Acts 25
Worldwide English (New Testament)
25 Three days after Festus came to the country, he went to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 Then the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews told him what they had against Paul.
3 `Please do something for us,' they begged. `Send for Paul to come to Jerusalem.' They had made a secret plan to kill him on the road.
4 Festus said, `Paul is being kept in prison in Caesarea. I myself am going there soon.
5 Let the men among you who are able come with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, then they can talk against him.'
6 Festus stayed only eight or ten days more among them. Then he went to Caesarea. The next day he sat on his chair in the court and had Paul brought in.
7 When Paul came in, the Jewish leaders who had come from Jerusalem stood around Paul. They talked much against him. But they could not prove that the things they said were true.
8 Paul spoke for himself. He said, `I have done no wrong to the law, or to the temple, or against Caesar the ruler of the Romans.'
9 Festus wanted to please the Jewish leaders, so he said to Paul, `Will you go to Jerusalem and let me judge you there about these things?'
10 Paul said, `I am standing in Caesar's court. That is where I should be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews. You yourself know that well.
11 If I have done wrong things, or any wrong thing for which I should die, then I do not ask to live. But if the things these people say are not true, then no one has power to give me up to the leaders of the Jews. I ask to go to Caesar.'
12 So Festus talked the matter over with the court. Then he said to Paul, `You have asked to go to Caesar. All right, you will go to Caesar!'
13 Some time after that, king Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
14 They stayed for many days. Festus brought Paul's matter to the king. He said, `Felix left a man in prison here.
15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priest and leaders of the Jews came to me. They talked against him, and they asked me to punish him.
16 I told them that the Romans do not do it that way. They do not punish a man until he has met those who talk against him. Then he has a chance to speak for himself.
17 So they came here with me. I did not wait. The very next day I sat on my chair in the court and had the man brought in.
18 When they stood up, they did not say the wrong things against him that I thought they would.
19 But instead, they had a quarrel with him about the things they believe in. The quarrel is about a man named Jesus who died. Paul said he is alive.
20 I did not know how to judge such things. So I asked if he would go to Jerusalem and be judged there about these matters.
21 But Paul asked to wait and let Caesar judge his case. So I had him put in prison to be kept there until I can send him to Caesar.'
22 Agrippa said to Festus, `I should like to hear the man myself.' Festus said, `Tomorrow you shall hear him.'
23 So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came, making a big show of themselves. They went into the room to hear Paul talk. Officers and the leading men of the city also went in. When Festus called for Paul, he was brought in.
24 Then Festus said, `King Agrippa and all you men here with us, you see this man. All the Jewish leaders, both in Jerusalem and here, came together and talked about him. They shouted, "He must die!"
25 But I found out that he had not done anything wrong for which he should die. He himself asked to go to Caesar, so I decided to send him.
26 But I have no real complaint about him to write to my ruler. So I have brought this man before you all, and most of all before you, king Agrippa. When you have heard him, I hope I will have something to write about him.
27 I think that it does not make sense to send a prisoner and not say what wrong he has done.'
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
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
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
