Acts 25

Paul before Festus

1FestusG5347, thenG3767, after arrivingG1910 in 1the provinceG1885, wentG305 upG305 to JerusalemG2414 from 2CaesareaG2542 threeG5140 daysG2250 laterG3326. 2And the chiefG749 priestsG749 and the leadingG4413 menG4413 of the JewsG2453 3broughtG1718 chargesG1718 againstG2596 PaulG3972, and they were pleadingG3870 with 4Festus, 3requestingG154 a 5concessionG5485 againstG2596 6Paul, that he might 7have him broughtG3343 to JerusalemG2419 (at the same time, 8settingG4160 an ambushG1747 to killG337 him on the wayG3598). 4FestusG5347 thenG3767 9answeredG611 that PaulG3972 10was being keptG5083 inG5083 custodyG5083 in 11CaesareaG2542, and that he himselfG1438 wasG3195 aboutG3195 toG3195 leaveG1607 shortlyG5034. 5“ThereforeG3767,” he saidG5346, “have the influentialG1415 menG1415 amongG1722 you 12goG4782 there with me, and ifG1487 there is anythingG5100 wrongG824 13aboutG1722 the manG435, have them bringG2723 chargesG2723 againstG2723 him.”

6After Festus had spentG1304 noG3756 moreG4183 than eightG3638 orG2228 tenG1176 daysG2250 amongG1722 them, he wentG2597 downG2597 to 14CaesareaG2542, and on the nextG1887 dayG1887 he tookG2523 his seatG2523 on 15the tribunalG968 and orderedG2753 that PaulG3972 be broughtG71. 7After Paul arrivedG3854, the JewsG2453 who had comeG2597 downG2597 from JerusalemG2414 stoodG4026 aroundG4026 him, bringingG2702 16manyG4183, and seriousG926, chargesG159 againstG2702 him 17whichG3739 they couldG2480 not proveG584, 8while PaulG3972 saidG626 inG626 his own defenseG626, “18I have not doneG264 anythingG5100 wrongG264 eitherG3777 againstG1519 the LawG3551 of the JewsG2453, orG3777 againstG1519 the templeG2413, orG3777 againstG1519 CaesarG2541.” 9But FestusG5347, 19wantingG2309 to doG2698 the JewsG2453 a favorG5485, repliedG611 to PaulG3972 and saidG3004, “20Are you willingG2309 to goG305 upG305 to JerusalemG2414 and 21standG2919 trialG2919 beforeG1909 me on theseG3778 charges?” 10But PaulG3972 saidG3004, “I amG1510 standingG2476 beforeG1909 Caesar’sG2541 22tribunalG968, whereG3757 I oughtG1163 to be triedG2919. I have doneG91 nothingG3762 wrongG91 to the JewsG2453, as you alsoG2532 veryG2573 wellG2573 knowG1921. 11IfG1487, thereforeG3767, I amG91 inG91 theG91 wrongG91 and have committedG4238 somethingG5100 deservingG514 deathG2288, I am not tryingG3868 toG3868 avoidG3868 executionG599; but ifG1487 there is nothingG3762 to the accusationsG2723 whichG3739 theseG3778 menG3778 are bringingG2723 againstG2723 me, noG3762 oneG3762 canG1410 handG5483 me overG5483 to them. I 23appealG1941 toG1941 CaesarG2541.” 12ThenG5119 when FestusG5347 had conferredG4814 with 24his councilG4824, he answeredG611, “You have appealedG1941 toG1941 CaesarG2541; to CaesarG2541 you shall goG4198.”

