Acts 25
1 Festus, [who was now the governor] of the province, arrived in Caesarea, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem.
Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea,
2 In Jerusalem, the chief priests and [other] Jewish leaders formally told [Festus] about [the things that they said] that Paul [had done that were wrong].
where the high priest and prominent Jewish men presented their case against Paul.
3 They urgently asked Festus to do something for them. [They asked him to command soldiers] to bring Paul to Jerusalem, [so that Festus could put him on trial there]. But they were planning that some [of them] would hide [near the road] and wait [for Paul] and kill him when he was traveling [to Jerusalem].
Asking for a favor against Paul, they urged Festus to summon him to Jerusalem, because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.
4 But Festus replied, “Paul is in Caesarea, and is being guarded {[soldiers] are guarding him} [there]. I myself will go down to Caesarea in a few days.
But Festus replied that Paul was being kept in custody in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly.
5 Choose some of your leaders to go there with me. [While they are there], they can accuse Paul of the wrong things that you say that he has done.”
“So,” he said, “let those among you who are influential go down with me, and if there is any fault in this man, they can bring charges against him.”
6 After Festus had been [in Jerusalem] eight or ten days, he went back down to Caesarea. [Several of the Jewish leaders also went there]. The next day Festus [commanded] that Paul be brought {someone to bring Paul} to him [in the assembly hall] so that he could judge him.
After staying among them for more than ten days, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought in.
7 [After] Paul was brought to [the assembly hall], the Jewish [leaders] from Jerusalem gathered around him [to accuse him]. They told [Festus] that Paul had committed many crimes. But they could not prove [that Paul had done the things about which they accused him].
When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him that they could not prove.
8 Then Paul [spoke] to defend himself. He said to Festus, “I have done nothing wrong against the laws of us [(exc)] Jews, and I have not disobeyed the rules concerning our Temple. I have also done nothing wrong against your government [MTY].”
Then Paul said in his own defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.”
9 But Festus wanted to please the Jewish [leaders, so] he asked Paul, “Are you [(sg)] willing to go up to Jerusalem so that I can listen as these men accuse you [there]?”
But Festus, wishing to gain favor with the Jews, responded to Paul, “Are yoʋ willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”
10 But Paul [did not want to do that. So] he said [to Festus], “[No], I [am not willing to go to Jerusalem]! I am [now] standing before you, and you [(sg)] are the judge [whom the Roman] Emperor [MTY] [has authorized. This is the place] where I should be judged {where you should judge me}. I have not wronged the Jewish people [at all], as you know very well.
Paul said, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to stand trial. I have done the Jews no wrong, as yoʋ yoʋrself know very well.
11 If I had done something bad [for which I] should be executed {[concerning which the law said that they] should execute me}, I would not plead [with them that they] not kill me. But none of these things about which they accuse me is [true, so] no one can [legally] surrender me to [these Jews]. So I formally request that the emperor [MTY] [should judge me at Rome].”
If I am in the wrong and have done something that deserves death, I do not seek to escape death. But if none of the things these men accuse me of is true, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
12 Then after Festus conferred with the [men who regularly] advised him, he replied to Paul, “You [(sg)] have formally requested [that I should send you] to the emperor [in Rome. So I will arrange for] you to go there [in order that he can judge you].”
After conferring with the council, Festus answered, “Yoʋ have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar yoʋ shall go.”
13 After several days, King [Herod] Agrippa arrived at Caesarea, along with [his younger sister] Bernice. They had come to [formally] welcome Festus [as the new Governor of the province].
After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.
14 King Agrippa and Bernice stayed many days in Caesarea. While [they were] there, Festus told Agrippa about Paul. He said to the king, “There is a man here whom Felix kept in prison [while he was governor]. He left him [there when his time as governor ended].
Since the king was staying there for several days, Festus presented Paul's case to him, saying, “There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix.
15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and [the other] Jewish elders told me that this man had done many things [against their laws]. They asked me to condemn him [to be executed] {judge him [so that people could kill him]}.
When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked for a judgment against him.
16 But I told them that when someone has been accused [of a crime, we] Romans do not immediately (condemn that person/declare that person to be guilty). First, we [command] him to stand before the people who are accusing him and to say whether or not he has done those things. [After that, the judge will decide what to do with] him.
I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand anyone over for destruction before the accused faces his accusers and has an opportunity to make his defense concerning the charges.
17 So those Jews came [here to Caesarea] when I came. I did not delay. The day after [we(exc) arrived], after I sat down at the place where I make decisions, I [commanded] that Paul be brought {[soldiers] to bring Paul} into [the courtroom].
So when they had assembled here, I did not postpone the case, but on the next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought in.
18 The Jewish leaders did accuse him, but the things about which they accused him were not any of the [evil] crimes about which I thought [they would accuse him].
When his accusers stood up, they brought no charge against him of the sort I was expecting.
19 Instead, what they argued about with him were some teachings that [some] Jews believe [and others do not believe. They argued] about a man whose name was Jesus who had died, [but the man they were accusing, whose name is] Paul, kept saying, ‘Jesus is alive again.’
Instead they had certain points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus who was dead, but whom Paul claimed was alive.
20 I did not know what questions to ask [them, and I did not know how to judge] concerning their dispute. So I asked Paul, ‘Are you [(sg)] willing to go [back] to Jerusalem and have the dispute [between you and these Jews] judged there {and [let me] judge there the dispute [between you and these Jews]}?’
Since I was at a loss as to how to investigate this matter, I asked if he might be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.
21 But Paul answered, ‘[No]. I [am not willing to go to Jerusalem]!
But Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, so I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.”
Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” Festus said, “Tomorrow yoʋ will hear him.”
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came very ceremoniously to the assembly hall. Some [Roman] commanders and prominent men in [Caesarea] came with them. Then, Festus told an officer to bring Paul. So after the officer [went to the prison and] brought him,
So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium along with the military commanders and the distinguished men of the city. Then Festus gave the command, and Paul was brought in.
24 Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all [the rest of you] who are here, you see this man. Many [HYP] Jews in Jerusalem and also those here [in Caesarea] appealed to me, screaming that we [(exc)] should not let him live any longer.
Festus said, “King Agrippa and all you men who are present with us, you see this man, concerning whom the entire Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here in this place, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
25 But [when I asked them to tell me what he had done, and they told me], I found out that he had not done anything for which he should be executed {[anyone should] execute him}. However, he has asked that our emperor [should judge his case], so I have decided to send him to Rome.
But when I found that he had done nothing deserving death, and since he himself appealed to His Majesty the Emperor, I decided to send him.
26 But I do not know what specifically I should write to the emperor concerning him. That is why I have brought him here. I [want] you all [to hear him speak], and I especially want you [(sg)], King Agrippa, to hear him. Then, after we [(inc)] have questioned him, I may know what I should write [to the emperor about him].
Yet I have nothing definite to write to my lord about this man. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before yoʋ, King Agrippa, so that after we have had this preliminary hearing, I may have something to write.
27 It seems to me [that it would be] unreasonable to send a prisoner [to the emperor in Rome without my] specifying the [things about which people] are accusing him.”
For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”
