Acts 25

Paul Appeals to Caesar

1Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2The chief priests and leading men among the Jewish people presented their case against Paul and urged Festus, 3asking as a favor that he summon Paul to Jerusalem. They were planning an ambush to kill him along the way. 4Festus answered that Paul was being kept in Caesarea and that he himself would return there soon. 5“Therefore,” he said, “let your leaders come down with me and accuse the man if he has done something wrong.” 6After spending no more than eight or ten days among them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought in. 7When Paul appeared, the Jewish leaders who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges they could not prove. 8Paul defended himself: “I have committed no offense against the Law of the Jewish people, against the temple, or against Caesar.” 9But Festus, wanting to gain favor with the Jewish leaders, asked Paul, “Do you want to go up to Jerusalem and be tried before me there concerning these charges?” 10Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jewish people, as you yourself know very well. 11If I am guilty of wrongdoing and have done something deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing to these charges against me, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal to Caesar.” 12Then Festus conferred with his council and answered, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go.”

Festus Discusses Paul with Agrippa

13After several days, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14Since they stayed there many days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king: “There is a man Felix left here as a prisoner. 15When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jewish people brought charges against him and asked me for a sentence against him. 16I answered that it is not Roman custom to hand over an accused person before they meet their accusers face to face and have an opportunity to defend themselves against the charge. 17So when they came here, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought in. 18When his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I expected. 19Instead, they had certain disputes with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus who had died but whom Paul claimed was alive. 20Since I was at a loss about how to investigate these matters, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there. 21But Paul appealed to be kept for the Emperor’s decision, so I ordered him held until I can send him to Caesar.” 22Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” Festus replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”

Paul Is Brought Before Agrippa

23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great ceremony and entered the audience hall with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. At Festus’ command Paul was brought in. 24Festus said, “King Agrippa and everyone present with us, you see this man about whom a large number of Jewish people appealed to me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should no longer live. 25But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. Since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26Yet I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination I may have something to write. 27It seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without also indicating the charges against him.”