Acts 25 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Paul Before Festus

1 Festus ^G5347 then ^G3767, having arrived ^G1910 in the province ^G1885, after ^G3326 three ^G5140 days ^G2250 went ^G305 up ^G305 to Jerusalem ^G2414 from Caesarea ^G2542.

2 And the chief ^G749 priests ^G749 and the leading ^G4413 men ^G4413 of the Jews ^G2453 brought ^G1718 charges ^G1718 against ^G2596 Paul ^G3972, and they were pleading ^G3870 with him, 3 requesting ^G154 a favor ^G5485 against ^G2596 [fn]Paul, that he might [fn]have him brought ^G3343 to Jerusalem ^G2419 (while they set ^G4160 an ambush ^G1747 to kill ^G337 him on the way ^G3598). 4 Festus ^G5347 then ^G3767 answered ^G611 that Paul ^G3972 was being kept ^G5083 in custody ^G5083 at Caesarea ^G2542 and that he himself ^G1438 was ^G3195 about ^G3195 to ^G3195 leave ^G1607 shortly ^G5034. 5 “Therefore ^G3767,” he *said ^G5346, “let the influential ^G1415 men ^G1415 among ^G1722 you go ^G4782 down ^G4782 there with me, and if ^G1487 there is anything ^G5100 wrong ^G824 [fn]about ^G1722 the man ^G435, let them accuse ^G2723 him.”

6 And after he had spent ^G1304 not more ^G4183 than eight ^G3638 or ^G2228 ten ^G1176 days ^G2250 among ^G1722 them, he went ^G2597 down ^G2597 to Caesarea ^G2542, and on the next ^G1887 day ^G1887 he took ^G2523 his seat ^G2523 on the judgment ^G968 seat ^G968 and ordered ^G2753 Paul ^G3972 to be brought ^G71. 7 And after Paul arrived ^G3854, the Jews ^G2453 who had come ^G2597 down ^G2597 from Jerusalem ^G2414 stood ^G4026 around ^G4026 him, bringing ^G2702 many ^G4183 and serious ^G926 charges ^G157 against ^G2702 him which ^G3739 they could ^G2480 not prove ^G584, 8 while Paul ^G3972 said ^G626 in ^G626 his own defense ^G626, “I have committed ^G264 no ^G3777 sin ^G264 either ^G3777 against ^G1519 the Law ^G3551 of the Jews ^G2453 or ^G3777 against ^G1519 the temple ^G2413 or ^G3777 against ^G1519 Caesar ^G2541.” 9 But Festus ^G5347, wishing ^G2309 to do ^G2698 the Jews ^G2453 a favor ^G5485, answered ^G611 Paul ^G3972 and said ^G3004, “Are you willing ^G2309 to go ^G305 up ^G305 to Jerusalem ^G2414 and to be ^G2919 tried ^G2919 before ^G1909 me on these ^G3778 matters?” 10 But Paul ^G3972 said ^G3004, “I am ^G1510 standing ^G2476 before ^G1909 Caesar’s ^G2541 judgment ^G968 seat ^G968, where ^G3757 I ought ^G1163 to be tried ^G2919. I have done ^G91 no ^G3762 wrong ^G91 to the Jews ^G2453, as you also ^G2532 very ^G2573 well ^G2573 know ^G1921. 11 If ^G1487, then ^G3767, I am ^G91 a wrongdoer ^G91 and have committed ^G4238 anything ^G5100 worthy ^G514 of death ^G2288, I do not refuse ^G3868 to die ^G599; but if ^G1487 none ^G3762 of those things is true of which ^G3739 these ^G3778 men ^G3778 accuse ^G2723 me, no ^G3762 one ^G3762 can ^G1410 hand ^G5483 me over ^G5483 to them. I appeal ^G1941 to ^G1941 Caesar ^G2541.” 12 Then ^G5119 when Festus ^G5347 had conferred ^G4814 with [fn]his council ^G4824, he answered ^G611, “You have appealed ^G1941 to ^G1941 Caesar ^G2541, to Caesar ^G2541 you shall go ^G4198.”

Festus and Agrippa Discuss Paul’s Trial

13 Now ^G1161 when several ^G5100 days ^G2250 had passed ^G1230, King ^G935 Agrippa ^G67 and Bernice ^G959 arrived ^G2658 at Caesarea ^G2542 [fn]and greeted ^G782 Festus ^G5347.

