Acts 24:15-26

¹⁵I confidently expect, just like some of these men also expect, that some day God will cause everyone who has died to become alive again. He will ◄cause to become alive again/raise from the dead► both those who were righteous and those who were wicked.

¹⁶Because I am confidently waiting for that day, I always try to do what pleases God and what other people think is right.

¹⁷After I had been in other places for several years, I returned to Jerusalem. I went there to deliver some money to my fellow Jews who are poor, and to offer sacrifices to God.

¹⁸Some Jews saw me in the temple courts after I had completed the ritual by which a person is made {that makes a person} pure. There was no crowd with me, and I was not causing people to riot.

¹⁹But it was some other Jews who had come from Asia province who really caused people to riot. They should be here in front of you (sg) to accuse me, if they thought that I did something wrong.

²⁰But if they do not want to do that (OR, But because they are not here), these Jewish men who are here should tell you (sg) what they think I did that was wrong, when I defended myself before their Council.

²¹They might say that one thing that I shouted as I stood before them was wrong. What I said was, ‘You are judging me today because I believe that God will ◄cause all people who have died to become alive again/raise all people from the dead►.’”

²²Felix already knew quite a lot about what people called ❛the way of Jesus❜. But he did not let Paul or his accusers continue to speak. Instead, he said to them, “ Later, when Commander Lysias comes down here, I will decide these matters that concern you all.”

²³Then he told the officer who was guarding Paul to take Paul back to the prison and make sure that he was guarded all the time. But he said that Paul was not to be chained {that the officer was not to fasten chains on him}, and if his friends came to visit him, the officer should allow them to help Paul in any way that they wished.

²⁴Several days later Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew, came back to Caesarea after having been away for a few days. Felix commanded Paul to be brought in { a soldier to bring Paul in}. Then Felix listened to what Paul said to him. Paul spoke about what Christians believe about the Messiah Jesus.

²⁵Paul explained to them about what God requires people to do in order to please him. He also explained about God requiring people to control how they act. Paul also told him that there will be a time when God will judge people. Felix became alarmed after hearing those things. So he said to Paul, “That is all I want to hear now. When there is a time that is convenient I will ask you (sg) to come to me again.”

²⁶Felix said that because he hoped that Paul would give him some money to allow Paul to get out of prison. So he repeatedly sent for Paul to come, and Paul repeatedly went and talked with him. But he did not give Felix any money, and Felix did not command his soldiers to release Paul from prison.