Acts 25
Worldwide English (New Testament)
25 Three days after Festus came to the country, he went to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 Then the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews told him what they had against Paul.
3 `Please do something for us,' they begged. `Send for Paul to come to Jerusalem.' They had made a secret plan to kill him on the road.
4 Festus said, `Paul is being kept in prison in Caesarea. I myself am going there soon.
5 Let the men among you who are able come with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, then they can talk against him.'
6 Festus stayed only eight or ten days more among them. Then he went to Caesarea. The next day he sat on his chair in the court and had Paul brought in.
7 When Paul came in, the Jewish leaders who had come from Jerusalem stood around Paul. They talked much against him. But they could not prove that the things they said were true.
8 Paul spoke for himself. He said, `I have done no wrong to the law, or to the temple, or against Caesar the ruler of the Romans.'
9 Festus wanted to please the Jewish leaders, so he said to Paul, `Will you go to Jerusalem and let me judge you there about these things?'
10 Paul said, `I am standing in Caesar's court. That is where I should be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews. You yourself know that well.
11 If I have done wrong things, or any wrong thing for which I should die, then I do not ask to live. But if the things these people say are not true, then no one has power to give me up to the leaders of the Jews. I ask to go to Caesar.'
12 So Festus talked the matter over with the court. Then he said to Paul, `You have asked to go to Caesar. All right, you will go to Caesar!'
13 Some time after that, king Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
14 They stayed for many days. Festus brought Paul's matter to the king. He said, `Felix left a man in prison here.
15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priest and leaders of the Jews came to me. They talked against him, and they asked me to punish him.
16 I told them that the Romans do not do it that way. They do not punish a man until he has met those who talk against him. Then he has a chance to speak for himself.
17 So they came here with me. I did not wait. The very next day I sat on my chair in the court and had the man brought in.
18 When they stood up, they did not say the wrong things against him that I thought they would.
19 But instead, they had a quarrel with him about the things they believe in. The quarrel is about a man named Jesus who died. Paul said he is alive.
20 I did not know how to judge such things. So I asked if he would go to Jerusalem and be judged there about these matters.
21 But Paul asked to wait and let Caesar judge his case. So I had him put in prison to be kept there until I can send him to Caesar.'
22 Agrippa said to Festus, `I should like to hear the man myself.' Festus said, `Tomorrow you shall hear him.'
23 So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came, making a big show of themselves. They went into the room to hear Paul talk. Officers and the leading men of the city also went in. When Festus called for Paul, he was brought in.
24 Then Festus said, `King Agrippa and all you men here with us, you see this man. All the Jewish leaders, both in Jerusalem and here, came together and talked about him. They shouted, "He must die!"
25 But I found out that he had not done anything wrong for which he should die. He himself asked to go to Caesar, so I decided to send him.
26 But I have no real complaint about him to write to my ruler. So I have brought this man before you all, and most of all before you, king Agrippa. When you have heard him, I hope I will have something to write about him.
27 I think that it does not make sense to send a prisoner and not say what wrong he has done.'
Acts 25
New American Standard Bible
Paul before Festus
25 Festus, then, after arriving in (A)the province, went up to Jerusalem from (B)Caesarea three days later. 2 And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews (C)brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with [a]Festus, 3 requesting a [b]concession against [c]Paul, that he might [d]have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, (D)setting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4 Festus then (E)answered that Paul (F)was being kept in custody in (G)Caesarea, and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he *said, “have the influential men among you [e]go there with me, and if there is anything wrong [f]about the man, have them bring charges against him.”
6 After Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to (H)Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on (I)the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought. 7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing (J)many, and serious, charges against him (K)which they could not prove, 8 while Paul said in his own defense, “(L)I have not done anything wrong either against the Law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar.” 9 But Festus, (M)wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul and said, “(N)Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and [g]stand trial before me on these charges?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s (O)tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 If, therefore, I am in the wrong and have committed something deserving death, I am not trying to avoid execution; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I (P)appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then when Festus had conferred with [h]his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”
13 Now when several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in (Q)Caesarea, paying their respects to Festus. 14 And while they were spending many days there, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There is a man who was (R)left as a prisoner by Felix; 15 and when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews (S)brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I (T)replied to them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any person before (U)the accused meets his accusers face to face, and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17 So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on (V)the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they did not begin bringing any charges [i]against him of crimes that I suspected, 19 but they simply had some (W)points of disagreement with him about their own [j](X)religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 And (Y)being at a loss how to investigate [k]such matters, I [l]asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these matters. 21 But when Paul (Z)appealed to be held in custody for [m]the Emperor’s decision, I ordered that he be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22 Then (AA)Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he *said, “you shall hear him.”
Paul before Agrippa
23 So, on the next day when (AB)Agrippa and (AC)Bernice came amid great pomp and entered the auditorium, [n]accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought before them. 24 And Festus *said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man about whom (AD)all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that (AE)he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed (AF)nothing deserving death; and since he himself (AG)appealed to [o]the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 [p]Yet, I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore, I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him as well.”
Footnotes
- Acts 25:2 Lit him
- Acts 25:3 Or favor
- Acts 25:3 Lit him
- Acts 25:3 Lit summon him to Jerusalem
- Acts 25:5 Lit go down
- Acts 25:5 Lit in
- Acts 25:9 Lit be judged
- Acts 25:12 A different group from that mentioned in Acts 4:15 and 24:20
- Acts 25:18 Lit in regard to him
- Acts 25:19 Or superstition
- Acts 25:20 Lit these
- Acts 25:20 Lit said
- Acts 25:21 Lit the Augustus’ (in this case Nero)
- Acts 25:23 Lit and with
- Acts 25:25 See note v 21
- Acts 25:26 Lit About whom I
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