Acts 25
25
Paul Appeals to Caesar Before Festus
1 Festus, therefore, having arrived in the province, went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea three days later. 2 And the chief priests and the leading men* of the Jews made a report of their charges* against Paul to him, and they were urging him, 3 asking for a favour against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem— because they were preparing an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Then Festus answered that Paul was being kept in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to proceed there in a short while. 5 Therefore he said, “Let those who are influential among you go down with me, and if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6 And after he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the following day, he sat down on the judgment seat,* and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 And when he came, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and weighty charges which they were not able to substantiate with evidence, 8 while Paul said in his defence, “Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any respect.” 9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favour, answered and said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these charges?”* 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be tried. To the Jews, I have done no wrong, as you also know better than many. 11 If then I do wrong, and have done anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing of which they can accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12 Then Festus, having conversed this with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you will go!”
Festus Seeks Agrippa’s Advice
13 Now after some days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. 14 And as they were staying there many days, Festus laid out the case against Paul to the king, stating, “There is a certain man left by Felix as a prisoner, 15 concerning whom, when I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews made a report of their charges, requesting a judgment of guilt against him. 16 To whom I answered, that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any man before the one being accused met the accusers face to face, and had an opportunity for a defence concerning the accusation. 17 Therefore, when they came together here, I made no delay. On the following day, having sat down on the judgment seat, I ordered the man to be brought, 18 concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they began to bring no charge of evils which I was suspecting. 19 Rather, they had certain points of contentions against him, concerning their* own religion, and concerning a certain Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul was asserting to be alive. 20 And being at a loss with reference to the investigation concerning these questions,* I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and to be tried there concerning these things. 21 But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 So Agrippa said to Festus, “I wish to hear the man myself also.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”
Paul Before Agrippa
23 So on the following day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall, together with military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. And after Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole populace of the Jews pleaded with me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death himself, and when this one appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him, 26 concerning whom, I do not have anything definite to write to my lord. Therefore, I have brought him before you all, and particularly before you, King Agrippa, so that, after the examination has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems irrational to me to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.”
Notes
2 The word men is not found in the Greek text, but is contextually supplied for the purpose of clarification
2 The phrase of their charges is not found in the Greek text, but is added here for the purpose of clarification. So also v. 15
6 Or he took his seat on the tribunal. So also v. 17
9 Greek these things
19 Greek the . Here, the Greek definite article functions pronominally, corresponding contextually to the English possessive their
20 Greek question
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Acts 25
25
Paul Appeals to Caesar Before Festus
1 Festus, therefore, having arrived in the province, went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea three days later. 2 And the chief priests and the leading men* of the Jews made a report of their charges* against Paul to him, and they were urging him, 3 asking for a favour against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem— because they were preparing an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Then Festus answered that Paul was being kept in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to proceed there in a short while. 5 Therefore he said, “Let those who are influential among you go down with me, and if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6 And after he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the following day, he sat down on the judgment seat,* and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 And when he came, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and weighty charges which they were not able to substantiate with evidence, 8 while Paul said in his defence, “Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any respect.” 9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favour, answered and said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these charges?”* 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be tried. To the Jews, I have done no wrong, as you also know better than many. 11 If then I do wrong, and have done anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing of which they can accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12 Then Festus, having conversed this with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you will go!”
Festus Seeks Agrippa’s Advice
13 Now after some days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. 14 And as they were staying there many days, Festus laid out the case against Paul to the king, stating, “There is a certain man left by Felix as a prisoner, 15 concerning whom, when I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews made a report of their charges, requesting a judgment of guilt against him. 16 To whom I answered, that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any man before the one being accused met the accusers face to face, and had an opportunity for a defence concerning the accusation. 17 Therefore, when they came together here, I made no delay. On the following day, having sat down on the judgment seat, I ordered the man to be brought, 18 concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they began to bring no charge of evils which I was suspecting. 19 Rather, they had certain points of contentions against him, concerning their* own religion, and concerning a certain Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul was asserting to be alive. 20 And being at a loss with reference to the investigation concerning these questions,* I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and to be tried there concerning these things. 21 But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 So Agrippa said to Festus, “I wish to hear the man myself also.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”
Paul Before Agrippa
23 So on the following day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall, together with military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. And after Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole populace of the Jews pleaded with me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death himself, and when this one appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him, 26 concerning whom, I do not have anything definite to write to my lord. Therefore, I have brought him before you all, and particularly before you, King Agrippa, so that, after the examination has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems irrational to me to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.”
Notes
2 The word men is not found in the Greek text, but is contextually supplied for the purpose of clarification
2 The phrase of their charges is not found in the Greek text, but is added here for the purpose of clarification. So also v. 15
6 Or he took his seat on the tribunal. So also v. 17
9 Greek these things
19 Greek the . Here, the Greek definite article functions pronominally, corresponding contextually to the English possessive their
20 Greek question
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).