Acts 24:1-21 ▼

1 And after five days the chief priest Ananias came down, with the elders, and a certain orator—Tertullus, and they disclosed to the governor [the things] against Paul;

2 and he having been called, Tertullus began to accuse [him], saying, “Enjoying much peace through you, and worthy deeds being done to this nation through your forethought,

3 always, also, and everywhere we receive it, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness;

4 and that I may not be further tedious to you, I exhort you to hear us concisely in your gentleness;

5 for having found this man a pestilence, and moving a dissension to all the Jews through the world—also a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes—

6 who also tried to profane the temple, whom we also took, [[and wished to judge according to our law,

7 and Lysias the chief captain having come near, took away out of our hands with much violence,

8 having commanded his accusers to come to you,]] from whom you may be able, yourself having examined, to know concerning all these things of which we accuse him”;

9 and the Jews also agreed, professing these things to be so.

10 And Paul—the governor having beckoned to him to speak—answered, “Knowing [that] for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I answer more cheerfully the things concerning myself;

11 you being able to know that it is not more than twelve days to me since I went up to worship in Jerusalem,

12 and neither did they find me reasoning with anyone in the temple, or making a dissension of the multitude, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city;

13 nor are they able to prove against me the things concerning which they now accuse me.

14 And I confess this to you, that, according to The Way that they call a sect, so I serve the God of the fathers, believing all things that have been written in the Law and the Prophets,

15 having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, [that] there is about to be a resurrection of the dead, both of righteous and unrighteous;

16 and in this I exercise myself, to always have a conscience void of offense toward God and men.

17 And after many years I came, about to do kind acts to my nation, and offerings,

18 in which certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, not with multitude, nor with tumult,

19 whom it is necessary to be present before you, and to accuse, if they had anything against me,

20 or let these same say if they found any unrighteousness in me in my standing before the Sanhedrin,

21 except concerning this one voice, in which I cried, standing among them—Concerning a resurrection of the dead I am judged by you today.”