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Sunday, April 12th, 2026
Second Sunday after Easter
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Acts 23:19

And the chief captain having taken him by the hand, and having withdrawn by themselves, inquired, "What is that which you have to tell me?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Army, Roman;   Aside;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”
King James Version (1611)
Then the chiefe captaine tooke him by the hand, and went with him aside priuately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
King James Version
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?
English Standard Version
The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
New American Standard Bible
The commander took him by the hand, and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
New Century Version
The commander took the young man's hand and led him to a place where they could be alone. He asked, "What do you want to tell me?"
Amplified Bible
The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to ask him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
Legacy Standard Bible
And the commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
Berean Standard Bible
The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, "What do you need to tell me?"
Contemporary English Version
The commander took the young man aside and asked him in private, "What do you want to tell me?"
Complete Jewish Bible
The commander took him by the hand, led him aside privately and asked, "What is it you have to tell me?"
Darby Translation
And the chiliarch having taken him by the hand, and having gone apart in private, inquired, What is it that thou hast to report to me?
Easy-to-Read Version
The commander led the young man to a place where they could be alone. The commander asked, "What do you want to tell me?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the chiefe captaine tooke him by the hande, and went apart with him alone, and asked him, What hast thou to shewe me?
George Lamsa Translation
Then the captain took the young man by his hand, and drew him aside, and asked him, What have you to tell me?
Good News Translation
The commander took him by the hand, led him off by himself, and asked him, "What do you have to tell me?"
Lexham English Bible
And the military tribune, taking hold of his hand and withdrawing privately, asked, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
Literal Translation
And laying hold of his hand, and drawing aside privately, the chiliarch asked, What is it that you have to report to me?
American Standard Version
And the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, What is it that thou hast to tell me?
Bible in Basic English
And the chief took him by the hand and, going on one side, said to him privately, What is it you have to say to me?
Hebrew Names Version
The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
International Standard Version
The tribune took him by the hand, stepped aside to be alone with him, and asked, "What have you got to tell me?"
Etheridge Translation
And the tribune took the youth by his hand, and led him on one side, and asked him, What hast thou to tell me?
Murdock Translation
And the Chiliarch took the young man by his hand, and led him one side, and asked him: What hast thou to tell me?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then the hye captayne toke hym by the hande, and went with hym out of the way, and asked hym: What is it that thou hast to tell me?
English Revised Version
And the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, What is that thou hast to tell me?
World English Bible
The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the tribune taking him by the hand, and going aside privately asked, What is it, that thou hast to tell me?
Weymouth's New Testament
Then the Tribune, taking him by the arm, withdrew out of the hearing of others and asked him, "What have you to tell me?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the tribune took his hoond, and wente with hym asidis half, and axide hym, What thing is it, that thou hast to schewe to me?
Update Bible Version
And the colonel took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, What is it that you have to tell me?
Webster's Bible Translation
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?
New English Translation
The commanding officer took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, "What is it that you want to report to me?"
New King James Version
Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
New Living Translation
The commander took his hand, led him aside, and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?"
New Life Bible
The captain took him by the hand and they walked over where they could be alone. He said, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
New Revised Standard
The tribune took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, "What is it that you have to report to me?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the captain, taking him by the hand, and going aside, began, privately, to ask - What is it which thou hast to report unto me?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the tribune, taking him by the hand, went aside with him privately and asked him: What is it that thou hast to tell me?
Revised Standard Version
The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The hye captayne toke him by the hond and wet a parte with him out of the waye: and axed him: what hast thou to saye vnto me?
Young's Literal Translation
And the chief captain having taken him by the hand, and having withdrawn by themselves, inquired, `What is that which thou hast to tell me?'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then the hye captayne toke him by the hande, and wente asyde with him out of the waye, and axed him: What is it, that thou hast to saye vnto me?
Mace New Testament (1729)
then the tribune taking him by the hand, retir'd with him in private, and ask'd, what he had to say.
THE MESSAGE
The captain took him by the arm and led him aside privately. "What is it? What do you have to tell me?"
Simplified Cowboy Version
The commander looked around and then took the boy by the shoulder and led him a little way away and said, "What is it, son?"

