Acts 25

Modern

Literal

Paul’s Trial before Festus

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

¹Therefore Festus, having arrived in the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

²where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus

²And the chief priests and the chiefs of the Jews presented to him against Paul, and they were imploring him,

³to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

³requesting a favor against him that he would summon him to Jerusalem, forming an ambush to kill him on the way.

⁴But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

⁴Then, indeed, Festus answered that Paul is to be kept in Caesarea, and that he himself is about to go out in haste.

⁵So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.”

⁵“Therefore those powerful among you,” he says, “having gone down together, if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.”

⁶After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in.

⁶And having spent with them no more than eight or ten days, having gone down to Caesarea, on the next day having sat on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.

⁷When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.

⁷And he having arrived, the Jews having come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and weighty charges, which they were not able to prove.

⁸Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

⁸Paul made his defense: “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned in anything.”

⁹But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”

⁹But Festus, wishing to lay a favor on the Jews, answering, said to Paul, “Are you willing, having gone up to Jerusalem, to be judged before me there concerning these things?”

Paul Appeals to Caesar

¹⁰Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

¹⁰And Paul said, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be judged. I did nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

¹¹If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

¹¹Therefore if indeed I am unrighteous and have done anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing of which they can accuse me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

¹²Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

¹²Then Festus, having conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!”

Festus Consults Agrippa

¹³After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

¹³Now some days having passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice came down to Caesarea, greeting Festus.

¹⁴Since they were staying several days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king: “There is a certain man whom Felix left in prison.

¹⁴And as they were staying there many days, Festus laid before the king the things relating to Paul, saying, “There is a certain man left by Felix, a prisoner,

¹⁵While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews presented their case and requested a judgment against him.

¹⁵concerning whom, in my having been in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews made a presentation, requesting a judgment against him,

¹⁶I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.

¹⁶to whom I answered that it is not a custom with Romans to give up any man before the one being accused may have it to face the accusers and may have a place of defense concerning the accusation.

¹⁷So when they came here with me, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered that the man be brought in.

¹⁷Therefore on their having come together here, having made no delay, the next day having sat on the judgment seat, I commanded the man to be brought,

¹⁸But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

¹⁸concerning whom the accusers, having stood up, were bringing no charge of the evils that I was expecting.

¹⁹They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

¹⁹But they had certain questions against him concerning their own religion and concerning a certain Jesus having been dead, whom Paul was affirming to be alive.

²⁰Since I was at a loss as to how to investigate these matters, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.

²⁰Now I, being perplexed concerning this inquiry, was asking if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there to be judged concerning these things.

²¹But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”

²¹But Paul having appealed for himself to be kept for the decision of the Emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar.”

²²Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”

“Tomorrow you will hear him,” Festus declared.

²²And Agrippa said to Festus, “I have also been wanting to hear the man myself.” He says, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”

Paul before Agrippa and Bernice

²³The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium, along with the commanders and leading men of the city. And Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.

²³Therefore on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice having come with great pomp and having entered into the auditorium with both the commanders and the men of prominence in the city, and Festus having commanded, Paul was brought in.

²⁴Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁴And Festus says, “King Agrippa and all men being present with us, you see this one concerning whom all the multitude of the Jews pleaded with me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out of him that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.

²⁵But I, having understood him to have done nothing worthy of death—this one himself now having appealed to the Emperor—I determined to send him,

²⁶I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this inquiry I may have something to write.

²⁶concerning whom I have nothing definite to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that on the examination having taken place, I might have something to write.

²⁷For it seems unreasonable to me to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”

²⁷For it seems absurd to me, sending a prisoner, not also to specify the charges against him.”