Acts 25

1

Paul’s Trial before Festus

ThreeG5140 daysG2250 afterG3326 his arrivalG1910 in theG3588 provinceG1885, FestusG5347 went upG305 fromG575 CaesareaG2542 toG1519 JerusalemG2414, 2where theG3588 chief priestsG749 andG2532 JewishG3588G2453 leadersG4413 presented their caseG1718G846 againstG2596 PaulG3972. TheyG2532 urgedG3870 Festus 3to grant themG154 a concessionG5485 againstG2596 Paul byG3704 summoningG3343 himG846 toG1519 JerusalemG2419, because they were preparingG4160 an ambushG1747 to killG337 himG846 alongG2596 theG3588 wayG3598.

4ButG3767 FestusG5347 repliedG611, “PaulG3972 is being heldG5083 inG1519 CaesareaG2542, andG1161 I myself amG3195 going thereG1607 soonG1722G5034. 5SoG3767 ifG1487 this manG435 has doneG1510 anythingG5100 wrongG824, let someG3588 ofG1722 yourG4771 leadersG1415 come down with meG4782 and accuseG2723 himG846 there.”

6After spendingG1304 noG3756 more thanG4119 eightG3638 orG2228 tenG1176 daysG2250 withG1722 themG846, Festus went downG2597 toG1519 CaesareaG2542. TheG3588 next dayG1887 he satG2523 onG1909 theG3588 judgment seatG968 and ordered thatG2753 PaulG3972 be brought inG71. 7When Paul arrivedG3854, theG3588 JewsG2453 who had come downG2597 fromG575 JerusalemG2414 stood aroundG4026 himG846, bringingG2702 manyG4183 seriousG926 chargesG157 thatG3739 they could notG3756G2480 proveG584.

8Then PaulG3972 made his defenseG626: “I have committed no offenseG264G5100G3777 againstG1519 theG3588 lawG3551 of theG3588 JewsG2453 or againstG1519 theG3588 templeG2411 or againstG1519 CaesarG2541.”

9ButG1161 FestusG5347, wishingG2309 to do the Jews a favorG2698G5485G3588G2453, saidG2036 to PaulG3972, “Are you willingG2309 to go upG305 toG1519 JerusalemG2414 to stand trialG2919 beforeG1909 meG1473 onG4012 theseG3778 charges?”

10

Paul Appeals to Caesar

PaulG3972 repliedG2036, “I amG1510 standingG2476 beforeG1909 theG3588 judgment seatG968 of CaesarG2541, whereG3757 IG1473 oughtG1163 to be triedG2919. I have done nothing wrongG91G3762 to the JewsG2453, asG5613 youG4771 yourself knowG1921 very wellG2566. 11IfG1487, howeverG3303G3767, I am guiltyG91 of anythingG5100 worthyG514 of deathG2288, I do not refuseG3756G3868 to dieG599. ButG1161 ifG1487 there isG1510 noG3762 truth to theirG3778 accusationsG2723 against meG1473, no oneG3762 has the rightG1410 to hand me overG5483G1473 to themG846. I appealG1941 to CaesarG2541!”

12ThenG5119 FestusG5347 conferredG4814 withG3326 his councilG4824 and repliedG611, “You have appealedG1941 to CaesarG2541. ToG1909 CaesarG2541 you will goG4198!”

Festus Consults Agrippa

13After severalG5100 daysG2250 had passedG1230, KingG935 AgrippaG67 andG2532 BerniceG959 came downG2658 toG1519 CaesareaG2542 to pay their respectsG782 to FestusG5347. 14SinceG1161G5613 they were stayingG1304G1563 severalG4119 daysG2250, FestusG5347 laid outG394 Paul’s caseG3588G2596G3972 before theG3588 kingG935: “There isG1510 a certainG5100 manG435 whom FelixG5344 leftG2641 in prisonG1198. 15While IG1473 wasG1096 inG1519 JerusalemG2414, theG3588 chief priestsG749 andG2532 eldersG4245 of theG3588 JewsG2453 presented their caseG1718G4012G3739 and requestedG154 a judgmentG2613 againstG2596 himG846. 16I toldG611 them thatG3754 it isG1510 notG3756 the Roman customG1485G4514 to handG5483 aG5100 man overG444 beforeG4250 he has hadG2983 an opportunityG5117 toG2596 faceG4383 his accusersG2725 andG5037 defend himselfG627 againstG4012 their chargesG1462.

