Chronological

Paul Is Accused Before Felix The Roman Governor By The High Priest And Others

24 And after five days, the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney^[a], a certain Tertullus— who^[b] brought-charges against Paul to the governor. ² And he^[c] having been called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Attaining much^[d] peace through you, and reforms taking place for this nation through your foresight ³ both^[e] in every way and everywhere— we welcome it, most-excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. ⁴ But in order that I may not hinder you further, I beg you to hear us briefly, by your kindness. ⁵ For having found this man to be a plague^[f], and setting-in-motion disputes^[g] among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶ who even tried to profane^[h] the temple, whom also we seized—^{[i] 7 [j] 8} from whom you yourself, having examined him, will be able to learn about all these things of which we are accusing him”. ⁹ And the Jews also joined-in-the-attack, asserting that these things hold so.

Paul Defends Himself Against Their Charges

¹⁰ And Paul responded, the governor having nodded to him to speak, “Knowing-about you being a judge^[k] to this nation for many years, I cheerfully speak-a-defense as to the things concerning myself— ¹¹ you being able to learn that it is not more than twelve days from which day I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² And neither in the temple did they find me arguing with anyone or causing an onset of a crowd— nor in the synagogues, nor throughout the city! ¹³ Nor are they able to prove to you the things concerning which they now are accusing me. ¹⁴ But I confess this to you— that according to the Way which they call a sect, thus I am worshiping^[l] the God of my ancestor^[m], believing all the things in accordance with the Law, and the things having been written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ having a hope in God which these ones themselves also are waiting-for^[n]— that there will-certainly be a resurrection of both righteous ones and unrighteous ones. ¹⁶ In this^[o] indeed I am striving to have a blameless conscience toward God and people continually. ¹⁷ Now after many years I came to do acts-of-almsgiving^[p] for my nation, and offerings, ¹⁸ during which they found me in the temple, having been purified^[q]— not with a crowd, nor with a commotion. ¹⁹ But there were some Jews from Asia— who ought-to-have been present before you and accusing me, if they have something against me. ²⁰ Or let these ones themselves say what crime they found, I having stood before the Sanhedrin— ²¹ other-than concerning this one shout which I cried-out while standing among them, that ‘I am being judged before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead’”.

Felix Adjourns The Hearing, But Keeps Paul In Relaxed Custody

²² And Felix adjourned^[r] them, knowing more-accurately the things concerning the Way, having said, “Whenever Lysias the commander comes down, I will determine^[s] the things concerning you^[t] people”, ²³ having given-orders to the centurion that he be kept [in custody] and that he have a relaxation^[u] [of custody] and that they forbid none of his own people to serve him.

Paul Frequently Speaks To Felix, Who Hopes To Get Money From Paul

²⁴ And after some days, Felix, having arrived with Drusilla^[v] his own wife (she being a Jew), sent for Paul and listened-to him concerning faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ But while he was speaking about righteousness, self-control and the coming judgment, Felix, having become afraid, responded, “As to the present, go. And having received an opportunity, I will summon you”— ²⁶ at the same time also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. Therefore indeed, sending for him very-frequently, he was conversing with him.

Two Years Later, Paul Is Accused Before The New Governor, Festus

²⁷ Now two years^[w] having been fulfilled, Felix received a successor— Porcius Festus^[x]. And wishing to gain^[y] favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul bound. 25 ¹ So Festus, having set-foot in the province, went up after three days to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ² And the chief priests and the leading ones of the Jews brought-charges to him against Paul. And they were appealing-to him, ³ asking-for a favor against him, so that he might summon him to Jerusalem— while making an ambush to kill him along the way. ⁴ Then indeed Festus responded that Paul was being kept in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to be proceeding-out [of Jerusalem] shortly. ⁵ “So”, he says, “the powerful ones among you having gone-down-with me— if there is something out-of-place in the man, let them be accusing him there”. ⁶ And having spent days among them (not more than eight or ten), having come down to Caesarea, having sat on the judgment-seat on the next day, he ordered that Paul be brought.

When Festus Suggests a Trial In Jerusalem, Paul Appeals To Caesar

⁷ And he having arrived, the Jews having come down from Jerusalem stood around him bringing many and weighty charges against him, which they were not able to prove— ⁸ Paul speaking-in-defense that “Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, did I sin anything”. ⁹ But Festus, wishing to gain favor with the Jews, having responded to Paul, said, “Are you willing, having gone up to Jerusalem, to be judged there before me concerning these things?” ¹⁰ And Paul said, “I am standing here before the judgment-seat of Caesar, where I ought-to be judged. I did the Jews no wrong, as you also are knowing very well. ¹¹ So if I am doing wrong^[z] and have committed something worthy of death, I am not refusing to die. But if the things of which these ones are accusing me are nothing, no one is able^[aa] to freely-give me to them. I appeal-to Caesar^[ab]”. ¹² Then Festus, having talked-with his council, responded, “You have appealed-to Caesar— you will go before Caesar”.

