Acts 25

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

2The chief priests and the leading men of the Jews informed him against Paul and begged him.

3They asked a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, setting an ambush to kill him along the way.

4Then Festus answered that Paul was to be kept in Caesarea, while he himself would depart shortly.

5Therefore, he said, let those among you who are capable go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.

6After staying among them no more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day, taking his seat on the judgment bench, ordered Paul to be brought.

7When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.

8As Paul made his defense, neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all.

9But Festus, wanting to grant the Jews a favor, replied to Paul, "Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and be tried before me there concerning these matters?"

10But Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s tribunal, where I must be judged. I have wronged the Jews in no way, as you know full well.”

11If I am guilty of wrong and have done anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things these men accuse me of is true, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.

12Then Festus, after conferring with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go."

13Now after some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, greeting Festus.

14After they had stayed there many days, Festus presented the matters concerning Paul to the king, saying, "A certain man remains in custody, left by Felix."

15About whom, when I arrived in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews informed me, requesting condemnation against him.

16To whom I answered that it is not Roman custom to hand any person over before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and receives opportunity for defense concerning the charge.

17So when they had assembled here, without making any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought.

18Concerning him, the accusers who stood up brought no accusation of such evil things as I suspected.

19but they had certain issues against him about their own religion and about one Jesus who had died, whom Paul claimed was alive.

20Being perplexed about the inquiry concerning these things, I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be judged there about them.

21But when Paul appealed to be kept for Augustus's decision, I commanded him to be kept until I send him to Caesar.

22Agrippa said to Festus, "I myself also wanted to hear the man." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him."

23So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice arrived with great pomp and entered the audience hall along with the military commanders and the city's leading men, at Festus's order Paul was brought in.

24And Festus said, King Agrippa and all the men present here with us, you see this man, about whom the whole crowd of Jews appealed to me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should no longer live.

25But I found no deed of his deserving death, and since he himself appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him.

26About him I have nothing certain to write to the lord. Therefore I brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination takes place I might have something to write.

27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without also indicating the charges against him.