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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Acts 25: CPDV
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Acts of the Apostles 25
25
Paul appeals to Caesar
1Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2The chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. Appealing to him, 3they asked as a favor from Festus that he summon Paul to Jerusalem. They were planning to ambush and kill him along the way. 4But Festus responded by keeping Paul in Caesarea, since he was to return there very soon himself. 5“Some of your leaders can come down with me,” he said. “If he’s done anything wrong, they can bring charges against him.”
6He stayed with them for no more than eight or ten days, then went down to Caesarea. The following day he took his seat in the court and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7When he arrived, many Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him. They brought serious charges against him, but they couldn’t prove them. 8In his own defense, Paul said, “I’ve done nothing wrong against the Jewish Law, against the temple, or against Caesar.”
9Festus, wanting to put the Jews in his debt, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me concerning these things?”
10Paul replied, “I’m standing before Caesar’s court. I ought to be tried here. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you well know. 11If I’m guilty and have done something that deserves death, then I won’t try to avoid death. But if there is nothing to their accusations against me, no one has the authority to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12After Festus conferred with his advisors, he responded, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go.”
King Agrippa informed about Paul
13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to welcome Festus. 14Since they were staying there for many days, Festus discussed the case against Paul with the king. He said, “There is a man whom Felix left in prison. 15When I was in Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests and elders brought charges against him and requested a guilty verdict in his case. 16I told them it is contrary to Roman practice to hand someone over before they have faced their accusers and had opportunity to offer a defense against the charges. 17When they came here, I didn’t put them off. The very next day I took my seat in the court and ordered that the man be brought before me. 18When the accusers took the floor, they didn’t charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19Instead, they quibbled with him about their own religion and about some dead man named Jesus, who Paul claimed was alive. 20Since I had no idea how to investigate these matters, I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial there on these issues. 21However, Paul appealed that he be held in custody pending a decision from His Majesty the emperor, so I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
22Agrippa said to Festus, “I want to hear the man myself.”
“Tomorrow,” Festus replied, “you will hear him.”
23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great fanfare. They entered the auditorium with the military commanders and the city’s most prominent men. Festus then ordered that Paul be brought in. 24Festus said, “King Agrippa and everyone present with us: You see this man! The entire Jewish community, both here and in Jerusalem, has appealed to me concerning him. They’ve been calling for his immediate death. 25I’ve found that he has done nothing deserving death. When he appealed to His Majesty, I decided to send him to Rome. 26I have nothing definite to write to our lord emperor. Therefore, I’ve brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this investigation, I might have something to write. 27After all, it would be foolish to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”
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