Acts of Apostles 24:1-27
24 Five days later the high priest An·a·niʹas+ came down with some elders and a public speaker* named Ter·tulʹlus, and they presented their case against Paul to the governor.+
2 When he was called, Ter·tulʹlus started accusing him, saying:
“Seeing that we enjoy great peace through you and that through your forethought reforms are taking place in this nation,
3 at all times and also in all places we acknowledge this, Your Excellency Felix, with the greatest thankfulness.
4 But that I may not detain you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly in your kindness.
5 For we have found this man to be a pest,*+ stirring up seditions+ among all the Jews throughout the inhabited earth, and he is a spearhead of the sect of the Naz·a·renesʹ.+
6 He also tried to profane the temple, so we seized him.+
7 * ——
8 When you examine him yourself, you will find out about all these things of which we are accusing him.”
9 With that the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were true.
10 When the governor nodded to Paul to speak, he answered:
“Knowing well that this nation has had you as judge for many years, I readily speak in my own defense.+
11 As you can verify for yourself, it has not been more than 12 days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem;+
12 and they found me neither arguing with anyone in the temple nor stirring up a mob, either in the synagogues or throughout the city.
13 Nor can they prove to you the things they are accusing me of right now.
14 But I do admit this to you, that according to the way that they call a sect, in this manner I am rendering sacred service to the God of my forefathers,+ as I believe all the things set forth in the Law and written in the Prophets.+
15 And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection+ of both the righteous and the unrighteous.+
16 Because of this I always strive to maintain a clear* conscience before God and men.+
17 Now after quite a number of years, I arrived to bring gifts of mercy+ to my nation and to make offerings.
18 While I was caring for these matters, they found me ceremonially cleansed in the temple,+ but not with a crowd or causing a disturbance. But there were some Jews from the province of Asia
19 who ought to be present before you to accuse me if they actually have anything against me.+
20 Or let the men here say for themselves what wrong they found as I stood before the Sanʹhe·drin,
21 except for this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘Over the resurrection of the dead I am today being judged before you!’”+
22 However, Felix, knowing quite well the facts concerning this Way,+ began to put them off and say: “Whenever Lysʹi·as the military commander comes down, I will decide these matters involving you.”
23 And he gave orders to the army officer that the man be kept under arrest but given some freedom, and that his people be allowed to attend to his needs.
24 Some days later Felix came with Dru·silʹla his wife, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and listened to him speak about the belief in Christ Jesus.+
25 But as Paul talked about righteousness and self-control and the judgment to come,+ Felix became frightened and answered: “Go away for now, but when I have an opportunity I will send for you again.”
26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would give him money. For that reason, he sent for him even more frequently and conversed with him.
27 But when two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and because Felix desired to gain favor with the Jews,+ he left Paul in custody.
