Acts 24

¹¹You can verify for yourself that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

²At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

²⁴Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”

³⁰When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.

²⁷When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.

⁵A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

²⁶At the same time, he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe. So he sent for Paul frequently and talked with him.

²⁷After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

²⁸A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

¹⁶These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.

²They lie to one another; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.

³May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue.

³For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.

²⁵But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.

²⁶Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.

³Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

³²And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,

²²But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”

¹⁴I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,

⁵They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.

²⁸crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”

⁵But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”

¹⁷Then the high priest and all his associates, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They went out

¹²Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city.

³¹“You take Him and judge Him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “We are not permitted to execute anyone,” the Jews replied.

³⁷For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess.

⁷“We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”

⁸When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid,

¹⁰The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.

¹¹The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”

²⁷When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

²⁸crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”

¹⁵While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews presented their case and requested a judgment against him.

¹⁶I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.

⁵So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.”

³⁰When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.

³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.

¹⁶hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them.

²The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.

³Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.

⁵⁹Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death.

⁶⁰But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward

²How long, O men, will my honor be maligned? How long will you love vanity and seek after lies? Selah

⁴No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case honestly. They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.

⁵They hatch the eggs of vipers and weave a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die; crack one open, and a viper is hatched.

¹²For the wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.

¹³Therefore I am striking you severely, to ruin you because of your sins.

¹⁵But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,

²⁵If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the Lord intended to put them to death.

¹⁵But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”

²“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men.

¹⁷Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.

¹Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

¹Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, who presented to the governor their case against Paul.

¹⁸The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were present.

²³Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.

²⁶So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them.

²⁷When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

³⁰The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

³²The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him.

³³When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.

⁸Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

¹⁸At the time they found me in the temple, I was ceremonially clean and was not inciting a crowd or an uproar. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia

¹⁷After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

⁵We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,

⁷When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.

¹⁶keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ.

²and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

²¹But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.

¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him.

²³So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

⁵We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,

²²But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:

²And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

²⁸Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice

²⁹and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

¹⁵By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep.

¹²And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

¹³The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.

²⁵But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth.

²⁶Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.

⁶Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

⁵The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.

¹Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”

²Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

²²let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

¹⁵So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them

²¹And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

¹⁰They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

²⁵Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there.

²⁶For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

¹Now about the collection for the saints, you are to do as I directed the churches of Galatia:

²On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.

¹Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.

²In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.

²⁹So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.

³⁰This they did, sending their gifts to the elders with Barnabas and Saul.

⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

²¹For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.

²⁶So the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them.

²⁷When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

¹²Yet my accusers did not find me debating with anyone in the temple or riling up a crowd in the synagogues or in the city.

³⁰When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.

¹⁶I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.

⁶Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

⁶And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,

⁷the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.

²greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

²⁰So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

⁶and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.

²⁰When they asked him to stay for a while longer, he declined.

¹⁸The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

³especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.

²⁴After several days, Felix returned with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.

¹⁴I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,

³The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration, allowing him to visit his friends and receive their care.

¹⁶When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

⁷When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.

²⁶At the same time, he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe. So he sent for Paul frequently and talked with him.

⁸Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.

⁹He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.

²¹testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁶know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

³¹They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature.

¹Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him.

²⁰because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. When he heard John’s words, he was greatly perplexed; yet he listened to him gladly.

⁸And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:

¹⁵But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect,

⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;

⁴²And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.

²³gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.

¹²It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

⁹Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

¹⁰For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

²³A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.

⁶This is what the Lord says: “For three transgressions of Israel, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals.

⁷They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the earth; they push the needy out of their way. A man and his father have relations with the same girl and so profane My holy name.

³Here I am. Bear witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”

¹⁴Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.

¹⁵They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

⁸A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

⁹But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”

¹⁴Since they were staying several days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king: “There is a certain man whom Felix left in prison.

³And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

¹⁵And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

¹Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,

¹⁰Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.