Acts 24:1-21 ▼

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.'