25:1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,
25:2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.
25:3 They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
25:4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
25:5 Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.”
25:6 After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him.
25:7 When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.
25:8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
25:9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”
25:10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.
25:11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
25:12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
25:13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
25:14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.
25:15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.
25:16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges.
25:17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.
25:18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.
25:19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.
25:20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.
25:21 When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”
25:22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”
25:23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
25:24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
25:25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome.
25:26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write.
25:27 For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”
25:1 Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
25:2 And the chief priests and leading men of the Jews gave their information to him against Paul; and they entreated him,
25:3 Asking for a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem, they themselves setting an ambush to do away with him on the way.
25:4 Festus therefore answered that Paul was being kept in custody in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to proceed there shortly.
25:5 Therefore, he said, let influential men from among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.
25:6 And having stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought.
25:7 And when he 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,
25:8 While Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned in anything.
25:9 But Festus, wanting to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there before me concerning these things?
25:10 And Paul said, I am standing before Caesar s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.
25:11 If therefore I am doing wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there is nothing to the things which these accuse me of, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.
25:12 Then when Festus had conferred with the council, he answered, To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.
25:13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.
25:14 And while they were staying some additional days there, Festus laid before the king the matters regarding Paul, saying, There is a certain man who has been left a prisoner by Felix,
25:15 Concerning whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews gave information and asked for a sentence against him.
25:16 To them I answered that it is not the custom with Romans to hand over any man before he who is accused meets the accusers face to face and has an opportunity for a defense concerning the charge.
25:17 So when they had come together here, I made no delay; on the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, I ordered the man to be brought.
25:18 Concerning him the accusers stood and brought no charge of the evil things I was suspecting.
25:19 But they had certain questions against him concerning their own religion and concerning a certain Jesus who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
25:20 And being at a loss as to how there should be an inquiry concerning these things, I asked him if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be judged there concerning these things.
25:21 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 should send him up to Caesar.
25:22 And Agrippa said to Festus, I myself also would like to hear the man. Tomorrow, said Festus, you shall hear him.
25:23 Therefore on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered into the hall of audience together with the commanders and prominent men of the city, and when Festus had given the order, Paul was brought.
25:24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all you men who are present with us, you behold this man, concerning whom all the multitude of Jews have petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
25:25 But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
25:26 Concerning him I have nothing definite to write to my lord; therefore I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that when the examination has taken place, I may have something to write.
25:27 For it seems unreasonable to me, in sending a prisoner, not to also signify the charges against him.