Acts 25

1Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,

2There the chief priests and Jewish leaders came before him and brought their charges against Paul.

3They asked Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul brought to Jerusalem. They were planning to hide and kill Paul along the way.

4Festus answered: Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

5He said: Let some of your leaders come with me, and bring charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.

6After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he opened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him.

7When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.

8Then Paul spoke in his own defense: I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law, or against the temple, or against Caesar.

9Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor, so he said to Paul: Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?

10Paul answered: I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

11But if I am guilty of doing anything that deserves death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges these Jews are bringing against me are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!

12After Festus had talked it over with his council, he said: You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!

13A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

14Since they were staying there many days, Festus talked with the king about Paul's case. He said: There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.

15When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.

16I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before he has faced the people accusing him. He must first have a chance to defend himself against the charges.

17When they came here with me, I did not delay the case. I opened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.

18When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

19Instead, they had some arguments with him about their own religion, and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.

20I did not know how to look into matters like this. So I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.

21But Paul made an appeal to be kept for the emperor's decision. So I ordered that he be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.

22Then Agrippa said to Festus: I would like to hear this man myself. Festus replied: Tomorrow you will hear him.

23The next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great show. They entered the meeting room with the high-ranking military officers and the important men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

24Festus said: King Agrippa, and all who are here with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community begged me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he should not live any longer.

25I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor, I decided to send him to Rome.

26But I have nothing clear to write to the emperor about him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa. After this hearing, I hope to have something to write.

27For it does not make sense to me to send a prisoner to Rome without stating the charges against him.