Act 25 | NASB2020 | STEP | Festus , then , after arriving in the province , went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea three days later .

Acts 25

Paul before Festus

1 Festus, then, after arriving in ^athe province, went up to Jerusalem from ^bCaesarea three days later. 2 And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews ^cbrought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with ^{▼▼Lit him}Festus, 3 requesting a ^{▼▼Or favor}concession against ^{▼▼Lit him}Paul, that he might ^{▼▼Lit summon him to Jerusalem}have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, ^hsetting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4 Festus then ⁱanswered that Paul ^jwas being kept in custody in ^kCaesarea, and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he *said, “have the influential men among you ^{▼▼Lit go down}go there with me, and if there is anything wrong ^{▼▼Lit in}about the man, have them bring charges against him.”

6 After Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to ⁿCaesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on ^othe tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought. 7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing ^pmany, and serious, charges against him ^qwhich they could not prove, 8 while Paul said in his own defense, “ ^rI have not done anything wrong either against the Law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar.” 9 But Festus, ^swanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul and said, “ ^tAre you willing to go up to Jerusalem and ^{▼▼Lit be judged}stand trial before me on these charges?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s ^vtribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 If, therefore, I am in the wrong and have committed something deserving death, I am not trying to avoid execution; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I ^wappeal to Caesar.” 12 Then when Festus had conferred with ^{▼▼A different group from that mentioned in Acts 4:15 and 24:20}his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”

13 Now when several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in ^yCaesarea, paying their respects to Festus. 14 And while they were spending many days there, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There is a man who was ^zleft as a prisoner by Felix; 15 and when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews ^aabrought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I ^abreplied to them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any person before ^acthe accused meets his accusers face to face, and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17 So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on ^adthe tribunal and ordered that the man be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they did not begin bringing any charges ^{▼▼Lit in regard to him}against him of crimes that I suspected, 19 but they simply had some ^afpoints of disagreement with him about their own ^{▼▼Or superstition
,} ^ahreligion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 And ^aibeing at a loss how to investigate ^{▼▼Lit these}such matters, I ^{▼▼Lit said}asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these matters. 21 But when Paul ^alappealed to be held in custody for ^{▼▼Lit the Augustus’ (in this case Nero)}the Emperor’s decision, I ordered that he be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22 Then ^anAgrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he *said, “you shall hear him.”

Paul before Agrippa

23 So, on the next day when ^aoAgrippa and ^apBernice came amid great pomp and entered the auditorium, ^{▼▼Lit and with}accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought before them. 24 And Festus *said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man about whom ^arall the people of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that ^ashe ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed ^atnothing deserving death; and since he himself ^auappealed to ^{▼▼See note v 21}the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 ^{▼▼Lit About whom I}Yet, I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore, I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him as well.”