Acts 25

Paul before Festus

1Festus, then, after arriving in 1the province, went up to Jerusalem from 2Caesarea three days later. 2And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews 3brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with 4Festus, 3requesting a 5concession against 6Paul, that he might 7have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, 8setting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4Festus then 9answered that Paul 10was being kept in custody in 11Caesarea, and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5“Therefore,” he said, “have the influential men among you 12go there with me, and if there is anything wrong 13about the man, have them bring charges against him.”

6After Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to 14Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on 15the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought. 7After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing 16many, and serious, charges against him 17which they could not prove, 8while Paul said in his own defense, “18I have not done anything wrong either against the Law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar.” 9But Festus, 19wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul and said, “20Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and 21stand trial before me on these charges?” 10But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s 22tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11If, therefore, I am in the wrong and have committed something deserving death, I am not trying to avoid execution; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I 23appeal to Caesar.” 12Then when Festus had conferred with 24his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”

13Now when several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in 25Caesarea, paying their respects to Festus. 14And while they were spending many days there, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There is a man who was 26left as a prisoner by Felix; 15and when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews 27brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16I 28replied to them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any person before 29the accused meets his accusers face to face, and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on 30the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought. 18When the accusers stood up, they did not begin bringing any charges 31against him of crimes that I suspected, 19but they simply had some 32points of disagreement with him about their own 3334religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20And 35being at a loss how to investigate 36such matters, I 37asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these matters. 21But when Paul 38appealed to be held in custody for 39the Emperor’s decision, I ordered that he be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22Then 40Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

Paul before Agrippa

23So, on the next day when 41Agrippa and 42Bernice came amid great pomp and entered the auditorium, 43accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought before them. 24And Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man about whom 44all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that 45he ought not to live any longer. 25But I found that he had committed 46nothing deserving death; and since he himself 47appealed to 48the Emperor, I decided to send him. 2649Yet, I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore, I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him as well.”