Acts 24

1After five days, the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a certain orator named Tertullus, and they brought charges against Paul before the governor.

2And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: “Since through you we are enjoying much peace, and reforms are being brought to this nation through your foresight,”

3In every way and everywhere we acknowledge this, most excellent Felix, with all gratitude.

4But, so that I may not delay you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly, in your graciousness.

5For we have found this man to be a plague, stirring up riots among all the Jews throughout the inhabited world, and also a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,

6He even tried to defile the temple, and we seized him,

7But Lysias the commander came and took him out of our hands with great force,

8From him, by examining him yourself, you will be able to learn about all these things of which we accuse him.

9And the Jews also joined in the charge, asserting that these things were so.

10Then Paul answered, after the governor had nodded to him to speak: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I gladly make my defense concerning myself.

11as you are able to ascertain, that it has been no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship,

12And they found me neither in the temple arguing with anyone nor stirring up a crowd, neither in the synagogues nor throughout the city.

13Nor can they prove to you the things of which they are now accusing me.

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

15having hope in God—which these men themselves also accept—that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

16In view of this, I myself also strive always to have a blameless conscience before God and men.

17After several years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.

18In these things they found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd nor with an uproar,

19But there are some Jews from Asia who ought to have been present before you and to accuse me, if they had anything against me.

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

21or about this one statement that I shouted while standing among them: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am being judged before you today.’

22But Felix, having a more accurate knowledge about the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.”

23And he ordered the centurion to keep him in custody, yet to let him have some freedom, and to prevent none of his own people from attending to his needs.

24After some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his own wife, who was Jewish, and sent for Paul and heard him concerning faith in Messiah Jesus.

25But as he was discussing righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix became afraid and answered, “For now, go away. When I get an opportunity, I will summon you.”

26At the same time he was hoping that money would be given to him by Paul; therefore he also sent for him more often and talked with him.

27But when two years had been completed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and because Felix wanted to lay up favor with the Jews, he left Paul bound.