Acts 25:1–12

Appeal to Caesar

25Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ^z2Then the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed, ^a3asking him to do them a favor against Paul, ^bthat he might summon him to Jerusalem. They were preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. ⁴However, Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly. ^c5“Therefore,” he said, “let the men of authority among you go down with me and accuse him, if there is any wrong in this man.”

⁶When he had spent not more than eight or 10 days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the judge’s bench, he commanded Paul to be brought in. ^d7When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove, ^e8while Paul made the defense that, “Neither against the Jewish law, ^fnor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all.”

⁹Then Festus, wanting to do a favor for the Jews, ^greplied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be tried before me on these charges?”

¹⁰But Paul said: “I am standing at Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you can see very well. ¹¹If then I am doing wrong, or have done anything deserving of death, I do not refuse to die, but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” ^h

¹²After Festus conferred with his council, he replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!”