14 And while ^G5613 they were spending ^G1304 many ^G4183 days ^G2250 there ^G1563, Festus ^G5347 laid ^G394 Paul’s ^G3972 case ^G3588 G2596 before the king ^G935, saying ^G3004, “There is a man ^G435 who was left ^G2641 as a prisoner ^G1198 by Felix ^G5344; 15 and when I was at Jerusalem ^G2414, the chief ^G749 priests ^G749 and the elders ^G4245 of the Jews ^G2453 brought ^G1718 charges ^G1718 against ^G4012 him, asking ^G154 for a sentence ^G6048 of ^G6048 condemnation ^G6048 against ^G4012 him. 16 I answered ^G611 them that it is not the custom ^G1485 of the Romans ^G4514 to hand ^G5483 over ^G5483 any ^G5100 man ^G444 before ^G4250 the accused ^G2723 meets ^G2192 his accusers ^G2725 face ^G4383 to face ^G4383 and has ^G2192 an opportunity ^G5117 to make his defense ^G627 against ^G4012 the charges ^G1462. 17 So ^G3767 after they had assembled ^G4905 here ^G1759, I did not delay ^G311, but on the next ^G1836 day took ^G2523 my seat ^G2523 on the judgment ^G968 seat ^G968 and ordered ^G2753 the man ^G435 to be brought ^G71 before me. 18 When the accusers ^G2725 stood ^G2476 up, they were not bringing ^G5342 any charges ^G156 against ^G4012 him for ^G3739 the evil deeds ^G4190 I was expecting ^G5282, 19 but they had ^G2192 some ^G5100 points ^G2213 of ^G2213 disagreement ^G2213 with him about ^G4012 their own ^G2398 [fn]religion ^G1175 and about ^G4012 a certain Jesus ^G2424, a dead ^G2348 man ^G5100 whom ^G3739 Paul ^G3972 asserted ^G5335 to be alive ^G2198. 20 And being ^G639 perplexed ^G639 about how ^G2214 to ^G2214 investigate ^G2214 [fn]such ^G3778 matters, I was asking ^G3004 whether ^G1487 he was willing ^G1014 to go ^G4198 to Jerusalem ^G2414 and there ^G2546 to be ^G2919 tried ^G2919 on these ^G3778 matters. 21 But when Paul ^G3972 appealed ^G1941 to be held ^G5083 in ^G5083 custody ^G5083 for [fn]the Emperor’s ^G4575 decision ^G1233, I ordered ^G2753 him to be kept ^G5083 in ^G5083 custody ^G5083 until ^G2193 I send ^G375 him to Caesar ^G2541.” 22 Then ^G2532 Agrippa ^G67 said to Festus ^G5347, “I also ^G2532 would like ^G1014 to hear ^G191 the man ^G444 myself ^G846.” “Tomorrow ^G839,” he *said ^G5346, “you shall hear ^G191 him.”

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

23 So ^G3767, on the next ^G1887 day ^G1887 when Agrippa ^G67 came ^G2064 [fn]together ^G2532 with Bernice ^G959 amid ^G3326 great ^G4183 pomp ^G5325, and entered ^G1525 the hall ^G201 [fn]accompanied ^G4862 by the [fn]commanders ^G5506 and the prominent ^G1851 men ^G435 of the city ^G4172, at the order ^G2753 of Festus ^G5347, Paul ^G3972 was brought ^G71 in.

24 And Festus ^G5347 *said ^G5346, “King ^G935 Agrippa ^G67, and all ^G3956 you gentlemen ^G435 here ^G4840 present ^G4840 with us, you see ^G2334 this ^G3778 man ^G3778 about ^G4012 whom ^G3739 all ^G537 the people ^G4128 of the Jews ^G2453 appealed ^G1793 to me, both ^G5037 at Jerusalem ^G2414 and here ^G1759, loudly ^G994 declaring ^G994 that he ought ^G1163 not to live ^G2198 any ^G3371 longer ^G3371. 25 But I found ^G2638 that he had committed ^G4238 nothing ^G3367 worthy ^G514 of death ^G2288, and since he himself ^G846 appealed ^G1941 to ^G1941 [fn]the Emperor ^G4575, I decided ^G2919 to send ^G3992 him. 26 [fn]Yet I have ^G2192 nothing ^G3756 definite ^G804 about ^G4012 him to write ^G1125 to my lord ^G2962. Therefore ^G1352 I have brought ^G4254 him before ^G4254 you all and especially ^G3122 before ^G1909 you, King ^G935 Agrippa ^G67, so ^G3704 that after the investigation ^G351 has taken ^G1096 place ^G1096, I may have ^G2192 something ^G5101 to write ^G1125. 27 For it seems ^G1380 absurd ^G249 to me in sending ^G3992 a prisoner ^G1198, not to indicate ^G4591 also ^G2532 the charges ^G156 against ^G2596 him.”