Acts 25:13–27

¹³And certain days having passed, Agrippa the king, and Bernice, came down to Caesarea saluting Festus, ¹⁴and as they were continuing there more days, Festus submitted to the king the things concerning Paul, saying, ‘There is a certain man, left by Felix, a prisoner, ¹⁵about whom, in my being at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid information, asking a decision against him, ¹⁶unto whom I answered, that it is not a custom of Romans to make a favour of any man to die, before that he who is accused may have the accusers face to face, and may receive place of defence in regard to the charge laid against him.

¹⁷‘They, therefore, having come together—I, making no delay, on the succeeding day having sat upon the tribunal, did command the man to be brought, ¹⁸concerning whom the accusers, having stood up, were bringing against him no accusation of the things I was thinking of, ¹⁹but certain questions concerning their own religion they had against him, and concerning a certain Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive; ²⁰and I, doubting in regard to the question concerning this, said, If he would wish to go on to Jerusalem, and there to be judged concerning these things— ²¹but Paul having appealed to be kept to the hearing of Sebastus, I did command him to be kept till I might send him unto Caesar.’ ²²And Agrippa said unto Festus, ‘I was wishing also myself to hear the man;’ and he said, ‘To-morrow thou shalt hear him;’ ²³on the morrow, therefore—on the coming of Agrippa and Bernice with much display, and they having entered into the audience chamber, with the chief captains also, and the principal men of the city, and Festus having ordered—Paul was brought forth. ²⁴And Festus said, ‘King Agrippa, and all men who are present with us, ye see this one, about whom all the multitude of the Jews did deal with me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out, He ought not to live any longer; ²⁵and I, having found him to have done nothing worthy of death, and he also himself having appealed to Sebastus, I decided to send him, ²⁶concerning whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord, wherefore I brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that the examination having been made, I may have something to write; ²⁷for it doth seem to me irrational, sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him.’

Chapter 26