¹⁰ And when^[a] the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I^[b] know you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I defend myself cheerfully with respect to the things concerning myself. ¹¹ You can ascertain that it has not been more than^[c] twelve days since^[d] I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² And neither did they find me arguing with anyone or making a crowd develop in the temple courts^[e] nor in the synagogues nor throughout the city. ¹³ Nor can they prove the things^[f] to you concerning which they are now accusing me. ¹⁴ But I do confess this to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), so I worship the God of our fathers, believing all things that are in accordance with the law and that are written in the prophets, ¹⁵ having a hope in God which these men also themselves await: that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. ¹⁶ For this reason^[g] also I myself always^[h] do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and people. ¹⁷ So after many years, I came to practice charitable giving and offerings to my people,^{[i] 18} in which they found me purified in the temple courts,^[j] not with a crowd or with a disturbance. ¹⁹ But there are some Jews from Asia^[k] who ought to be present before you and bring charges against me,^[l] if they have anything against me, ²⁰ or these men themselves should say what crime they found when^[m] I stood before the Sanhedrin,^{[n] 21} other than concerning this one declaration that I shouted while^[o] standing there before them: ‘I am being judged before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead!’”

Paul Held Awaiting Trial

²² But Felix, because he^[p] understood the facts concerning the Way more accurately, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the military tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”^{[q] 23} He ordered^[r] the centurion for him to be guarded and to have some freedom, and in no way to prevent any of his own people^[s] from serving him.