13NowG1161 when severalG5100 daysG2250 had passedG1230, KingG935 AgrippaG67 and BerniceG959 arrivedG2658 in 25CaesareaG2542, payingG782 their respectsG782 to FestusG5347. 14And whileG5613 they were spendingG1304 manyG4183 daysG2250 thereG1563, FestusG5347 presentedG394 Paul’sG3972 caseG3588G2596 to the kingG935, sayingG3004, “There is a manG435 who was 26leftG2641 as a prisonerG1198 by FelixG5344; 15and when I was in JerusalemG2414, the chiefG749 priestsG749 and the eldersG4245 of the JewsG2453 27broughtG1718 chargesG1718 againstG4012 him, askingG154 for a sentenceG2613 ofG2613 condemnationG2613 againstG4012 him. 16I 28repliedG611 to them that it is not the customG1485 of the RomansG4514 to handG5483 overG5483 anyG5100 personG444 beforeG4250 29the accusedG2723 meetsG2192 his accusersG2725 faceG4383 to faceG4383, and hasG2192 an opportunityG5117 to make his defenseG627 againstG4012 the chargesG1462. 17SoG3767 after they had assembledG4905 hereG1759, I did not delayG311, but on the nextG1836 day tookG2523 my seatG2523 on 30the tribunalG968 and orderedG2753 that the manG435 be broughtG71. 18When the accusersG2725 stoodG2476 up, they did not begin bringingG5342 anyG3762 chargesG156 31againstG4012 him of crimesG4190 that I suspectedG5282, 19but they simply hadG2192 someG5100 32pointsG2213 ofG2213 disagreementG2213 with him aboutG4012 their ownG2398 3334religionG1175 and aboutG4012 a deadG2348 manG2348, JesusG2424, whomG3739 PaulG3972 assertedG5335 to be aliveG2198. 20And 35beingG639 atG639 aG639 lossG639 howG2214 toG2214 investigateG2214 36suchG3778 matters, I 37askedG3004 whetherG1487 he was willingG1014 to goG4198 to JerusalemG2414 and standG2919 trialG2919 thereG2546 on theseG3778 matters. 21But when PaulG3972 38appealedG1941 to be heldG5083 inG5083 custodyG5083 for 39the Emperor’sG4575 decisionG1233, I orderedG2753 that he be keptG5083 inG5083 custodyG5083 untilG2193 I sendG375 him to CaesarG2541.” 22ThenG2532 40AgrippaG67 said to FestusG5347, “I alsoG2532 would likeG1014 to hearG191 the manG444 myselfG846.” “TomorrowG839,” he saidG5346, “you shall hearG191 him.”

Paul before Agrippa

23SoG3767, on the nextG1887 dayG1887 when 41AgrippaG67 and 42BerniceG959 cameG2064 amidG3326 greatG4183 pompG5325 and enteredG1525 the auditoriumG201, 43accompaniedG4862 by the commandersG5506 and the prominentG1851 menG435 of the cityG4172, at the commandG2753 of FestusG5347, PaulG3972 was broughtG71 before them. 24And FestusG5347 saidG5346, “KingG935 AgrippaG67, and allG3956 you gentlemenG435 presentG4840 with us, you seeG2334 thisG3778 manG3778 aboutG4012 whomG3739 44allG537 the peopleG4128 of the JewsG2453 appealedG1793 to me, bothG5037 in JerusalemG2414 and hereG1759, shoutingG994 that 45he oughtG1163 not to liveG2198 anyG3371 longerG3371. 25But I foundG2638 that he had committedG4238 46nothingG3367 deservingG514 deathG2288; and since he himselfG846 47appealedG1941 toG1941 48the EmperorG4575, I decidedG2919 to sendG3992 him. 2649Yet, I haveG2192 nothingG3756 definiteG804 aboutG4012 him to writeG1125 to my lordG2962. ThereforeG1352, I have broughtG4254 him beforeG4254 you all and especiallyG3122 beforeG1909 you, KingG935 AgrippaG67, soG3704 thatG3704 after the investigationG351 has takenG1096 placeG1096, I may haveG2192 somethingG5101 to writeG1125. 27For it seemsG1380 absurdG249 to me in sendingG3992 a prisonerG1198, not to indicateG4591 the chargesG156 againstG2596 him asG2532 wellG2532.”