Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

24 And after five days came down the high priest Ananias, with the elders, and a certain orator called Tertullus, and laid their informations against Paul before the governor.

² And he having been called, Tertullus began to accuse, saying, Seeing we enjoy great peace through thee, and that excellent measures are executed for this nation by thy forethought,

³ we receive [it] always and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.

⁴ But that I may not too much intrude on thy time, I beseech thee to hear us briefly in thy kindness.

⁵ For finding this man a pest, and moving sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a leader of the sect of the Nazaraeans;

⁶ who also attempted to profane the temple; whom we also had seized, [and would have judged according to our law;

⁷ but Lysias, the chiliarch, coming up, took [him] away with great force out of our hands,

⁸ having commanded his accusers to come to thee;] of whom thou canst thyself, in examining [him], know the certainty of all these things of which we accuse him.

⁹ And the Jews also joined in pressing the matter against [Paul], saying that these things were so.

¹⁰ But Paul, the governor having beckoned to him to speak, answered, Knowing that for many years thou hast been judge to this nation, I answer readily as to the things which concern myself.

¹¹ As thou mayest know that there are not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem,

¹² and neither in the temple did they find me discoursing to any one, or making any tumultuous gathering together of the crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city;

¹³ neither can they make good the things of which they now accuse me.

¹⁴ But this I avow to thee, that in the way which they call sect, so I serve my fathers' God, believing all things which are written throughout the law, and in the prophets;

¹⁵ having hope towards God, which they themselves also receive, that there is to be a resurrection both of just and unjust.

¹⁶ For this cause I also exercise [myself] to have in everything a conscience without offence towards God and men.

¹⁷ And after a lapse of many years I arrived, bringing alms to my nation, and offerings.

¹⁸ Whereupon they found me purified in the temple, with neither crowd nor tumult. But it was certain Jews from Asia,

¹⁹ who ought to appear before thee and accuse, if they have anything against me;

²⁰ or let these themselves say what wrong they found in me when I stood before the council,

²¹ [other] than concerning this one voice which I cried standing amongst them: I am judged this day by you touching [the] resurrection of [the] dead.

²² And Felix, knowing accurately the things concerning the way, adjourned them, saying, When Lysias the chiliarch is come down I will determine your affair;

²³ ordering the centurion to keep him, and that he should have freedom, and to hinder none of his friends to minister to him.

²⁴ And after certain days, Felix having arrived with Drusilla his wife, who was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

²⁵ And as he reasoned concerning righteousness, and temperance, and the judgment about to come, Felix, being filled with fear, answered, Go for the present, and when I get an opportunity I will send for thee;

²⁶ hoping at the same time that money would be given him by Paul: wherefore also he sent for him the oftener and communed with him.

²⁷ But when two years were completed, Felix was relieved by Porcius Festus as his successor; and Felix, desirous to oblige the Jews, to acquire their favour, left Paul bound.

25 Festus therefore, being come into the eparchy, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

² And the chief priests and the chief of the Jews laid informations before him against Paul, and besought him,

³ asking as a grace against him that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying people in wait to kill him on the way.

⁴ Festus therefore answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to set out shortly.

⁵ Let therefore the persons of authority among you, says he, going down too, if there be anything in this man, accuse him.

⁶ And having remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the next day, having sat down on the judgment-seat, commanded Paul to be brought.

⁷ And when he was come, the Jews who were come down from Jerusalem stood round, bringing many and grievous charges which they were not able to prove:

⁸ Paul answering for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended [in] anything.

⁹ But Festus, desirous of obliging the Jews, to acquire their favour, answering Paul, said, Art thou willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be judged before me concerning these things?

¹⁰ But Paul said, I am standing before the judgment-seat of Caesar, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as *thou* also very well knowest.

¹¹ If then I have done any wrong and committed anything worthy of death, I do not deprecate dying; but if there is nothing of those things of which they accuse me, no man can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.

¹² Then Festus, having conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed to Caesar. To Caesar shalt thou go.

¹³ And when certain days had elapsed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to salute Festus.

¹⁴ And when they had spent many days there, Festus laid before the king the matters relating to Paul, saying, There is a certain man left prisoner by Felix,

¹⁵ concerning whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid informations, requiring judgment against him:

¹⁶ to whom I answered, It is not [the] custom of the Romans to give up any man before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and he have got opportunity of defence touching the charge.

¹⁷ When therefore they had come together here, without putting it off, I sat the next day on the judgment-seat and commanded the man to be brought:

¹⁸ concerning whom the accusers, standing up, brought no such accusation of guilt as *I* supposed;

¹⁹ but had against him certain questions of their own system of worship, and concerning a certain Jesus who is dead, whom Paul affirmed to be living.

²⁰ And as I myself was at a loss as to an inquiry into these things, I said, Was he willing to go to Jerusalem and there to be judged concerning these things?

²¹ But Paul having appealed to be kept for the cognisance of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I shall send him to Caesar.

²² And Agrippa [said] to Festus, I myself also would desire to hear the man. To-morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

²³ On the morrow therefore, Agrippa being come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and having entered into the hall of audience, with the chiliarchs and the men of distinction of the city, and Festus having given command, Paul was brought.

²⁴ And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye see this person, concerning whom all the multitude of the Jews applied to me both in Jerusalem and here, crying out against [him] that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵ But I, having found that he had done nothing worthy of death, and this [man] himself having appealed to Augustus, I have decided to send him;

²⁶ concerning whom I have nothing certain to write to my lord. Wherefore I have brought him before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, so that an examination having been gone into I may have something to write:

²⁷ for it seems to me senseless, sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him.