¹And five days afterwards Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator, Tertullus, and they explained the charge against Paul to the governor. ²And when he had been called, Tertullus began to make the accusation, and he said, “We have enjoyed a very peaceful time thanks to you, and through your foresight sound undertakings are being accomplished to the benefit of this nation, ³which in every way and in every place, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge with much gratitude. ⁴Now so that I do not hold you up further, I entreat you to hear us briefly in your equitable way. ⁵For we found this man to be a pest, and to be stirring up a revolt among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶and he attempted to defile the temple, and we for our part arrested him. ^{7 8}And from him you yourself, after questioning him concerning all these things, will be able to ascertain the matters of which we accuse him.” ⁹And the Jews also joined in the attack, alleging that these things were so. ¹⁰Then, when the governor had signalled to him that he should speak, Paul answered, “Knowing that you have been a judge over this people for many years, I make a defence of the charges concerning me in very good spirits, ¹¹while you may know that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. ¹²Now they did not find me in the temple disputing with anyone or causing a popular riot, either in the synagogues or around the city. ¹³Nor can they incriminate me concerning the things of which they now accuse me. ¹⁴But I confess this to you, that according to ‘the way’, which they call ‘sectarian’, so I serve the God of my forefathers, believing in all the things which are according to the law and which stand written by the prophets, ¹⁵having a hope in God, which these people themselves also expect – that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust. ¹⁶And I myself am at pains in respect of this, having an irreproachable conscience towards God and men at all times. ¹⁷And after many years I came to give alms to my nation, and to offer sacrifices. ¹⁸During these undertakings certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd or with a disturbance, ¹⁹who ought to be present before you and make their accusation if they should have anything against me, ²⁰or let these themselves say what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin council, ²¹or concerning this one expression which I exclaimed when I stood among them: ‘I am being judged by you today concerning the resurrection of the dead.’ ” ²²Then when Felix had heard these things, he postponed their hearing, knowing the reports about “the way” in quite some detail, and he said, “When Lysias the cohort commander comes down, I will investigate your case.” ²³And he ordered the centurion that Paul should be guarded and have privileges, and not to prevent any of his own people from attending to him or coming to him. ²⁴And after a certain number of days, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him about faith in Christ. ²⁵And while he was debating about righteousness and self-control and the judgment which is to come, Felix became fearful and answered, “For the present, go your way, but I will take an opportunity and call for you.” ²⁶And at the same time he hoped that money would be given to him by Paul for him to release him, and for that reason he quite often sent for him and held conversations with him. ²⁷Then after two full years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And Felix, wishing to do the Jews a favour, left Paul bound.