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And after five days the high priest Anani '
as came down with some elders and a spokesman ,
one Tertul '
lus .
They laid before the governor their case against Paul ;
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and when he was called ,
Tertul '
lus began to accuse him ,
saying : "
Since through you we enjoy much peace ,
and since by your provision ,
most excellent Felix ,
reforms are introduced on behalf of this nation ,
*
in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude .
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But ,
to detain you no further ,
I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly .
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For we have found this man a pestilent fellow ,
an agitator 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 ,
but we seized him .
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By examining him yourself you will be able to learn from him about everything of which we accuse him ."
*
The Jews also joined in the charge ,
affirming that all this was so .
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And when the governor had motioned to him to speak ,
Paul replied : "
Realizing that for many years you have been judge over this nation ,
I cheerfully make my defense .
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As you may ascertain ,
it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem ;
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and they did not find me disputing with any one or stirring up a crowd ,
either in the temple or in the synagogues ,
or in the city .
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Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me .
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But this I admit to you ,
that according to the Way ,
which they call a sect ,
I worship the God of our fathers ,
believing everything laid down by the law or written in the prophets ,
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having a hope in God which these themselves accept ,
that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust .
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So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men .
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Now after some years I came to bring to my nation alms and offerings .
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As I was doing this ,
they found me purified in the temple ,
without any crowd or tumult .
But some Jews from Asia --
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they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation ,
if they have anything against me .
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Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council ,
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except this one thing which I cried out while standing among them , `
With respect to the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you this day .'"
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But Felix ,
having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way ,
put them off ,
saying , "
When Lys '
ias the tribune comes down ,
I will decide your case ."
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Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but should have some liberty ,
and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs .
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After some days Felix came with his wife Drusil '
la ,
who was a Jewess ;
and he sent for Paul and heard him speak upon faith in Christ Jesus .
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And as he argued about justice and self-control and future judgment ,
Felix was alarmed and said , "
Go away for the present ;
when I have an opportunity I will summon you ."
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At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul .
So he sent for him often and conversed with him .
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But when two years had elapsed ,
Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus ;
and desiring to do the Jews a favor ,
Felix left Paul in prison .
*
Now when Festus had come into his province ,
after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesare '
a .
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And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul ;
and they urged him ,
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asking as a favor to have the man sent to Jerusalem ,
planning an ambush to kill him on the way .
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Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesare '
a ,
and that he himself intended to go there shortly .
* "
So ,"
said he , "
let the men of authority among you go down with me ,
and if there is anything wrong about the man ,
let them accuse him ."
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When he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days ,
he went down to Caesare '
a ;
and the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought .
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And when he had come ,
the Jews who had gone down from Jerusalem stood about him ,
bringing against him many serious charges which they could not prove .
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Paul said in his defense , "
Neither against the law of the Jews ,
nor against the temple ,
nor against Caesar have I offended at all ."
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But Festus ,
wishing to do the Jews a favor ,
said to Paul , "
Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem ,
and there be tried on these charges before me ?"
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But Paul said , "
I am standing before Caesar '
s tribunal ,
where I ought to be tried ;
to the Jews I have done no wrong ,
as you know very well .
*
If then I am a wrongdoer ,
and have committed anything for which I deserve to die ,
I do not seek to escape death ;
but if there is nothing in their charges against me ,
no one can give me up to them .
I appeal to Caesar ."
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Then Festus ,
when he had conferred with his council ,
answered , "
You have appealed to Caesar ;
to Caesar you shall go ."
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Now when some days had passed ,
Agrippa the king and Berni '
ce arrived at Caesare '
a to welcome Festus .
*
And as they stayed there many days ,
Festus laid Paul '
s case before the king ,
saying , "
There is a man left prisoner by Felix ;
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and when I was at Jerusalem ,
the chief priests and the elders of the Jews gave information about him ,
asking for sentence against him .
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I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any one before the accused met the accusers face to face ,
and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him .
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When therefore they came together here ,
I made no delay ,
but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in .
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When the accusers stood up ,
they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed ;
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but they had certain points of dispute with him about their own superstition and about one Jesus ,
who was dead ,
but whom Paul asserted to be alive .
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Being at a loss how to investigate these questions ,
I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them .
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But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor ,
I commanded him to be held until I could send him to Caesar ."
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And Agrippa said to Festus , "
I should like to hear the man myself ." "
Tomorrow ,"
said he , "
you shall hear him ."
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So on the morrow Agrippa and Berni '
ce came with great pomp ,
and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city .
Then by command of Festus Paul was brought in .
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And Festus said , "
King Agrippa and all who are present with us ,
you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me ,
both at Jerusalem and here ,
shouting that he ought not to live any longer .
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But I found that he had done nothing deserving death ;
and as he himself appealed to the emperor ,
I decided to send him .
*
But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him .
Therefore I have brought him before you ,
and ,
especially before you ,
King Agrippa ,
that ,
after we have examined him ,
I may have something to write .
*
For it seems to me unreasonable ,
in sending a prisoner ,
not to indicate the charges against him ."
*
Agrippa said to Paul , "
You have permission to speak for yourself ."
Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense :