1And after five days the high priest Ḥananyah came down, with the elders, and a certain speaker – Tertullus. And they brought charges against Sha’ul before the governor.

2And when he was called upon, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Having obtained great peace through you, and reforms being brought to this nation by your forethought,

3we accept it always and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thanks.

4“But in order not to hinder you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly in your gentleness.

5“For having found this man a plague, who stirs up dissension among all the Yehuḏim throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Natsarenes,

6who also tried to profane the Set-apart Place, and whom we seized, and wished to judge him according to our law,

7but the commander Lysias came along and with much violence took him out of our hands,

8commanding his accusers to come to you. And by examining him yourself you shall be able to know all these matters of which we accuse him.”

9And the Yehuḏim also agreed, maintaining that these matters were so.

10And when the governor had motioned him to speak, Sha’ul answered, “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge of this nation, I gladly defend myself,

11seeing you are able to know that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to Yerushalayim to worship.

12“And they neither found me in the Set-apart Place disputing with anyone nor stirring up the crowd, either in the congregations or in the city.

13“Nor are they able to prove the charges of which they now accuse me.

14“And this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the Elohim of my fathers, believing all that has been written in the Torah and in the Prophets,

15having an expectation in Elohim, which they themselves also wait for, that there is to be a resurrection of the dead, both of the righteous and the unrighteous.

16“And in this I exercise myself to have a clear conscience toward Elohim and men always.

17“And after many years I came to bring kind deeds to my nation and offerings,

18at which time certain Yehuḏim from Asia found me cleansed in the Set-apart Place, neither with a crowd nor with disturbance,

19who ought to be present before you to bring charges if they have any matter against me.

20“Or else let these themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council,

21other than for this one declaration which I cried out, standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you today.’ ”

22And having heard this, having known more exactly about the Way, Felix put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I shall decide your case.”

23And he ordered the captain to keep Sha’ul and to have ease, and not to forbid any of his friends to attend to him.

24And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a female Yehuḏite, he sent for Sha’ul and heard him concerning the belief in Messiah.

25And as he reasoned about righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, “For the present, go. And when I find time I shall send for you.”

26At the same time too he was anticipating that silver would be given him by Sha’ul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.

27But after two years had passed Porcius Festus succeeded Felix. And wishing to do the Yehuḏim a favour, Felix left Sha’ul bound.