Shared Word Translation
Acts 25
Paul Appeals to Caesar
Therefore Festus, having arrived in the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews presented their case against Paul, and they were urging him, asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
So Festus answered that Paul was being kept in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart there shortly. “Therefore,” he said, “let those of authority among you go down with me and accuse the man, if there is anything wrong in him.”
And having stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the next day, sitting on the tribunal, he ordered Paul to be brought. And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges which they were not able to prove,
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.”
But Festus, wishing to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?”
But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you also know very well. If then I am doing wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there is nothing to their charges, no one is able to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
Then Festus, having conferred with the council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you will go.”
Festus Consults King Agrippa
Now after some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to greet Festus. And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying:
about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented charges, asking for a sentence against him.
To them I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused has the accusers face to face and receives opportunity for a defense concerning the charge.
Therefore when they came together here, without delay, on the next day I sat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge concerning the evils that I was supposing,
but they had certain disputes with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
And being at a loss how to investigate these things, I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be judged there concerning these matters. But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar.”
And Agrippa said to Festus, “I myself also would like to hear the man.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”
Paul Before Agrippa
So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp and had entered into the audience hall with the military commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
But I found that he had done nothing deserving death; and as he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place, I may have something to write.
For it seems unreasonable to me, in sending a prisoner, not also to indicate the charges against him.”