Paul Is Accused

24 Five days later Ananias, the high priest [23:1], ·went to the city of Caesarea [^Lcame down] with some of the elders and a ·lawyer [orator; ^Cone who speaks in court] named Tertullus. They had come to make charges against Paul before the governor. ² Paul was called into the meeting, and Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Most Excellent Felix! Our people enjoy ·much [or a long period of] peace because of you, and many ·wrong things in our country are being made right [or improvements/reforms have been made] through your ·wise help [or foresight]. ³ We ·accept [acknowledge] these things always and in every place, ·and we are thankful for them [or …with much gratitude/thanksgiving]. ⁴ But not wanting to ·take any more of your time [detain you; or bore you], I ·beg [encourage; urge] you ·to be kind and [or because you are kind/patient to] listen to our few words. ⁵ We have found this man to be a ·troublemaker [pest; plague], ·stirring up [or instigating riots among] ·his people [^LJews] everywhere in the world. He is a ·leader [ringleader] of the Nazarene ·group [party; faction; sect]. ⁶ Also, he was trying to ·make the Temple unclean [defile/profane/desecrate the Temple], but we ·stopped [or grabbed; arrested] him. |And we wanted to judge him by our own law. ⁷ But the ·officer [tribune] Lysias came and used much force to take him from us. ⁸ And Lysias commanded ·those who wanted to accuse Paul [his accusers] to come to you.|^[a] By ·asking him questions [cross-examining him] yourself, you can ·decide [learn; come to know] ·if all these things are true [or the nature of our accusations].” ⁹ The ·others [^LJews] ·agreed [or joined in the attack] and said that all of this was true.

¹⁰ When the governor ·made a sign [motioned; gestured] for ·Paul [^Lhim] to speak, Paul ·said [responded], “I know you have been a judge over this nation for ·a long time [^Lmany years]. So I ·am happy to [gladly; confidently] defend myself before you. ¹¹ You can ·learn [find out; verify] for yourself that I went to worship in Jerusalem ·only [^Lno more than] twelve days ago. ¹² ·Those who are accusing me [^LThey] did not find me arguing with anyone in the Temple or stirring up the ·people [crowd] in the synagogues or in the city. ¹³ They cannot prove the ·things they are saying [charges; accusations] against me now. ¹⁴ But I will ·tell you this [admit/confess this to you]: I worship the God of our ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] as a follower of ·the Way of Jesus [^Lthe Way; 22:4], which they call a ·sect [faction; cult]. But I believe everything that is ·taught in [or in agreement with; ^Laccording to] the law of Moses and that is written in the books of the Prophets. ¹⁵ I have the same hope in God that they ·have [accept]—the hope that all people, ·good and bad [righteous and unrighteous], will surely be ·raised from the dead [resurrected; ^Cthe righteous to salvation, the wicked for judgment; Is. 26:19; Dan. 12:2]. ¹⁶ This is why I always try to ·do what I believe is right [^Lhave a clear conscience] before God and people.

¹⁷ “After being away from Jerusalem for ·several [^Lmany] years, I went back to bring ·money [alms; gifts for the poor] to my ·people [nation; Rom. 15:26; 1 Cor. 16:1; 2 Cor. 8:4; 9:1, 13] and to ·offer sacrifices [present offerings]. ¹⁸ I was doing this when they found me in the Temple. I ·had finished the cleansing ceremony [or I was ritually pure; 21:20–29] ·and had not made any trouble; no people were gathering around me [^Lwith neither crowd nor trouble]. ¹⁹ But there were some ·people [^LJews] from Asia who should be here, standing before you. If ·I have really done anything wrong [^Lthey have anything against me], they are the ones who should accuse me. ²⁰ Or ·ask these people here [^Llet these people themselves state] if they found any ·wrong [crime; unrighteousness] in me when I stood before the ·council in Jerusalem [Sanhedrin]. ²¹ But I did shout one thing when I stood before them: ‘·You are judging me [or I am on trial before you] today ·because I believe that people will rise from [or with respect to the issue of the resurrection of] the dead!’”

²² Felix already ·understood much about [^Lknew accurately the facts about] the ·Way of Jesus [^LWay; 22:4]. He ·stopped the trial [adjourned the hearing] and said, “When ·commander [tribune] Lysias comes ·here [^Ldown], I will decide your case.” ²³ Felix ·told [^Lordered] the ·officer [centurion] to keep ·Paul [^Lhim] guarded but to give him some freedom and to let his ·friends [^Lown people] ·bring what he needed [meet his needs; ^Lserve him].

Paul Speaks to Felix and His Wife

²⁴ After some days Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish, and asked for Paul to be brought to him. He listened to Paul talk about ·believing [faith] in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ But Felix became afraid when Paul spoke about ·living right [righteousness; justice], self-control, and the ·time when God will judge the world [^Lcoming judgment]. He said, “·Go away [or That’s enough for] now. When I have ·more time [another opportunity], I will call for you.” ²⁶ At the same time Felix hoped that ·Paul [^Lhe] would give him ·some money [or a bribe], so he often sent for Paul and talked with him.

²⁷ But after two years, Felix was ·replaced [succeeded] by Porcius Festus as governor [^Cfrom ad 59–62]. But Felix had left Paul in prison to please the Jews.