⁹ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted

¹² From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king^(A) opposes Caesar.”

¹³ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat^(B) at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic^(C) is Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation^(D) of the Passover; it was about noon.^(E)

“Here is your king,”^(F) Pilate said to the Jews.

¹⁵ But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.^(G)

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(H)

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

³ They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.^{(A) 4} Festus answered, “Paul is being held^(B) at Caesarea,^(C) and I myself am going there soon. ⁵ Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

⁶ After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court^(D) and ordered that Paul be brought before him.^{(E) 7} When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,^(F) but they could not prove them.^(G)

⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple^(H) or against Caesar.”

⁹ Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,^(I) said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”^(J)

²³ He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard^(A) but to give him some freedom^(B) and permit his friends to take care of his needs.^(C)

²⁴ Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.^{(D) 25} As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control^(E) and the judgment^(F) to come, Felix was afraid^(G) and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” ²⁶ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.

²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus,^(H) but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews,^(I) he left Paul in prison.^(J)

³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’^(A)