Atos 25

¹ Three days after arriving in the province Festus ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

² The high priest and Jewish leaders brought charges against Paul.

³ They desired favor against him that he would transfer him to Jerusalem. Then they would ambush him along the way and kill him.

⁴ But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he would go there shortly.

⁵ He said: »Let those who have authority among you go there with me to present your case against this man if there is anything out of the way about the man.«

⁶ After he stayed there more than ten days, he went to Caesarea. The next day he sat in judgment. He commanded Paul be brought before him.

⁷ When he arrived the Jews who also came there from Jerusalem presented many grievous complaints against Paul. They could not prove them.

⁸ Paul defended himself: »Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I committed any sin.«

⁹ Festus was willing to do the Jews a favor, so he answered Paul: »Will you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?«

¹⁰ »I stand at Caesar’s court,« Paul replied, »where I ought to be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you are finding out.

¹¹ »If I am a wrongdoer, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if charges brought against me by the Jews are not true no man has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.«

¹² Then Festus conferred with his council and answered: »Have you appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go.«

¹³ A few days later king Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.

¹⁴ While they were there Festus declared Paul’s cause to the king. He said, »There is a man that Felix left a prisoner.

¹⁵ »When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him. They desire to have judgment against him.

¹⁶ »I told them it is not the Roman practice to deliver any man to die before his accusers face him. He should answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.

¹⁷ »When they came before me, without any delay I sat in judgment, and commanded the man to be brought in.

¹⁸ »When the accusers took the stand they produced no charge of the wicked things I supposed about him.

¹⁹ »They had questions against him about their own superstition. They had one about Jesus, who is dead, but Paul affirmed to be alive.

²⁰ »Since I doubt such manner of questions, I asked him if he would go to Jerusalem to be judged there of these matters.

²¹ »Paul appealed to be reserved to the hearing of Augustus. So I commanded him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar.«

²² Then Agrippa said to Festus: »I would also hear the man myself.« Festus replied: »Tomorrow, you will hear him.«

²³ The next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived with great elegance. They entered the place of hearing with the commanders and important men of the city. Festus gave the order for Paul to be brought in.

²⁴ Festus said, »King Agrippa and all men who are present with us, you see this man, about whom all the crowds of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he should not live any longer.

²⁵ »I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death. He has appealed to Augustus and I have determined to send him.

²⁶ »I have no certain thing to write to my lord. I have brought him forth before you, and especially before you, O king Agrippa, that, after examination I might have something to write.

²⁷ »It seems unreasonable to send a prisoner and not signify the crimes charged against him.«