Acts 25
25
1Festus, therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea,
2and the chief priest and the principal men of the Jews made manifest to him [the things] against Paul, and were calling on him,
3asking favour against him, that he may send for him to Jerusalem, making an ambush to put him to death in the way.
4Then, indeed, Festus answered that Paul is kept in Caesarea, and himself is about speedily to go on thither,
5‘Therefore those able among you — saith he — having come down together, if there be anything in this man — let them accuse him;’
6and having tarried among them more than ten days, having gone down to Caesarea, on the morrow having sat upon the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought;
7and he having come, there stood round about the Jews who have come down from Jerusalem — many and weighty charges they are bringing against Paul, which they were not able to prove,
8he making defence — ‘Neither in regard to the law of the Jews, nor in regard to the temple, nor in regard to Caesar — did I commit any sin.’
9And Festus willing to lay on the Jews a favour, answering Paul, said, ‘Art thou willing, to Jerusalem having gone up, there concerning these things to be judged before me?’
10and Paul said, ‘At the tribunal of Caesar I am standing, where it behoveth me to be judged; to Jews I did no unrighteousness, as thou dost also very well know;
11for if indeed I am unrighteous, and anything worthy of death have done, I deprecate not to die; and if there is none of the things of which these accuse me, no one is able to make a favour of me to them; to Caesar I appeal!’
12then Festus, having communed with the council, answered, ‘To Caesar thou hast appealed; to Caesar thou shalt go.’
13And certain days having passed, Agrippa the king, and Bernice, came down to Caesarea saluting Festus,
14and as they were continuing there more days, Festus submitted to the king the things concerning Paul, saying, ‘There is a certain man, left by Felix, a prisoner,
15about whom, in my being at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid information, asking a decision against him,
16unto whom I answered, that it is not a custom of Romans to make a favour of any man to die, before that he who is accused may have the accusers face to face, and may receive place of defence in regard to the charge laid against [him].
17‘They, therefore, having come together — I, making no delay, on the succeeding [day] having sat upon the tribunal, did command the man to be brought,
18concerning whom the accusers, having stood up, were bringing against [him] no accusation of the things I was thinking of,
19but certain questions concerning their own religion they had against him, and concerning a certain Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive;
20and I, doubting in regard to the question concerning this, said, If he would wish to go on to Jerusalem, and there to be judged concerning these things —
21but Paul having appealed to be kept to the hearing of Sebastus, I did command him to be kept till I might send him unto Caesar.’
22And Agrippa said unto Festus, ‘I was wishing also myself to hear the man;’ and he said, ‘To-morrow thou shalt hear him;’
23on the morrow, therefore — on the coming of Agrippa and Bernice with much display, and they having entered into the audience chamber, with the chief captains also, and the principal men of the city, and Festus having ordered — Paul was brought forth.
24And Festus said, ‘King Agrippa, and all men who are present with us, ye see this one, about whom all the multitude of the Jews did deal with me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out, He ought not to live any longer;
25and I, having found him to have done nothing worthy of death, and he also himself having appealed to Sebastus, I decided to send him,
26concerning whom I have no certain thing to write to [my] lord, wherefore I brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that the examination having been made, I may have something to write;
27for it doth seem to me irrational, sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him.’
Currently Selected:
Acts 25: YLT98
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
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."
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in