Acts 25

LITV^{(i) 1} Then entering the province, after three days Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ² And the high priest and the chief of the Jews made a statement before him against Paul, and they begged him, ³ asking a favor against him, so as he might send for him to Jerusalem, making a plot to kill him on the way. ⁴ Then indeed Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, he himself even being about to go shortly. ⁵ Then he said, those having power among you may go down with me . If there is a thing amiss in this man, let them accuse him. ⁶ And remaining among them more than ten days, going down to Caesarea, on the morrow sitting on the tribunal, he ordered Paul to be brought. ⁷ And he having arrived, the Jews coming down from Jerusalem stood around, also bringing many weighty charges against Paul, which they were not able to prove. ⁸ Defending himself, Paul said, Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in anything. ⁹ But desiring to show a favor to the Jews, answering Paul, Festus said, Do you desire to go up to Jerusalem to be judged before me there about these things? ¹⁰ But Paul said, I am standing before the tribunal of Caesar where I ought to be judged. I did nothing to the Jews, as also you very well know. ¹¹ For if I indeed do wrong and have done anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing of which they accuse me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar. ¹² Then conferring with the sanhedrin, Festus answered, You have appealed to Caesar; you shall go before Caesar. ¹³ And some days having passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, greeting Festus. ¹⁴ And when they stayed there more days, Festus set out to the king the things as to Paul, saying, A certain man has been left a prisoner by Felix, ¹⁵ about whom, on my being in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews made a statement, asking judgment against him; ¹⁶ to whom I answered, It is not a custom with Romans to give up any man to destruction before the one being accused may have the accusers face to face, and may receive place of defense concerning the charge. ¹⁷ Then they coming together here, making no delay, sitting on the tribunal on the next day, I commanded the man to be brought; ¹⁸ about whom, standing up, the accusers brought no charge of which I suspected, ¹⁹ but they had certain questions about their own demon worship, and about a certain Jesus dying, whom Paul claimed to live. ²⁰ And being puzzled as to this inquiry, I said, Did he desire to go to Jerusalem and to be judged there concerning these things? ²¹ But Paul having appealed for himself to be kept to the examination of Augustus, I commanded him to be held until I might send him to Caesar. ²² And Agrippa said to Festus, I also was myself minded to hear the man. And he said, Tomorrow you shall hear him. ²³ Then on the morrow, Agrippa and Bernice coming with much pomp and entering into the auditorium, with both the chiliarchs and the chief men, being of the city, also Festus commanding, Paul was led out. ²⁴ And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all those men present with us, you see this one about whom all the multitude of the Jews pleaded with me, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought to live no longer. ²⁵ But I having perceived nothing he had done worthy of death, also this one himself having appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him; ²⁶ about whom I have nothing certain to write to my Lord. Because of this I brought him before you, and most of all before you, king Agrippa, so as the examination taking place, I may have somewhat to write. ²⁷ For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner, and not also to signify the charges against him.