The Acts of the Apostles

And after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders, and a certain orator, Tertullus, who made a statement to the governor against Paul.

And Tertullus being called, he began to accuse, saying,

Obtaining much peace through you and excellent accomplishments having come to this nation due to your forethought, in everything and everywhere we accept with all thankfulness, most excellent Felix.

But that I not hinder you more, I beseech you to hear us briefly in your fairness.

For finding this man pestilent and moving insurrection among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the Nazarene sect;

who also attempted to profane the temple, whom we also seized and wished to judge according to our law;

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

commanding his accusers to come to you, from whom you will be able yourself to know, having examined as to all these things of which we accuse him.

And the Jews also joined in, alleging these things to be so.

But the governor signaling to him to speak, Paul answered: Understanding you as being a judge to this nation many years, I cheerfully defend myself [as to] the things concerning myself.

You [are] able to know that not more than twelve days are to me since I went worshiping in Jerusalem;

and neither did they find me reasoning with anyone in the temple, or making a gathering of a crowd, neither in the synagogues, nor throughout the city;

nor are they able to prove that concerning which they now accuse me.

But I confess this to you that according to the Way, which they say [is] a sect, so I worship the ancestral God believing all things according to that having been written in the Law and the Prophets,

having hope toward God, which these themselves also admit, [of] a resurrection being about to be of [the] dead, both of just and unjust ones.

And in this I exercise myself to have always a blameless conscience toward God and men.

And after many years I arrived doing alms and offerings to my nation,

among which they found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd, nor with tumult, [but by] some Jews from Asia,

who ought to be present before you and to accuse if they have anything against me.

Or these themselves say if they found anything unjust in me, I standing before the sanhedrin,

than concerning this one voice which I cried out standing among them, that I am being judged today before you concerning a resurrection of [the] dead.

And hearing these things, Felix put them off, knowing more accurately about the Way, saying, When Lysias the chiliarch comes down, I will examine the things as to you.

And having ordered the centurion to keep Paul, and to have ease, and not to forbid anyone of his own to minister or to come to him, [he dismissed them].

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

and with it all also hoping that silver would be given to him by Paul, that he might free him. Because of this [he] also more frequently sent for him [and] conversed with him.

But two years being completed, Felix welcomed a successor, Porcius Festus. And wishing to show a favor to the Jews, Felix left Paul bound.