25 Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

² Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,

³ And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in 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 them therefore, said he, which 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 on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.

⁷ And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.

⁸ While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.

⁹ But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, 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 be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these 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 And after certain days 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 at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.

¹⁶ To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.

¹⁷ Therefore, when they were 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 none accusation of such things as I supposed:

¹⁹ But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

²⁰ And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.

²¹ But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.

²² Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

²³ And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.

²⁴ And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵ But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

²⁶ Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.

²⁷ For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

24 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?

² Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.

³ They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.

⁴ They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

⁵ Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.

⁶ They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.

⁷ They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

⁸ They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

⁹ They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.

¹⁰ They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;

¹¹ Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.

¹² Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.

¹³ They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

¹⁴ The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

¹⁵ The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.

¹⁶ In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.

¹⁷ For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

¹⁸ He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

¹⁹ Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.

²⁰ The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

²¹ He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.

²² He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

²³ Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

²⁴ They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

²⁵ And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

25 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

² Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.

³ Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?

⁴ How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

⁵ Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

⁶ How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

26 But Job answered and said,

² How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?

³ How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?

⁴ To whom hast thou uttered words? and whose spirit came from thee?

⁵ Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

⁶ Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.

⁷ He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

⁸ He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.

⁹ He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it.

¹⁰ He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.

¹² He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud.

¹³ By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

¹⁴ Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?