Acts 24

Worrell^{(i) 1} And, after five days, the high priest Ananias came down with certain elders, and a certain orator, Tertullus; who, indeed, informed the governor against Paul. ² And, he having been called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "Seeing that, through you, we enjoy great peace, and reforms accrue to this nation through your forethought, ³ in every way and everywhere; we welcome it, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. ⁴ "But, that I detain you no longer, I pray you to hear us briefly in your clemency. ⁵ For, finding this man a plague, and stirring up insurrections among the Jews throughout the inhabited earth, and a ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarenes; ⁶ who also attempted to desecrate the temple; whom also we seized.— ⁷ [But the chief captain Lysias came, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, commanding his accusers to come before you;] ⁸ from whom you will be able, after having examined him yourself, to obtain full knowledge of all these things of which we accuse him." ⁹ And the Jews also assented, affirming that these things were so. ¹⁰ And Paul answered, the governor having beckoned to him to speak: "Knowing that you, for many years, have been a judge to this nation, cheerfully do I make defense as to the things concerning myself; ¹¹ since you are able clearly to know that there are not more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship; ¹² and neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any one, or causing a stirring up of a multitude, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city; ¹³ nor are they able to prove to you the things of which they are now accusing me. ¹⁴ But I confess this to you, that, according to the Way which they call 'heresy,' so I worship the God of our fathers, believing all those things, which are according to the law, and which have been written in the prophets; ¹⁵ having hope toward God—which these themselves also are looking for—that there will be a resurrection, both of the righteous and unrighteous. ¹⁶ In this I myself also am striving always to have a conscience void of offense toward God and men. ¹⁷ Now, after many years, I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings; ¹⁸ amidst which they found me purified in the temple, neither with a multitude, nor with a tumult; but there were certain Jews from Asia, ¹⁹ who ought to be present before you and accuse me, if they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or let these themselves say what wrong they found in me when standing before the Sanhedrin, ²¹ except concerning this one voice with which I cried aloud, standing among them, 'Concerning a resurrection of the dead I am being judged before you this day.' ²² But Felix put them off, knowing more accurately the things concerning the Way, saying, "When Lysias the chief captain comes down, I will determine your matters;" ²³ giving orders to the centurion that he should be held, and should have indulgence, and to prevent none of his friends from ministering to him. ²⁴ And, after some days, Felix, having come with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ And, as he was reasoning about righteousness, continence, and the judgment to come, Felix, becoming terrified, answered, "Go your way for the present; and, when I obtain a suitable opportunity, I will call for you;" ²⁶ at the same time also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul; wherefore, also, sending for him more frequently, he conversed with him. ²⁷ But, when two years were completed, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus; and, wishing to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul bound.