Acts 25:13-26:2

New American Standard Bible

¹³ Now when several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in ^(A)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 ^(B)left as a prisoner by Felix; ¹⁵ and when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews ^(C)brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. ¹⁶ I ^(D)replied to them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any person before ^(E)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 ^(F)the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought. ¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they did not begin bringing any charges ^[a]against him of crimes that I suspected, ¹⁹ but they simply had some ^(G)points of disagreement with him about their own ^[b](H)religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. ²⁰ And ^(I)being at a loss how to investigate ^[c]such matters, I ^[d]asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these matters. ²¹ But when Paul ^(J)appealed to be held in custody for ^[e]the Emperor’s decision, I ordered that he be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” ²² Then ^(K)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 ^(L)Agrippa and ^(M)Bernice came amid great pomp and entered the auditorium, ^[f]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 ^(N)all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that ^(O)he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ But I found that he had committed ^(P)nothing deserving death; and since he himself ^(Q)appealed to ^[g]the Emperor, I decided to send him. ^26 [h]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.”

Paul’s Defense before Agrippa

26 ^(R)Now Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul extended his hand and proceeded to make his defense:

² “Regarding all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,