Acts 24:6-22

⁶He even tried to do things in the Temple in Jerusalem that would ◄defile it/make it unholy►. So we (exc) seized him.

⁷But Lysias, the commander at the Roman fort, came with his soldiers and forcefully took him away from us SYN.

⁸Lysias also commanded Paul's accusers to come here and accuse Paul before you. If you question him yourself, you will be able to learn that all these things about which we are accusing him are true.”

⁹When the Jewish leaders who were listening heard that, they told the governor that what Tertullus had said was true.

¹⁰Then the governor motioned with his hand to Paul that he should speak. So Paul replied. He said, “ Governor Felix, I know that you(sg) have judged this Jewish province for many years. Therefore I gladly defend myself, confident that you will listen to me and will judge me fairly.

¹¹You (sg) can easily ascertain that ◄it has not been more than twelve days since/only twelve days ago► I went up went up to Jerusalem to worship God. That is not enough time to cause a lot of trouble.

¹²No one can claim legitimately that they saw me arguing with anyone at the Temple courts because I did not do that. No one can claim legitimately that they saw me causing people to riot in any Jewish meeting place, or causing trouble anywhere else in Jerusalem city, because I did not do that.

¹³So they cannot prove to you the things about which they are now accusing me.

¹⁴But I admit to you (sg) that this is true: I do worship the God that our ancestors worshipped. It is true that I follow the way that Jesus taught us. The Jewish leaders call that a false religion/teaching. I also believe everything that was written by Moses {that Moses wrote} in the laws that God gave him, and everything that was written by the other prophets {that the other prophets wrote} in their books MTY.

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.”