Divine Comfort.
On the next night while Paul was still in the castle, the Lord stood by him and said,
"Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem so must thou also bear witness at Rome."
A Plot to Kill.
On the following morning about forty of these angary Jews bound themselves together by an oath, swearing that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. To accomplish this, they said to the chief Priests, "we have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will taste nothing until we have slain Paul. Now, you ask the chief captain to bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you would inquire something more; and we, as soon as he comes near us, will be ready to kill him."
But their plot became known to Paul's sister's son, who hastened to the castle, and told his uncle all about it. After hearing his nephew's story, Paul called one of the centurions, and said,
The Plot Frustrated.
"Take this young man to the chief captain; for he hath a certain thing to tell him." The centurion did as directed and said to the chief captain,
"Paul, the prisoner, called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee."
"What is it thou hast to tell me?" asked the chief captain.