Acts 25:1-15 ▼

1 Three days after Festus took over his duties in the province of Judea, he went from the city of Caesarea to Jerusalem.

2 The chief priests and the other important Jewish leaders informed Festus about their charges against Paul. They were urging

3 Festus to do them the favor of having Paul brought to Jerusalem. The Jews had a plan to ambush and kill Paul as he traveled to Jerusalem.

4 Festus replied that he would be returning to Caesarea soon and would keep Paul there.

5 He told them, |Have your authorities come to Caesarea with me and accuse him there if the man has done something wrong.|

6 Festus stayed in Jerusalem for eight or ten days at the most and then returned to Caesarea. The next day Festus took his place in court and summoned Paul.

7 When Paul entered the room, the Jews who had come from Jerusalem surrounded him. They made a lot of serious accusations that they couldn't prove.

8 Paul defended himself by saying, |I haven't broken any Jewish law or done anything against the temple or the emperor.|

9 But Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor. So he asked Paul, |Are you willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on these charges with me as your judge?|

10 Paul said, |I am standing in the emperor's court where I must be tried. I haven't done anything wrong to the Jews, as you know very well.

11 If I am guilty and have done something wrong for which I deserve the death penalty, I don't reject the idea of dying. But if their accusations are untrue, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal my case to the emperor!|

12 Festus discussed the appeal with his advisers and then replied to Paul, |You have appealed your case to the emperor, so you'll go to the emperor!|

13 Later King Agrippa and Bernice came to the city of Caesarea to welcome Festus.

14 Since they were staying there for a number of days, Festus told the king about Paul's case. Festus said, |Felix left a man here in prison.

15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish leaders brought me some information about him and asked me to condemn him.