⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple^(A) or against Caesar.”

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

¹⁷ Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders.^(A) When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers,^(B) although I have done nothing against our people^(C) or against the customs of our ancestors,^(D) I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

¹² My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple,^(A) or stirring up a crowd^(B) in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city.

Paul’s Change of Plans

¹² Now this is our boast: Our conscience^(A) testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity^[a](B) and godly sincerity.^(C) We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom^(D) but on God’s grace.

²¹ They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people^(A) who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you.

¹³ They produced false witnesses,^(A) who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place^(B) and against the law. ¹⁴ For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place^(C) and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”^(D)

¹⁸ Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime^(A) have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison?

¹⁰ Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews,^(A) as you yourself know very well.

¹⁷ “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor^(A) and to present offerings. ¹⁸ I was ceremonially clean^(B) when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance.^{(C) 19} But there are some Jews from the province of Asia,^(D) who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me.^{(E) 20} Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin— ²¹ unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”^(F)