Read the Bible

Paul before Festus

¹ Festus, then, after arriving in ^(C1)the province, went up to Jerusalem from ^(C2)Caesarea three days later.² And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews ^(C1)brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with ^(F1)Festus,³ requesting a ^(F1)concession against ^(F2)Paul, that he might ^(F3)have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, ^(C1)setting an ambush to kill him on the way).⁴ Festus then ^(C1)answered that Paul ^(C2)was being kept in custody in ^(C3)Caesarea, and that he himself was about to leave shortly.⁵ "Therefore," he ^(*)said, "have the influential men among you ^(F1)go there with me, and if there is anything wrong ^(F2)about the man, have them bring charges against him."

⁶ After Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to ^(C1)Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on ^(C2)the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought.⁷ After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing ^(C1)many, and serious, charges against him ^(C2)which they could not prove,⁸ while Paul said in his own defense, "^(C1)I have not done anything wrong either against the Law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar."⁹ But Festus, ^(C1)wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul and said, "^(C2)Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and ^(F1)stand trial before me on these charges?"¹⁰ But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's ^(C1)tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.¹¹ "If, therefore, I am in the wrong and have committed something deserving death, I am not trying to avoid execution; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I ^(C1)appeal to Caesar."¹² Then when Festus had conferred with ^(F1)his council, he answered, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go."

¹³ Now when several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in ^(C1)Caesarea, paying their respects to Festus.¹⁴ And while they were spending many days there, Festus presented Paul's case to the king, saying, "There is a man who was ^(C1)left as a prisoner by Felix;¹⁵ and when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews ^(C1)brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.¹⁶ "I ^(C1)replied to them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any person before ^(C2)the accused meets his accusers face to face, and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges.¹⁷ "So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on ^(C1)the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought.¹⁸ "When the accusers stood up, they did not begin bringing any charges ^(F1)against him of crimes that I suspected,¹⁹ but they simply had some ^(C1)points of disagreement with him about their own ^(F1)(C2)religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.²⁰ "And ^(C1)being at a loss how to investigate ^(F1)such matters, I ^(F2)asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these matters.²¹ "But when Paul ^(C1)appealed to be held in custody for ^(F1)the Emperor's decision, I ordered that he be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar."²² Then ^(C1)Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he ^(*)said, "you shall hear him."

Paul before Agrippa

²³ So, on the next day when ^(C1)Agrippa and ^(C1)Bernice came amid great pomp and entered the auditorium, ^(F1)accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought before them.²⁴ And Festus ^(*)said, "King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man about whom ^(C1)all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that ^(C2)he ought not to live any longer.²⁵ "But I found that he had committed ^(C1)nothing deserving death; and since he himself ^(C2)appealed to ^(F1)the Emperor, I decided to send him.²⁶ "^(F1)Yet, I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore, I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write.²⁷ "For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him as well."