Contextual Overview

12And day having come, certain of the Jews having made a concourse, cursed themselves, saying neither to eat nor to drink until they may kill Paul; 13and they were more than forty who made this conspiracy by oath, 14who having come near to the chief priests and to the elders said, "With a curse we accursed ourselves—to taste nothing until we have killed Paul; 15now, therefore, you, signify to the chief captain, with the Sanhedrin, that tomorrow he may bring him down to you, as being about to know more exactly the things concerning him; and we, before his coming near, are ready to put him to death." 16And the son of Paul's sister having heard of the lying in wait, having gone and entered into the stronghold, told Paul, 17and Paul having called near one of the centurions, said, "Lead this young man to the chief captain, for he has something to tell him." 18He indeed, then, having taken him, brought him to the chief captain and says, "The prisoner Paul, having called me near, asked [me] to bring to you this young man, having something to say to you." 19And the chief captain having taken him by the hand, and having withdrawn by themselves, inquired, "What is that which you have to tell me?"20And he said, "The Jews agreed to request you, that tomorrow you may bring down Paul to the Sanhedrin, as being about to inquire something more exactly concerning him; 21you, therefore, may you not yield to them, for there more than forty men of them lie in wait for him, who cursed themselves—not to eat nor to drink until they kill him, and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

took: Jeremiah 31:32, Mark 8:23, Mark 9:27

What: Nehemiah 2:4, Esther 5:3, Esther 7:2, Esther 9:12, Mark 10:51

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

Cross-References

Genesis 3:19
by the sweat of your face you eat bread until your return to the ground, for you have been taken out of it, for dust you [are], and to dust you return."
Genesis 23:9
and he gives to me the cave of Machpelah, which he has, which [is] in the extremity of his field; for full money does he give it to me, in your midst, for a possession of a burying-place."
Genesis 23:10
And Ephron is sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth, and Ephron the Hittite answers Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, of all those entering the gate of his city, saying,
Genesis 47:30
and I have lain with my fathers, and you have carried me out of Egypt, and buried me in their burying-place." And he says, "I do according to your word";
Genesis 50:13
and his sons carry him away to the land of Canaan, and bury him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a burying-place, from Ephron the Hittite, on the front of Mamre.
Genesis 50:25
And Joseph causes the sons of Israel to swear, saying, "God certainly inspects you, and you have brought up my bones from this [place]."
Job 30:23
For I have known You bring me back [to] death, || And [to] the house appointed for all living.
Ecclesiastes 6:3
If a man begets one hundred, and lives many years, and is great, because they are the days of his years, and his soul is not satisfied from the goodness, and also he has not had a grave, I have said, "Better than he [is] the untimely birth."
Ecclesiastes 12:5
Also of that which is high they are afraid, || And of the low places in the way, || And the almond-tree is despised, || And the grasshopper has become a burden, || And want is increased, || For man is going to his perpetual home, || And the mourners have gone around through the street.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
And the dust returns to the earth as it was, || And the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the chief captain took him by the hand,.... Some have thought that the reason of this was, that he expected that the young man had brought him a present in his hand, from Paul; but this is to represent him as a sordid mercenary man, which ought not to be said, without sufficient proof; rather this should be considered as an instance of civility and humanity, and what showed him to be a man of breeding and good manners; and might be done partly out of respect to Paul, and partly to encourage the young man to use freedom in the account he was about to give him:

and went with him aside privately; concluding by his coming from Paul, and perceiving by the account of the centurion, that he had a secret to communicate to him; wherefore it was acting a wise and prudent part to take him into a private room, and hear what he had to say:

and asked him, what is that thou hast to tell me? thereby giving the young man an opportunity, and encouraging him to relate the secret to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Took him by the hand - As an expression of kindness and civility. He did it to draw him aside from the multitude, that he might communicate his message privately.


 
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