⁹ The king was grieved, yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he commanded it to be given;

¹² From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against Caesar.”^(A)

¹³ When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat^[a] on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew^[b] Gabbatha.^{(B) 14} Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”^{(C) 15} They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” ¹⁶ Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

So they took Jesus,^(D)

³ and requested, as a favor to them against Paul,^[a] to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, planning an ambush to kill him along the way.^{(A) 4} Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly.^{(B) 5} “So,” he said, “let those of you who have the authority come down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him.”

⁶ After he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. ⁷ When he arrived, the Jews who had gone down from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.^{(C) 8} Paul said in his defense, “I have in no way committed an offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against the emperor.”^{(D) 9} But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?”^(E)

²³ Then he ordered the centurion to keep him in custody but to let him have some liberty and not to prevent any of his friends from taking care of his needs.^(A)

Paul Held in Custody

²⁴ Some days later when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak concerning faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ And as he discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.”^{(B) 26} At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul, and for that reason he used to send for him very often and converse with him.

²⁷ After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and since he wanted to grant the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.^(C)

³² He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me,^[a] ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work.^(A)