Acts 25:13–27

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

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

²³So on the next day ^fAgrippa 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. ²⁴And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom ^gthe whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, ^hshouting that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵But I found that ⁱhe had done nothing deserving death. And ^jas he himself appealed to ^kthe emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. ²⁶But 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. ²⁷For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”