Acts 25
25
Paul before Festus
1Now Festus arrived in the province, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea [Maritima]. 2And [there in Jerusalem] the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul [before Festus], and they repeatedly pleaded with him, 3asking as a concession against Paul, that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; (meanwhile planning an ambush to kill him on the way). 4Festus answered that Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea [Maritima] and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5“So,” he said, “let those who are in a position of authority among you go there with me, and if there is anything criminal about the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6Now after Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal (the judicial bench), and ordered Paul to be brought [before him]. 7After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him which they were not able to prove, 8while Paul declared in his own defense, “I have done no wrong and committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul, “#25:9 Paul was offered a choice because of his rights as a Roman citizen.Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial there in my presence [before the Jewish Sanhedrin] on these charges?” 10Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11Therefore, if I am guilty and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not try to escape death; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I #25:11 Roman citizens had the right to be tried before Caesar.appeal to Caesar (Emperor Nero).” 12Then Festus, after conferring with [the men who formed] his council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”
13Now several days later, #25:13 Herod Agrippa II was the seventh and last of the Herods mentioned in the NT.Agrippa [II] the king and #25:13 Eldest daughter of Herod Agrippa I.Bernice [his sister] arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus [the new governor]. 14While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man here who was left as a prisoner by Felix. 15When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews [told me about him and] brought charges against him, petitioning for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man [for punishment] before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has the opportunity to defend himself against the charges. 17So after they arrived together here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my place on the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought before me. 18When his accusers stood up, they brought no charges against him of crimes that I was expecting [neither civil nor criminal actions], 19instead they had some points of disagreement with him about their own #25:19 Or superstition.religion and about one Jesus, a man who had died, but whom Paul kept asserting and insisting [over and over] to be alive. 20And I, being at a loss as to how to investigate these things, asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. 21But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for a decision by the Emperor [Nero], I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.” 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” Festus replied, “you will hear him.”
Paul before Agrippa
23So the next day Agrippa and [his sister] Bernice came with great pageantry, and they went into the auditorium accompanied by the military commanders and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man [Paul] about whom all the Jewish people appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly insisting that he ought not to live any longer. 25But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death; however, since he appealed to the Emperor [Nero], I decided to send him [to Rome]. 26But I have nothing specific about him to write to my lord. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I will have something to put in writing. 27For it seems absurd and unreasonable to me to send a prisoner [to Rome] without indicating the charges against him.”
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Acts 25
25
1 And so, when Festus had arrived in the province, after three days, he ascended to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 And the leaders of the priests, and those first among the Jews, went to him against Paul. And they were petitioning him,
3 asking for favor against him, so that he would order him to be led to Jerusalem, where they were maintaining an ambush in order to kill him along the way.
4 But Festus responded that Paul was to be kept in Caesarea, and that he himself would soon go there.
5 "Therefore," he said, "let those among you who are able, descend at the same time, and if there is any guilt in the man, they may accuse him."
6 Then, having stayed among them no more than eight or ten days, he descended to Caesarea. And on the next day, he sat in the judgment seat, and he ordered Paul to be led in.
7 And when he had been brought, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, throwing out many serious accusations, none of which they were able to prove.
8 Paul offered this defense: "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended in any matter."
9 But Festus, wanting to show greater favor to the Jews, responded to Paul by saying: "Are you willing to ascend to Jerusalem and to be judged there about these things before me?"
10 But Paul said: "I stand in Caesar's tribunal, which is where I ought to be judged. I have done no harm to the Jews, as you well know.
11 For if I have harmed them, or if I have done anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying. But if there is nothing to these things about which they accuse me, no one is able to deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar."
12 Then Festus, having spoken with the council, responded: "You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go."
13 And when some days had passed, king Agrippa and Bernice descended to Caesarea, to greet Festus.
14 And since they remained there for many days, Festus spoke to the king about Paul, saying: "A certain man was left behind as a prisoner by Felix.
15 When I was at Jerusalem, the leaders of the priests and the elders of the Jews came to me about him, asking for condemnation against him.
16 I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to condemn any man, before he who is being accused has been confronted by his accusers and has received the opportunity to defend himself, so as to clear himself of the charges.
17 Therefore, when they had arrived here, without any delay, on the following day, sitting in the judgment seat, I ordered the man to be brought.
18 But when the accusers had stood up, they did not present any accusation about him from which I would suspect evil.
19 Instead, they brought against him certain disputes about their own superstition and about a certain Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
20 Therefore, being in doubt about this kind of question, I asked him if he was willing go to Jerusalem and to be judged there about these things.
21 But since Paul was appealing to be kept for a decision before Augustus, I ordered him to be kept, until I might send him to Caesar."
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus: "I myself also want to hear the man." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him."
23 And on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had arrived with great ostentation and had entered into the auditorium with the tribunes and the principal men of the city, Paul was brought in, at the order of Festus.
24 And Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present together with us, you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews disturbed me at Jerusalem, petitioning and clamoring that he should not be allowed to live any longer.
25 Truly, I have discovered nothing brought forth against him that is worthy of death. But since he himself has appealed to Augustus, it was my judgment to send him.
26 But I have not determined what to write to the emperor about him. Because of this, I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, O king Agrippa, so that, once an inquiry has occurred, I may have something to write.
27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to indicate the accusations set against him."
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