Acts 25
English Standard Version
Paul Appeals to Caesar
25 Now three days after Festus had arrived in (A)the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews (B)laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul[a] that he summon him to Jerusalem—because (C)they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on (D)the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him (E)that they could not prove. 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither (F)against (G)the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor (H)against Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, (I)wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's (J)tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. (K)I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”
Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, (L)“There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case (M)against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 (N)I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone (O)before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 (P)So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on (Q)the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they (R)had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about (S)a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I (T)asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But (U)when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of (V)the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then (W)Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”
23 So on the next day (X)Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom (Y)the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, (Z)shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that (AA)he had done nothing deserving death. And (AB)as he himself appealed to (AC)the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 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 we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”
Footnotes
- Acts 25:3 Greek him
Acts 25
International Standard Version
Paul Appeals to the Emperor
25 Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 The high priests and Jewish leaders informed him of their charges against Paul, urging 3 and asking Festus[a] to have Paul[b] brought to Jerusalem as a favor. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the road.
4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there soon. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “have your authorities come down with me and present their charges against him there, if there is anything wrong with the man.”
6 Festus[c] stayed with them no more than eight or ten days and then went down to Caesarea. The next day, he sat on the judge’s seat and ordered Paul brought in. 7 When Paul[d] arrived, the Jewish leaders[e] who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and began bringing a number of serious charges against him that they couldn’t prove. 8 Paul said in his defense, “I have done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews, or of the Temple, or of the emperor.”
9 Then Festus, wanting to do the Jewish leaders[f] a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried there before me on these charges?”
10 But Paul said, “I am standing before the emperor’s judgment seat where I ought to be tried. I haven’t done anything wrong to the Jewish leaders,[g] as you know very well. 11 If I’m guilty and have done something that deserves death, I’m willing to die. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal to the emperor!”
12 Festus talked it over with the council and then answered, “To the emperor you have appealed; to the emperor you will go!”
King Agrippa Meets Paul
13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to welcome Festus. 14 Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king. He said, “There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the high priests and the Jewish elders informed me about him and asked me to condemn him. 16 I answered them that it was not the Roman custom to sentence a man to be punished until the accused met his accusers face to face and had an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. 17 So they came here with me, and the next day without any delay I sat down in the judge’s seat and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 When his accusers stood up, they didn’t accuse him of any of the crimes[h] I was expecting. 19 Instead, they had several arguments with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died—but Paul kept asserting he was alive. 20 I was puzzled how I should investigate such matters, so I asked if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried there for these things. 21 But Paul appealed his case and asked to be held in prison until the decision of his Majesty. So I ordered him to be held in custody until I could send him to the emperor.”
22 Agrippa told Festus, “I would like to hear the man.”
“Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”
23 The next day, Agrippa and Bernice arrived with much fanfare and went into the auditorium along with the tribunes and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all you men who are present with us! You see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I find that he has not done anything deserving of death. But since he has appealed to his Majesty, I have decided to send him. 26 I have nothing reliable to write our Sovereign about him, so I have brought him to all of you, and especially to you, King Agrippa, so that I will have something to write after he is cross-examined. 27 For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”
Footnotes
- Acts 25:3 Lit. him
- Acts 25:3 Lit. as a favor against him to have him
- Acts 25:6 Lit. He
- Acts 25:7 Lit. he
- Acts 25:7 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
- Acts 25:9 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
- Acts 25:10 I.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
- Acts 25:18 Other mss. read of anything
Acts 25
New King James Version
Paul Appeals to Caesar
25 Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from (A)Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 (B)Then the [a]high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, 3 asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—(C)while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. 4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see (D)if there is any fault in him.”
6 And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. 7 When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about (E)and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, 8 while he answered for himself, (F)“Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.”
9 But Festus, (G)wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, (H)“Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?”
10 So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. 11 (I)For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. (J)I appeal to Caesar.”
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!”
Paul Before Agrippa
13 And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. 14 When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying: (K)“There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, 15 (L)about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. 16 (M)To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man [b]to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’ 17 Therefore when they had come together, (N)without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I [c]supposed, 19 (O)but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20 And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. 21 But when Paul (P)appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Then (Q)Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.”
“Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”
23 So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great [d]pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command (R)Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom (S)the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was (T)not fit to live any longer. 25 But when I found that (U)he had committed nothing deserving of death, (V)and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. 26 I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.”
Footnotes
- Acts 25:2 NU chief priests
- Acts 25:16 NU omits to destruction, although it is implied
- Acts 25:18 suspected
- Acts 25:23 pageantry
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
