dismissed him.