Acts 25
Christian Standard Bible
Appeal to Caesar
25 Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.(A) 2 The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed,(B) 3 asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. 4 Festus, however, answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly.(C) 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let those of you who have authority go down with me and accuse him, if he has done anything wrong.”
6 When he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the tribunal, 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 Then Paul made his defense: “Neither against the Jewish law,(F) nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any way.”
9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor,(G) replied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there on these charges?”
10 Paul replied, “I am standing at Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you yourself know very well. 11 If then I did anything wrong and am deserving of death, I am not trying to escape death; 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 Then 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 Several days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. 14 Since they were staying there several 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 that he be condemned.(I) 16 I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up[a] before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defense against the charges.(J) 17 So when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat at the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 The accusers stood up but brought no charge against him of the evils 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 wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor,[b] I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 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 military 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. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.(N) 25 I found 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 without indicating the charges against 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
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