25:1 Now¹ three days after Festus² arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.³ 25:2 So the chief priests and the most prominent men⁴ of the Jews brought formal charges⁵ against Paul to him. 25:3 Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul,⁶ they urged Festus⁷ to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush⁸ to kill him along the way. 25:4 Then Festus⁹ replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea,¹⁰ and he himself intended to go there¹¹ shortly. 25:5 “So,” he said, “let your leaders¹² go down there¹³ with me, and if this man has done anything wrong,¹⁴ they may bring charges¹⁵ against him.”

25:6 After Festus¹⁶ had stayed¹⁷ not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea,¹⁸ and the next day he sat¹⁹ on the judgment seat²⁰ and ordered Paul to be brought. 25:7 When he arrived,²¹ the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him,²² bringing many serious²³ charges that they were not able to prove.²⁴ 25:8 Paul said in his defense,²⁵ “I have committed no offense²⁶ against the Jewish law²⁷ or against the temple or against Caesar.”²⁸ 25:9 But Festus,²⁹ wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried³⁰ before me there on these charges?”³¹ 25:10 Paul replied,³² “I am standing before Caesar’s³³ judgment seat,³⁴ where I should be tried.³⁵ I have done nothing wrong³⁶ to the Jews, as you also know very well.³⁷ 25:11 If then I am in the wrong³⁸ and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying;³⁹ but if none of their charges against me are true,⁴⁰ no one can hand me over to them.⁴¹ I appeal to Caesar!”⁴² 25:12 Then, after conferring with his council,⁴³ Festus⁴⁴ replied, “You have appealed to Caesar;⁴⁵ to Caesar⁴⁶ you will go!”⁴⁷

25:13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa⁴⁸ and Bernice arrived at Caesarea⁴⁹ to pay their respects⁵⁰ to Festus.⁵¹ 25:14 While⁵² they were staying there many days, Festus⁵³ explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion,⁵⁴ saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. 25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed⁵⁵ me about him,⁵⁶ asking for a sentence of condemnation⁵⁷ against him. 25:16 I answered them⁵⁸ that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone⁵⁹ before the accused had met his accusers face to face⁶⁰ and had been given⁶¹ an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation.⁶² 25:17 So after they came back here with me,⁶³ I did not postpone the case,⁶⁴ but the next day I sat⁶⁵ on the judgment seat⁶⁶ and ordered the man to be brought. 25:18 When his accusers stood up, they did not charge⁶⁷ him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected.⁶⁸ 25:19 Rather they had several points of disagreement⁶⁹ with him about their own religion⁷⁰ and about a man named Jesus⁷¹ who was dead, whom Paul claimed⁷² to be alive. 25:20 Because I was at a loss⁷³ how I could investigate these matters,⁷⁴ I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried⁷⁵ there on these charges.⁷⁶ 25:21 But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor,⁷⁷ I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.”⁷⁸ 25:22 Agrippa⁷⁹ said to Festus,⁸⁰ “I would also like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he replied,⁸¹ “you will hear him.”

25:23 So the next day Agrippa⁸² and Bernice came with great pomp⁸³ and entered the audience hall,⁸⁴ along with the senior military officers⁸⁵ and the prominent men of the city. When Festus⁸⁶ gave the order,⁸⁷ Paul was brought in. 25:24 Then Festus⁸⁸ said, “King Agrippa,⁸⁹ and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace⁹⁰ petitioned⁹¹ me both in Jerusalem and here,⁹² shouting loudly⁹³ that he ought not to live any longer. 25:25 But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death,⁹⁴ and when he appealed⁹⁵ to His Majesty the Emperor,⁹⁶ I decided to send him.⁹⁷ 25:26 But I have nothing definite⁹⁸ to write to my lord⁹⁹ about him.¹⁰⁰ Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa,¹⁰¹ so that after this preliminary hearing¹⁰² I may have something to write. 25:27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating¹⁰³ the charges against him.”