Acts 23:21

¹⁹ Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?

²⁰ And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly.

But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.

²² So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.

²³ And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Cæsarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”
KJV: But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.
WEB: Therefore don’t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse to neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you.”
ASV: Do not thou therefore yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who have bound themselves under a curse, neither to eat nor to drink till they have slain him: and now are they ready, looking for the promise from thee.
DARBY: Do not thou then be persuaded by them, for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who have put themselves under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they kill him; and now they are ready waiting the promise from thee.
BLB: You, therefore, should not be persuaded by them. For more than forty of their men lie in wait for him, who have put themselves under an oath neither to eat nor to drink until they should kill him; and now they are ready, awaiting the promise from you.”

ÅB: du må da ikke la deg overtale av dem; for mere enn førti menn av dem ligger på lur etter ham, og de har forbannet seg på at de hverken vil spise eller drikke før de har drept ham, og nå holder de seg ferdige og venter på at du skal love det.
OTB: Ikke la deg overtale av dem, for mer enn førti av dem ligger i bakhold for å overfalle ham. De har sverget en ed om ikke å spise eller drikke før de har drept ham. De er klare nå og venter på ditt samtykke.»
B1930: du må da ikke la dig overtale av dem; for mere enn firti menn av dem ligger på lur efter ham, og de har forbannet sig på at de hverken vil ete eller drikke før de har drept ham, og nu holder de sig ferdige og venter på at du skal love det.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Acts 23:12–14
And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
Read in context
Exodus 23:2
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
Read in context
Acts 20:19
Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
Read in context
Acts 9:23–24
And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
Read in context
2 Corinthians 11:26
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
Read in context
Acts 25:3
And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.
Read in context
Romans 9:3
For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Read in context
Acts 14:5–6
And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,
Read in context