Acts 25:13-26:1

Modern English Version

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

¹³ After several days King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. ¹⁴ When they had been there many days, Festus stated Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There is a man left as a prisoner by Felix. ¹⁵ When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him, asking for a sentence against him.

¹⁶ “I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he who is accused meets the accusers face to face and has the opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge brought against him.’ ¹⁷ So when they assembled here, without delay I sat on the judgment seat the next day and ordered that the man be brought in. ¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such crimes as I had supposed. ¹⁹ But they had disagreements with him about their own religion and about a Man named Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul asserted was alive. ²⁰ Being perplexed about such questions, I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there concerning these charges. ²¹ But when Paul had appealed to be under guard for the decision of Caesar, I ordered that he be secured until I could send him to Caesar.”

²² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.”

He said, “Tomorrow you shall hear him.”

²³ The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the hall with the commanders and the leading men of the city. When Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all the men who are present with us, you see this man, concerning whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death. But when he himself appealed to Caesar, I decided to send him. ²⁶ But I have nothing to write to His Majesty concerning him. Therefore I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that upon examination, I might have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without signifying the charges against him.”

Paul’s Defense Before Agrippa

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.”

So Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: