Acts 25

1 Festus, [who was now the governor] of the province, arrived in Caesarea, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem.

Festus, therefore, having come into the province, after three days 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].

and the chief priest and the principal men of the Jews made manifest to him [the things] against Paul, and were calling on him,

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 favour against him, that he may send for him to Jerusalem, making an ambush to put him to death in 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.

Then, indeed, Festus answered that Paul is kept in Caesarea, and himself is about speedily to go on thither,

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.”

'Therefore those able among you — saith he — having come down together, if there be anything in this man — let them accuse 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.

and having tarried among them more than ten days, having gone down to Caesarea, on the morrow having sat upon the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought;

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].

and he having come, there stood round about the Jews who have come down from Jerusalem — many and weighty charges they are bringing against Paul, which they were not able to 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].”

he making defence — 'Neither in regard to the law of the Jews, nor in regard to the temple, nor in regard to Caesar — did I commit any sin.'

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]?”

And Festus willing to lay on the Jews a favour, answering Paul, said, 'Art thou willing, to Jerusalem having gone up, there concerning these things to be judged before me?'

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.

and Paul said, 'At the tribunal of Caesar I am standing, where it behoveth me to be judged; to Jews I did no unrighteousness, as thou dost also very well know;

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].”

for if indeed I am unrighteous, and anything worthy of death have done, I deprecate not to die; and if there is none of the things of which these accuse me, no one is able to make a favour of me to them; to Caesar I appeal!'

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].”

then Festus, having communed with the council, answered, 'To Caesar thou hast appealed; to Caesar thou shalt 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].

And certain days having passed, Agrippa the king, and Bernice, came down to Caesarea saluting 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].

and as they were continuing there more days, Festus submitted to the king the things concerning Paul, saying, 'There is a certain man, left by Felix, a prisoner,

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]}.

about whom, in my being at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid information, asking a decision 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.

unto whom I answered, that it is not a custom of Romans to make a favour of any man to die, before that he who is accused may have the accusers face to face, and may receive place of defence in regard to the charge laid against [him].

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].

'They, therefore, having come together — I, making no delay, on the succeeding [day] having sat upon the tribunal, did command the man to be brought,

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].

concerning whom the accusers, having stood up, were bringing against [him] no accusation of the things I was thinking of,

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.’

but certain questions concerning their own religion they had against him, and concerning a certain Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be 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]}?’

and I, doubting in regard to the question concerning this, said, If he would wish to go on to Jerusalem, and there to be judged concerning these things —

21 But Paul answered, ‘[No]. I [am not willing to go to Jerusalem]!

but Paul having appealed to be kept to the hearing of Sebastus, I did command him to be kept till I might send him unto Caesar.'

22 Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.”

And Agrippa said unto Festus, 'I was wishing also myself to hear the man;' and he said, 'To-morrow thou shalt 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,

on the morrow, therefore — on the coming of Agrippa and Bernice with much display, and they having entered into the audience chamber, with the chief captains also, and the principal men of the city, and Festus having ordered — Paul was brought forth.

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.

And Festus said, 'King Agrippa, and all men who are present with us, ye see this one, about whom all the multitude of the Jews did deal with me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out, 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.

and I, having found him to have done nothing worthy of death, and he also himself having appealed to Sebastus, 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].

concerning whom I have no certain thing to write to [my] lord, wherefore I brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that the examination having been made, 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 doth seem to me irrational, sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him.'