1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, all of whom brought charges against Paul to the governor.
2 And [when] he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse [him], saying, "We have experienced much peace through you, and reforms are taking place in this nation through your foresight.
3 Both in every [way] and everywhere we acknowledge [this], most excellent Felix, with all gratitude.
4 But so that I may not impose on you for longer, I implore you to hear us briefly with your [customary] graciousness.
5 For we have found this man [to be] a public menace and one who causes riots among all the Jews throughout the Roman Empire and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
6 who even attempted to desecrate the temple, and we arrested {him}.
8 [When] you yourself examine [him] you will be able to find out from {him} about all these [things] of which we are accusing him."
9 And the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting these [things] were so.
10 And [when] the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, "[Because I] 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} twelve days {since} 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] nor in the synagogues nor throughout the city.
13 Nor can they prove [the things] 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} also myself {always} 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,
18 in which they found me purified in the temple [courts], not with a crowd or with a disturbance.
19 But [there are] some Jews from Asia who ought to be present before you and bring charges against [me], if they have anything against me,
20 or these [men] themselves should say what crime they found [when] I stood before the Sanhedrin,
21 other than concerning this one declaration that I shouted [while] standing there before them: 'I am being judged before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead!'"
22 But Felix, [because he] understood the [facts] concerning the Way more accurately, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the military tribune comes down, I will decide {your case}."
23 [He] ordered the centurion [for] him to be guarded and to have some freedom, and in no way to prevent any of his own [people] [from] serving him.
24 And after some days, [when] Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him concerning faith in Christ Jesus.
25 And [while] he was discussing about righteousness and self control and the judgment that is to come, Felix became afraid [and] replied, "Go away for the present, and [when I] have an opportunity, I will summon you."
26 At the same time he was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. For this reason also he sent for him as often as possible [and] talked with him.