Acts 24

¹And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman , one Tertullus . They laid before the governor their case against Paul .

²And when he had been summoned , Tertullus began to accuse him, saying : Since through you we enjoy much peace , and since by your foresight , most excellent Felix , reforms are being made for this nation ,

³in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude .

⁴But , to detain you no further , I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly .

⁵For we have found this man a plague , one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes .

⁶He even tried to profane the temple , but we seized him.

⁸By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him .

⁹The Jews also joined in the charge , affirming that all these things were so .

¹⁰And when the governor had nodded to him to speak , Paul replied : Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation , I cheerfully make my defense .

¹¹You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem ,

¹²and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd , either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city .

¹³Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me .

¹⁴But this I confess to you , that according to the Way , which they call a sect , I worship the God of our fathers , believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets ,

¹⁵having a hope in God , which these men themselves accept , that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust .

¹⁶So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man .

¹⁷Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to offerings .

¹⁸While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple , without any crowd or tumult . But some Jews from Asia —

¹⁹they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation , should they have anything against me .

²⁰Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council ,

²¹other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them : It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day .

²²But Felix , having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way , put them off , saying , When Lysias the tribune comes down , I will decide your case .

²³Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty , and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs .

²⁴After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla , who was Jewish , and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus .

²⁵And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment , Felix was alarmed and said , Go away for the present . When I get an opportunity I will summon you .

²⁶At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul . So he sent for him often and conversed with him .

²⁷When two years had elapsed , Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus . And desiring to do the Jews a favor , Felix left Paul in prison .