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Acts 25
21st Century King James Version
Acts 25
21st Century King James Version
25 Now when Festus had come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him,
3 desiring a favor against him: that he would have Paul brought to Jerusalem, so that they might lie in wait on the way to kill him.
4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.
5 “Let those therefore,” he said, “who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.”
6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea. And the next day, sitting in the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he had come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,
8 while Paul answered for himself: “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I offended any thing at all.”
9 But Festus, desiring to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things before me?”
10 Then said Paul, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I should not refuse to die; but if there is nothing to these things whereof they accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.”
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go!”
13 Some days later, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.
14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, “There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix,
15 about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.
16 To them I answered, ’It is not in the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he that is accused has the accusers face to face, and has license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.’
17 Therefore when they had come hither, without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought forth,
18 against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation of such things as I supposed,
19 but had certain questions against him concerning their own superstition and of one Jesus, who was dead and whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20 And because I was in doubt as to this manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged on these matters.
21 But when Paul appealed to be reserved for a hearing by Augustus, I commanded him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar.”
22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, “I would also hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “thou shalt hear him.”
23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought forth.
24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all men who are here present with us, ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have applied to me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
25 But when I found that he hath committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
26 Of him I have nothing certain to write unto my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before thee, O King Agrippa, that after we have examined him I might have something to write.
27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not also to specify the crimes laid against him.”
Acts 25
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Acts 25
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Appeal to Caesar
25 Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.(A) 2 Then the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed,(B) 3 asking him to do them a favor against Paul,[a] that he might summon him to Jerusalem. They were preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. 4 However, Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly.(C) 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let the men of authority among you go down with me and accuse him, if there is any wrong in this man.”
6 When he had spent not more than eight or 10 days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the judge’s bench, he commanded Paul to be brought in.(D) 7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove,(E) 8 while Paul made the defense that, “Neither against the Jewish law,(F) nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all.”
9 Then Festus, wanting to do a favor for the Jews,(G) replied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be tried before me on these charges?”
10 But Paul said: “I am standing at Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you can see very well. 11 If then I am doing wrong, or have done anything deserving of death, I do not refuse to die, but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”(H)
12 After Festus conferred with his council, he replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!”
King Agrippa and Bernice Visit Festus
13 After some days had passed, King Agrippa[b] and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. 14 Since they stayed there many days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked for a judgment against him.(I) 16 I answered them that it’s not the Romans’ custom to give any man up[c] before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to give a defense concerning the charges.(J) 17 Therefore, when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I sat at the judge’s bench and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 Concerning him, the accusers stood up and brought no charge of the sort I was expecting. 19 Instead they had some disagreements(K) with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive. 20 Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there concerning these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.”
“Tomorrow you will hear him,” he replied.(L)
Paul before Agrippa
23 So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice(M) came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. 24 Then Festus said: “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.(N) 25 Now I realized that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.(O) 26 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 is over, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not to indicate the charges against him.”
Footnotes
- Acts 25:3 Lit asking a favor against him
- Acts 25:13 Herod Agrippa II ruled Palestine a.d. 52–ca 95.
- Acts 25:16 Other mss add to destruction
Acts 25
New International Version
Acts 25
New International Version
Paul’s Trial Before Festus
25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus(A) went up from Caesarea(B) to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.(C) 3 They 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.(D) 4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held(E) at Caesarea,(F) and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”
6 After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court(G) and ordered that Paul be brought before him.(H) 7 When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,(I) but they could not prove them.(J)
8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple(K) or against Caesar.”
9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,(L) said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”(M)
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,(N) as you yourself know very well. 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!”(O)
12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
Festus Consults King Agrippa
13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea(P) to pay their respects to Festus. 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.(Q) 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him(R) and asked that he be condemned.
16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.(S) 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.(T) 18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute(U) with him about their own religion(V) and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. 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.(W) 21 But 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.”(X)
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”
He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”(Y)
Paul Before Agrippa(Z)
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice(AA) came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community(AB) has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.(AC) 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death,(AD) but because he made his appeal to the Emperor(AE) I decided to send him to Rome. 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. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”
21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.