^25:2So the chief priests and the most prominent men⁵ of the Jews brought formal charges⁶ against Paul to him. ^25:3Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul,⁷ they urged Festus⁸ to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush⁹ to kill him along the way. ^25:4Then Festus¹⁰ replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea,¹¹ and he himself intended to go there¹² shortly. ^25:5“So,” he said, “let your leaders¹³ go down there¹⁴ with me, and if this man has done anything wrong,¹⁵ they may bring charges¹⁶ against him.”

^25:6After Festus¹⁷ had stayed¹⁸ not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea,¹⁹ and the next day he sat²⁰ on the judgment seat²¹ and ordered Paul to be brought.

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Footnotes

5 πρῶτος 2.a.β has “οἱ πρῶτοι the most prominent men, the leading men of the place … or of a group … οἱ πρ. τοῦ λαοῦ … Lk 19:47; cp. Ac 25:2; 28:17.”
6 ἐμφανίζω 3 has “ἐ. τινὶ κατά τινος bring formal charges against someone … Ac 24:1; 25:2.” Note how quickly the Jewish leadership went after Paul: They brought formal charges against him within three days of Festus’ arrival in the province.
7 Grk “Requesting a favor against him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation, the understood direct object of “requesting” has been supplied, and the phrase “to do them” supplied for clarity.
8 Grk “him”; the referent (Festus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The words “they urged him” are in v. 2 in the Greek text.
9 Planning an ambush. The Jewish leadership had not forgotten the original plan of several years ago (see 23:16). They did not trust the Roman legal process, but preferred to take matters into their own hands.
10 See the note on Porcius Festus in .
11 Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in .
12 The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
13 Grk “let those who are influential among you” (i.e., the powerful).
14 The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
15 Grk “and if there is anything wrong with this man,” but this could be misunderstood in English to mean a moral or physical defect, while the issue in context is the commission of some crime, something legally improper ( ἄτοπος 2).
16 κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context—‘to accuse, to bring charges.”
17 Grk “he”; the referent (Festus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 Grk “Having stayed.” The participle διατρίψας (diatripsas) has been taken temporally.
19 Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in . For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
20 Grk “sitting down … he ordered.” The participle καθίσας (kathisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
21 Although βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” ; “tribunal,” ), since the bēma was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here. The judgment seat (βῆμα, bēma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. “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.”

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 the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed, asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. Festus, however, answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly. “Therefore,” he said, “let those of you who have authority go down with me and accuse him, if he has done anything wrong.”

When he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought in.

NLTNew Living Translation

where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul. They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way). But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon. So he said, “Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.”

About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him, asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way. Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself was about to go there in a short time. So he said, “Let those among you who are prominent go down with me, and if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him.”

And after he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down on the judgment seat and gave orders for Paul to be brought.

KJV 1900King James Version

Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.

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