After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court(A) and ordered that Paul be brought before him.(B) When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,(C) but they could not prove them.(D)

Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple(E) or against Caesar.”

Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,(F) said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”(G)

10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews,(H) as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”(I)

12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

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After Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to (A)Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on (B)the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought. After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing (C)many, and serious, charges against him (D)which they could not prove, while Paul said in his own defense, “(E)I have not done anything wrong either against the Law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar.” But Festus, (F)wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul and said, “(G)Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and [a]stand trial before me on these charges?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s (H)tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 If, therefore, I am in the wrong and have committed something deserving death, I am not trying to avoid execution; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I (I)appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then when Festus had conferred with [b]his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 25:9 Lit be judged
  2. Acts 25:12 A different group from that mentioned in Acts 4:15 and 24:20