Atos 25

¹ Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

² And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they implored him,

³ asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way.

⁴ Nevertheless Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart [there] shortly.

⁵ Let them therefore, he says, who are of power among you{+} go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.

⁶ And when he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea; and on the next day he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.

⁷ And when he came, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove;

⁸ while Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.

⁹ But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Will you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?

¹⁰ But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews I have done no wrong, as you also very well know.

¹¹ If then I am a wrongdoer, and have participated in anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is [true] of which these accuse me, no man can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.

¹² Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar: to Caesar you will go.

¹³ Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea saluting Festus.

¹⁴ And as they spent many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the King, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

¹⁵ about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed [me], asking for sentence against him.

¹⁶ To whom I answered, that it is not Roman custom to give up any man, until the accused has the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

¹⁷ When therefore they had come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought.

¹⁸ Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed;

¹⁹ but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

²⁰ And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters.

²¹ But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I should send him to Caesar.

²² And Agrippa [said] to Festus, I also could wish to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, he says, you will hear him.

²³ So on the next day, when Agrippa came, and Bernice, with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the generals and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in.

²⁴ And Festus says, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you{+} see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵ But I found that he had participated in nothing worthy of death: and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.

²⁶ Of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you{+}, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after having the examination, I may have somewhat to write.

²⁷ For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not as well to signify the charges against him.