17SoG3767 when theyG846 cameG4905 here with meG1759, I didG4160 notG3367 delayG311. TheG3588 nextG1836 day I satG2523 onG1909 theG3588 judgment seatG968 and ordered thatG2753 theG3588 manG435 be brought inG71. 18But when his accusersG2725 rose to speakG2476, they did not chargeG5342G3762G156 him with any of the crimesG4190 IG1473 had expectedG5282. 19They only hadG1161G2192 someG5100 contentionsG2213 withG4314 himG846 regardingG4012 their ownG2398 religionG1175 andG2532 a certainG5100 JesusG2424 who had diedG2348, but whomG3739 PaulG3972 affirmedG5335 to be aliveG2198.

20Since IG1473 was at a lossG639 as toG4012 how to investigateG2214 theseG3778 matters, I askedG2036 ifG1487 he was willingG1014 to goG4198 toG1519 JerusalemG2414 andG2546 be tried thereG2919 onG4012 theseG3778 charges. 21ButG1161 when PaulG3972 appealedG1941 to be held overG5083 forG1519 theG3588 decisionG1233 of theG3588 EmperorG4575, I ordered thatG2753 heG846 be heldG5083 untilG2193 I could sendG375 himG846 toG4314 CaesarG2541.”

22ThenG1161 AgrippaG67 said toG4314 FestusG5347, “I would likeG1014 to hearG191 this manG444 myselfG846.”

“TomorrowG839 you will hearG191 himG846,” Festus declaredG5346.

23

Paul before Agrippa and Bernice

TheG3588 next dayG1887 AgrippaG67 andG2532 BerniceG959 cameG2064 withG3326 greatG4183 pompG5325 andG2532 enteredG1525G1519 theG3588 auditoriumG201, along withG4862 the commandersG5506 andG2532 leadingG2596G1851 menG435 of theG3588 cityG4172. AndG2532 FestusG5347 ordered thatG2753 PaulG3972 be brought inG71.

24ThenG2532 FestusG5347 saidG5346, “KingG935 AgrippaG67 andG2532 allG3956 who are present withG4840 usG1473, you seeG2334 thisG3778 man. TheG3588 wholeG537 JewishG3588G2453 communityG4128 has petitionedG1793 meG1473 aboutG4012 him, bothG5037 hereG1759 andG2532 inG1722 JerusalemG2414, crying outG994 that he oughtG1163 notG3361 to liveG2198 any longerG3371. 25ButG1161 IG1473 foundG2638 heG846 had doneG4238 nothingG3367 worthyG514 of deathG2288, and since heG3778G846 has now appealed toG1161G1941 theG3588 EmperorG4575, I decidedG2919 to sendG3992 him.

26I haveG2192 nothingG3756G5100 definiteG804 to writeG1125 toG3588 our sovereignG2962 aboutG4012 him. ThereforeG1352 I have broughtG4254 himG846 beforeG1909 all of youG4771, andG2532 especiallyG3122 beforeG1909 youG4771, KingG935 AgrippaG67, so thatG3704 after this inquiryG351G1096 I may haveG2192 somethingG5101 to writeG1125. 27ForG1063 it seemsG1380 unreasonableG249 to meG1473 to send onG3992 a prisonerG1198 withoutG3361G2532 specifyingG4591 theG3588 chargesG156 againstG2596 himG846.”