Act 23:25-26:32 | ESV | STEP | And he wrote a letter to this effect :

Acts 23:25-35

25 And he wrote a letter to this effect:

26 “Claudius Lysias, to ^ahis Excellency the governor Felix, ^bgreetings. 27 ^cThis man was seized by the Jews and ^dwas about to be killed by them ^ewhen I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, ^fhaving learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28 And ^gdesiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused ^habout questions of their law, but ⁱcharged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. 30 ^jAnd when it was disclosed to me ^kthat there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ^lordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”

31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 And on the next day they returned to ^mthe barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. 33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what ⁿprovince he was from. And when he learned ^othat he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing ^pwhen your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s ^qpraetorium.

Acts 24

Paul Before Felix at Caesarea

1 And ^rafter five days the high priest ^sAnanias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before ^tthe governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, ^umost excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain ^{▼▼Or weary} you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, ^wone who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of ^xthe sect of the Nazarenes. 6 ^yHe even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts add and we would have judged him according to our law. 7But the chief captain Lysias came and with great violence took him out of our hands, 8commanding his accusers to come before you.} 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that ^aait is not more than twelve days since I ^abwent up ^acto worship in Jerusalem, 12 and ^adthey did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 ^aeNeither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to ^afthe Way, which they call ^aga sect, ^ahI worship ^aithe God of our fathers, believing everything ^ajlaid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 ^akhaving ^ala hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be ^ama resurrection ^anof both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always ^aotake pains to have a ^apclear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now ^aqafter several years ^arI came to bring alms to ^asmy nation and to present ^atofferings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me ^aupurified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But ^avsome Jews from Asia— 19 ^awthey ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing ^axthat I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”

Paul Kept in Custody

22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of ^aythe Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he ^azshould be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that ^banone of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about ^bbfaith ^bcin Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned ^bdabout righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. ^beWhen I get an opportunity I will summon you.” 26 At the same time he hoped ^bfthat money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. 27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius ^bgFestus. And ^bhdesiring to do the Jews a favor, ^biFelix left Paul in prison.

Acts 25

Paul Appeals to Caesar

1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in ^bjthe province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews ^bklaid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul ^{▼▼Greek him} that he summon him to Jerusalem—because ^bmthey were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on ^bnthe tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him ^bothat they could not prove. 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither ^bpagainst ^bqthe law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor ^bragainst Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, ^bswishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s ^bttribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. ^buI appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, ^bv“There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case ^bwagainst him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 ^bxI answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone ^bybefore the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 ^bzSo when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on ^cathe tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they ^cbhad certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about ^cca certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I ^cdasked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But ^cewhen Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of ^cfthe emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then ^cgAgrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

23 So on the next day ^chAgrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom ^cithe whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, ^cjshouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that ^ckhe had done nothing deserving death. And ^clas he himself appealed to ^cmthe emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

Acts 26

Paul’s Defense Before Agrippa

1 So ^cnAgrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:

2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today ^coagainst all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the ^cpcustoms and ^cqcontroversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 ^cr“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among ^csmy own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that ^ctaccording to the strictest ^cuparty of our ^cvreligion I have lived as ^cwa Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in ^cxthe promise made by God to our fathers, 7 ^cyto which ^czour twelve tribes hope to ^daattain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope ^dbI am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought ^dcincredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

9 ^dd“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of ^deJesus of Nazareth. 10 ^dfAnd I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority ^dgfrom the chief priests, but ^dhwhen they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And ^diI punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them ^djblaspheme, and ^dkin raging fury against them I ^dlpersecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

12 “In this connection ^dmI journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me ^dnin the Hebrew language, ^{▼▼Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic)} ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and ^dpstand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, ^dqto appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 ^drdelivering you from your people and from the Gentiles— ^dsto whom I ^dtam sending you 18 ^duto open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from ^dvthe power of Satan to God, that they may receive ^dwforgiveness of sins and ^dxa place among those who are sanctified ^dyby faith in me.’

19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to ^dzthe heavenly vision, 20 but declared first ^eato those in Damascus, ^ebthen in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also ^ecto the Gentiles, that they should ^edrepent and ^eeturn to God, performing deeds ^efin keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason ^egthe Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 ^ehTo this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so ^eiI stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what ^ejthe prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 ^ekthat the Christ ^elmust suffer and that, ^emby being the first ^ento rise from the dead, ^eohe would proclaim ^eplight both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, ^eqyou are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, ^ermost excellent Festus, but I am speaking ^estrue and ^etrational words. 26 For ^euthe king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be ^eva Christian?” ^{▼▼Or In a short time you would persuade me to act like a Christian!} 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day ^exmight become such as I am—except for ^eythese chains.”

30 Then the king rose, and ^ezthe governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, ^fa“This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, ^fb“This man could have been set ^fcfree if he had not appealed ^fdto Caesar.”