Acts 25

Now when Festus was come into the ^aprovince, ^bafter three days he ^cascended from ^dCesarea to Jerusalem. ²Then ^ethe high priest and ^fthe chief of the Jews ^eginformed him against Paul, and besought him, ³and desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, ^hlaying wait in the way to kill him. ⁴But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at ^dCesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. ⁵Let them therefore, said he, which among you are ⁱable, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. ⁶And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he ^kwent down unto ^dCesarea; and the next day sitting in ^lthe judgment seat, commanded Paul to be brought. ⁷And when he was come, the Jews which ^kcame down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, ^mwhich they could not ⁿprove. ⁸While he ^oanswered for himself, ^pNeither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Cesar, have I offended any thing at all. ⁹But Festus, ^qwilling to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, ^rWilt thou ^cgo up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? ¹⁰Then said Paul, I stand at Cesar’s ^ljudgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou ^svery well knowest. ^11tFor if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may ^udeliver me unto them. ^vI appeal unto Cesar. ¹²Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou ^vappealed unto Cesar? unto Cesar shalt thou go.

¹³And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto ^dCesarea to salute Festus. ¹⁴And when they had been there many days, Festus ^wdeclared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, ^xThere is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: ^15yabout whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews ^ginformed me, desiring to have judgment against him. ^16yTo whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to ^udeliver any man to die, before that ^zhe which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence ^oto answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. ¹⁷Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay, ^yon the morrow I sat on ^lthe judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. ¹⁸Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none ^aaccusation of such things as I supposed: ^19bbut had certain questions against him of their own ^csuperstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him ^dwhether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. ²¹But when Paul had ^vappealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Cesar. ²²Then ^eAgrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

²³And on the morrow, when ^fAgrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and were entered into the place of hearing, with the ^gchief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. ²⁴And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom ^hall the multitude of the Jews have ⁱdealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that ^khe ought not to live any longer. ²⁵But when I found that ^lhe had committed nothing worthy of death, ^mand that he himself hath ^vappealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. ²⁶Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. ²⁷For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the ^acrimes laid against him.

XXVI.