Acts 25
Common English Bible
Paul appeals to Caesar
25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 The chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. Appealing to him, 3 they asked as a favor from Festus that he summon Paul to Jerusalem. They were planning to ambush and kill him along the way. 4 But Festus responded by keeping Paul in Caesarea, since he was to return there very soon himself. 5 “Some of your leaders can come down with me,” he said. “If he’s done anything wrong, they can bring charges against him.”
6 He stayed with them for no more than eight or ten days, then went down to Caesarea. The following day he took his seat in the court and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7 When he arrived, many Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him. They brought serious charges against him, but they couldn’t prove them. 8 In his own defense, Paul said, “I’ve done nothing wrong against the Jewish Law, against the temple, or against Caesar.”
9 Festus, wanting to put the Jews in his debt, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me concerning these things?”
10 Paul replied, “I’m standing before Caesar’s court. I ought to be tried here. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you well know. 11 If I’m guilty and have done something that deserves death, then I won’t try to avoid death. But if there is nothing to their accusations against me, no one has the authority to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 After Festus conferred with his advisors, he responded, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go.”
King Agrippa informed about Paul
13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to welcome Festus. 14 Since they were staying there for many days, Festus discussed the case against Paul with the king. He said, “There is a man whom Felix left in prison. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests and elders brought charges against him and requested a guilty verdict in his case. 16 I told them it is contrary to Roman practice to hand someone over before they have faced their accusers and had opportunity to offer a defense against the charges. 17 When they came here, I didn’t put them off. The very next day I took my seat in the court and ordered that the man be brought before me. 18 When the accusers took the floor, they didn’t charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they quibbled with him about their own religion and about some dead man named Jesus, who Paul claimed was alive. 20 Since I had no idea how to investigate these matters, I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial there on these issues. 21 However, Paul appealed that he be held in custody pending a decision from His Majesty the emperor, so I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Agrippa said to Festus, “I want to hear the man myself.”
“Tomorrow,” Festus replied, “you will hear him.”
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great fanfare. They entered the auditorium with the military commanders and the city’s most prominent men. Festus then ordered that Paul be brought in. 24 Festus said, “King Agrippa and everyone present with us: You see this man! The entire Jewish community, both here and in Jerusalem, has appealed to me concerning him. They’ve been calling for his immediate death. 25 I’ve found that he has done nothing deserving death. When he appealed to His Majesty, I decided to send him to Rome. 26 I have nothing definite to write to our lord emperor. Therefore, I’ve brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this investigation, I might have something to write. 27 After all, it would be foolish to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”
Acts 25
Modern English Version
Paul Appeals to Caesar
25 Now three days after Festus had come into the province, he went from Caesarea up to Jerusalem. 2 The high priest and the elders of the Jews spoke to him against Paul. And they begged him, 3 asking as a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem, plotting to kill him along the way. 4 Festus said that Paul should be kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 He also said, “Let the men in authority go down with me. If there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.”
6 Having stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges against him which they could not prove, 8 while he defended himself, saying, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all.”
9 Desiring to do the Jews a favor, Festus answered, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be judged concerning these charges before me?”
10 Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you know very well. 11 If I am doing wrong or have done anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if these are empty charges of which these men accuse me, no one may deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
12 When Festus had conferred with the council, he then answered, “To Caesar you have appealed. To Caesar you shall go.”
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.”
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.