Acts 24:5-15

5 "For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the ¹sect of the Nazarenes.

6 "And he even tried to ²desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him. [We wanted to judge him according to our own Law.

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

8 ordering his accusers to come before you.] By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him."

9 ³The Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so.

10 When ⁴the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: "K nowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense,

11 since you can take note of the fact that no more than ⁵twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

12 "⁶Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or ⁷causing a riot.

13 "⁸Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me.

14 "But this I admit to you, that according to ⁹the Way which they call a ¹⁰sect I do serve ¹¹the God of our fathers, ¹²believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;

15 having a hope in God, which ¹³these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

Cross References

• 1. Acts 15:5; Acts 24:14
• 2. Acts 21:28
• 3. 1 Thessalonians 2:16
• 4. Acts 23:24
• 5. Acts 21:18, 27; Acts 24:1
• 6. Acts 25:8
• 7. Acts 24:18
• 8. Acts 25:7
• 9. Acts 9:2; Acts 24:22
• 10. Acts 15:5; Acts 24:5
• 11. Acts 3:13
• 12. Acts 25:8; Acts 26:4ff, 22; Acts 28:23
• 13. Daniel 12:2; John 5:28; John 11:24; Acts 23:6

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "the inhabited earth"
• [b] Lit "also"
• [c] The early mss do not contain the remainder of v 6, v 7, nor the first part of v 8
• [d] Lit "an attack of a mob"
• [e] Lit "the ancestral God"