nkjv Acts:24 SEEK
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Now after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus .
These gave evidence to the governor against Paul .
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And when he was called upon ,
Tertullus began his accusation ,
saying : "
Seeing that through you we enjoy great peace ,
and prosperity is being brought to this nation by your foresight ,
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we accept it always and in all places ,
most noble Felix ,
with all thankfulness .
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Nevertheless ,
not to be tedious to you any further ,
I beg you to hear ,
by your courtesy ,
a few words from us .
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For we have found this man a plague ,
a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world ,
and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes .
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He even tried to profane the temple ,
and we seized him ,
and wanted to judge him according to our law .
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But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands ,
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commanding his accusers to come to you .
By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him ."
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And the Jews also assented ,
maintaining that these things were so .
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Then Paul ,
after the governor had nodded to him to speak ,
answered : "
Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation ,
I do the more cheerfully answer for myself ,
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because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship .
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And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd ,
either in the synagogues or in the city .
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Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me .
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But this I confess to you ,
that according to the Way which they call a sect ,
so I worship the God of my fathers ,
believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets .
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I have hope in God ,
which they themselves also accept ,
that there will be a resurrection of the dead ,
both of the just and the unjust .
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This being so ,
I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men .
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Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation ,
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in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple ,
neither with a mob nor with tumult .
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They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me .
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Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council ,
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unless it is for this one statement which I cried out ,
standing among them , "
Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day ."'
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But when Felix heard these things ,
having more accurate knowledge of the Way ,
he adjourned the proceedings and said , "
When Lysias the commander comes down ,
I will make a decision on your case ."
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So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty ,
and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him .
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And after some days ,
when Felix came with his wife Drusilla ,
who was Jewish ,
he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ .
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Now as he reasoned about righteousness ,
self-control ,
and the judgment to come ,
Felix was afraid and answered , "
Go away for now ;
when I have a convenient time I will call for you ."
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Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul ,
that he might release him .
Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him .
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But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix ;
and Felix ,
wanting to do the Jews a favor ,
left Paul bound .