Acts 24

And after ^afive days ^bAnanias the high priest ^cdescended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed ^dthe governor against Paul. ²And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying,

Seeing that by thee we enjoy great ^equietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy ^eprovidence, ³we ^faccept it always, and in all places, ^gmost noble Felix, with all thankfulness. ⁴Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy ^hclemency ⁱa few words. ⁵For we have found this man ^ka pestilent fellow, and ^la mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout ^mthe world, and a ringleader of the ^zsect of the Nazarenes: ⁶who also hath gone about ⁿto profane the temple: whom we took, and would have ^ojudged according to our law. ^7pBut the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, ^8qcommanding his accusers to come unto thee: by ^rexamining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him. ⁹And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

¹⁰Then Paul, after that ^dthe governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully ^sanswer for myself: ¹¹because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but ^ttwelve days since I ^uwent up to Jerusalem ^vfor to worship. ^12wAnd they neither found me in the temple ^xdisputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: ¹³neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. ¹⁴But this I confess unto thee, that after ^ythe way which they call ^zheresy, so ^aworship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in ^bthe law and the prophets: ¹⁵and have ^chope towards God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a ^cresurrection of the dead, ^dboth of the just and unjust. ¹⁶And herein do I exercise myself, ^eto have always a conscience ^fvoid of offence toward God, and toward men. ¹⁷Now ^gafter ^hmany years I came ⁱto bring alms to my nation, and offerings. ^18jWhereupon ^kcertain Jews from ^lAsia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult. ^19mWho ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me. ²⁰Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, ⁿwhile I stood before the council, ²¹except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, ^oTouching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

²²And when Felix heard these things, having more ^pperfect knowledge of ^qthat way, he deferred them, and said, ^rWhen Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will ^rrknow the uttermost of your matter. ²³And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and ^sto let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his ^tacquaintance to minister or come unto him. ²⁴And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. ²⁵And as he reasoned of righteousness, ^utemperance, and ^vjudgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; ^wwhen I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. ²⁶He hoped also that ^xmoney should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him ^ythe oftener, and communed with him. ²⁷But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room: and Felix, ^zwilling to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.

XXV.