King Agrippa Arrives In Caesarea And Asks To Hear From Paul

¹³ Now some days having passed, Agrippa^[ac] the king and Bernice^[ad] arrived in Caesarea, having greeted^[ae] Festus. ¹⁴ And while they were spending more days there, Festus laid-before the king the things concerning Paul, saying, “A certain man has been left-behind by Felix as a prisoner, ¹⁵ concerning whom— I having come-to-be in Jerusalem— the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought-charges, asking-for a sentence-of-condemnation against him, ¹⁶ to whom I responded that it is not a custom with Romans to freely-give any person^[af] before the one being accused should have his accusers face-to-face, and should receive a place^[ag] for a defense concerning the accusation. ¹⁷ So they having come-with^[ah] me here— I having made no delay, having sat on the judgment-seat on the next day— I ordered that the man be brought, ¹⁸ concerning whom, the accusers having stood were bringing no charge of the evil^[ai] things which I was supposing^[aj], ¹⁹ but were having certain issues with him concerning their own religion and concerning a certain Jesus having died, whom Paul was asserting^[ak] to be alive. ²⁰ And I, being perplexed as to the investigation concerning these things, was saying whether he might be willing to go to Jerusalem, and there be judged concerning these things. ²¹ But Paul having appealed that he be kept for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he continue-being-kept [in custody] until which time I might send him up to Caesar”. ²² And Agrippa says to Festus, “I myself also was wanting^[al] to hear the man”. “Tomorrow”, he says, “you will hear him”.

Festus Introduces Paul, Hoping To Learn Something To Write To Caesar

²³ So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice having come with great pageantry, and having entered into the auditorium with both commanders^[am] and prominent men of the city, and Festus having given-orders— Paul was brought. ²⁴ And Festus says, “King Agrippa, and all the men being present-with us— you see this one concerning whom the whole assembly of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer, ²⁵ but I found-out that he had committed nothing worthy of death. And this one himself having appealed-to the Emperor, I determined to send him— ²⁶ concerning whom, I do not have something certain to write to my lord. Therefore I brought him before you, and especially before you King Agrippa, so that the examination having taken place, I may have something I may write. ²⁷ For it seems unreasonable to me, while sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him”. 26 ¹ And Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted to you to speak concerning yourself ”.

Paul Says He Is Being Judged For His View of The Promise All Israel Awaits

Then Paul, having stretched-out his hand, was speaking-a-defense: ² “King Agrippa, I regard myself fortunate— being about to speak-a-defense before you today concerning everything of which I am being accused by the Jews, ³ especially you being^[an] an expert of all of both the customs and issues in relation to the Jews. Therefore I beg that you listen-to me patiently. ⁴ Indeed then, all the Jews know my manner-of-life from youth— it having taken place from the first in my nation and in Jerusalem, ⁵ they knowing me beforehand^[ao] from-the-beginning if they are willing to testify— that I lived as a Pharisee in accordance with the strictest sect of our religion. ⁶ And now I am standing here being judged for the hope of the promise having been made by God to our fathers, ⁷ to which our twelve tribes are hoping to attain while worshiping night and day with fervency^[ap]!— concerning which hope I am being accused by the Jews, King. ⁸ Why is it being judged unbelievable^[aq] among you^[ar] people if God raises the dead?

At First I Persecuted This Name. Then Jesus Spoke To Me and Sent Me

⁹ “So indeed^[as], I thought to myself that I ought-to do many things contrary^[at] to the name of Jesus the Nazarene— ¹⁰ which indeed I did in Jerusalem. And I both locked-up many of the saints in prisons, having received the authority from the chief priests, and while they were being killed^[au], cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And while punishing them often throughout all the synagogues, I was compelling^[av] them to blaspheme. And being exceedingly enraged at them, I was persecuting them as far as even to the outside cities— ¹² during which, while proceeding to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests, ¹³ in the middle of the day along the road, King, I saw a light from heaven beyond the brightness of the sun, having shined-around me and the ones going with me. ¹⁴ And we all having fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick^[aw] against the goads’. ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are You, sir?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But arise and stand on your feet. For I appeared to you for this— to appoint you as a servant, and a witness both of which things you saw as to Me and of which things I shall be seen by you ¹⁷ while rescuing you from the [Jewish] people, and from the Gentiles— to whom I am sending you forth ¹⁸ to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among the ones having been sanctified by faith in Me’.

So I Proclaimed His Message To The Gentiles, And The Jews Want Me Dead

¹⁹ “Hence, King Agrippa, I did not become^[ax] disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but was declaring to the ones both in Damascus first and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. ²¹ For these reasons, Jews, having seized me while being in the temple, were trying to murder me. ²² Therefore, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day^[ay] bearing-witness to both small and great, saying nothing outside of the things which both the Prophets and Moses spoke about things going to take place— ²³ whether^[az] the Christ is subject-to-suffering^[ba]; whether He first^[bb] from^[bc] a resurrection from the dead is going to proclaim light both to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles”.

Festus Says Paul Has Gone Mad. Paul Makes a Personal Appeal To King Agrippa

²⁴ And while he was speaking these things in his defense, Festus says in a loud voice, “You are mad^[bd], Paul. Great^[be] learning is turning you to madness”. ²⁵ But Paul says, “I am not mad, most-excellent Festus, but I am declaring^[bf] words of truth and of sound-mindedness. ²⁶ For the king knows about these things— to whom indeed I am speaking while speaking-openly. For I am in no way persuaded that any of these things escape-notice-of him, for this has not been done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe”. ²⁸ And Agrippa says to Paul, “In a short^[bg] time, are you persuading me so as to make me a Christian?” ²⁹ And Paul says, “I would pray to God that both in a short time and in a long time^[bh], not only you, but also all the ones hearing me today might become such ones of-what-sort I also am— except for these^[bi] bonds”. ³⁰ And the king stood up, and the governor; and Bernice and the ones sitting with them. ³¹ And having gone-away, they were speaking to one another, saying that “This man is in no way doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment”. ³² And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed-to Caesar”.