Esther 1:16

Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart.”

He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.

He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”

For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you;

If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.

I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.

“Let them therefore”, he said, “that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.”

When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.

while he said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.”

But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

For if I have done wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

When therefore they had come together here, I didn’t delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought.

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him,

of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write.

When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”

After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.

For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority,

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we didn’t preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you didn’t receive, or a different “good news”, which you didn’t accept, you put up with that well enough.

The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.