But so that I may not impose on you for longer, I implore you to hear us briefly with your [customary] graciousness.

[When] you yourself examine [him] you will be able to find out from {him} about all these [things] of which we are accusing him."

And the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting these [things] were so.

And neither did they find me arguing with anyone or making a crowd develop in the temple [courts] nor in the synagogues nor throughout the city.

Nor can they prove [the things] to you concerning which they are now accusing me.

But I do confess this to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), so I worship the God of our fathers, believing all things [that are] in accordance with the law and that are written in the prophets,

in which they found me purified in the temple [courts], not with a crowd or with a disturbance.

But [there are] some Jews from Asia who ought to be present before you and bring charges against [me], if they have anything against me,

or these [men] themselves should say what crime they found [when] I stood before the Sanhedrin,

But Felix, [because he] understood the [facts] concerning the Way more accurately, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the military tribune comes down, I will decide {your case}."

And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him,

asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, [because they] were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way.

So he said, "Let those among you [who are] prominent go down with [me], [and] if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him."

And [after he] had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down on the judgment seat [and] gave orders [for] Paul to be brought.

And [when] he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges that they were not able to prove,

But Festus, [because he] wanted to do a favor for the Jews, answered [and] said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these [things]?"

But Paul said, "I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary [for] me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

If then I am doing wrong and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid dying. But if there is nothing [true] of [the things] which these [people] are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

And while they were staying there many days, Festus laid out the [case] against Paul to the king, saying, "There is a certain man left behind by Felix [as] a prisoner,

And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole population of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting [that] he must not live any longer.

[because] you are especially acquainted with both all the customs and controversial questions with respect to the Jews. Therefore I beg [you] to listen to me with patience.

having known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that in accordance with the strictest party of our religion I lived [as] a Pharisee.

And now I stand here on trial on the basis of hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,

to which our twelve tribes hope to attain as [they] earnestly serve [him] night and day. Concerning this hope I am being accused by the Jews, O king!

which I also did in Jerusalem, and not only did I lock up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, but also [when] they were being executed, I cast [my] vote against [them].

In the middle of the day along the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven, more than the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me.

And [when] we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Aramaic language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? [It is] hard for you to kick against the goads!'

So I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

But get up and stand on your feet, because for this [reason] I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and witness both [to the things] in which you saw me and [to the things] in which I will appear to you,

to open their eyes [so that they] may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, [so that] they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

On account of these [things] the Jews seized me in the temple [courts] [and] were attempting to kill [me].

Therefore I have experienced help from God until this day, [and] I stand here testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what both the prophets and Moses have said were going to happen,