Atos 24
Men fem Dage derefter drog Ypperstepræsten Ananias ned med nogle Ældste og en Taler, Tertullus, og disse førte Klage for Landshøvdingen imod Paulus.
Da han nu var kaldt ind, begyndte Tertullus at anklage ham og sagde:
Men for at jeg ikke skal opholde dig for længe, beder jeg, at du efter din Mildhed vil høre os kortelig.
Vi have nemlig fundet, at denne Mand er en Pest og en Oprørsstifter iblandt alle Jøderne hele Verden over, samt er Fører for Nazaræernes Parti,
ja, han har endog forsøgt at vanhellige Helligdommen. Vi grebe ham da også og vilde have dømt ham efter vor Lov.
Men Krigsøversten Lysias kom til og borttog ham med megen Vold af vore Hænder
Men også Jøderne stemmede i med og påstode, at dette forholdt sig således.
da du kan forvisse dig om, at det er ikke mere end tolv Dage, siden jeg kom op for at tilbede i Jerusalem.
Og de have ikke fundet mig i Ordveksel med nogen eller i Færd med at vække Folkeopløb, hverken i Helligdommen eller i Synagogerne eller omkring i Staden.
Og de kunne ej heller bevise dig det, som de nu anklage mig for.
Men dette bekender jeg for dig, at jeg efter den Vej, som de kalde et Parti, tjener vor fædrene Gud således, at jeg tror på alt det, som står i Loven, og det, som er skrevet hos Profeterne,
og har det Håb til Gud, som også disse selv forvente, at der skal komme en Opstandelse både af retfærdige og af uretfærdige.
Derfor øver også jeg mig i altid at have en uskadt Samvittighed for Gud og Menneskene.
Men efter flere Års Forløb er jeg kommen for at bringe Almisser til mit Folk og Ofre,
hvad de fandt mig i Færd med, da jeg var bleven renset i Helligdommen, og ikke med Opløb og Larm; men det var nogle Jøder fra Asien,
og de burde nu være til Stede hos dig og klage, om de have noget på mig at sige.
Eller lad disse her selv sige, hvad Uret de have fundet hos mig, da jeg stod for Rådet,
Og han befalede Høvedsmanden, at han skulde holdes bevogtet, men med Lempelse, og at han ikke måtte forbyde nogen af hans egne at gå ham til Hånde.
Men nogle Dage efter kom Feliks med sin Hustru Drusilla, som var en Jødinde, og lod Paulus hente og hørte ham om Troen på Kristus Jesus.
Tillige håbede han også, at Paulus skulde give ham Penge; derfor lod han ham også oftere hente og samtalede med ham.
Men da to År vare forløbne, fik Feliks Porkius Festus til Efterfølger; og da Feliks vilde fortjene sig Tak af Jøderne, lod han Paulus blive tilbage i Lænker.
And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and {with} a certain orator {named} Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.
And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse {him}, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,
We accept {it} always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.
For we have found this man {a} pestilent {fellow}, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.
But the chief captain Lysias came {upon us}, and with great violence took {him} away out of our hands,
Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.
And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.
Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:
Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.
And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:
Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and {toward} men.
Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.
Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.
Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.
Or else let these same {here} say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,
Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.
And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of {that} way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.
And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let {him} have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.
And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.