Acts 25 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Paul before Festus

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

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 [fn]Festus, 3 requesting ^G154 a [fn]concession ^G5485 against ^G2596 [fn]Paul, that he might [fn]have him brought ^G3343 to Jerusalem ^G2419 (at the same time, setting ^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 ^G5083 custody ^G5083 in Caesarea ^G2542, and that he himself ^G1438 was ^G3195 about ^G3195 to ^G3195 leave ^G1607 shortly ^G5034. 5 “Therefore ^G3767,” he *said ^G5346, “have the influential ^G1415 men ^G1415 among ^G1722 you [fn]go ^G4782 there with me, and if ^G1487 there is anything ^G5100 wrong ^G824 [fn]about ^G1722 the man ^G435, have them bring ^G2723 charges ^G2723 against ^G2723 him.”

6 After Festus had spent ^G1304 no ^G3756 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 tribunal ^G968 and ordered ^G2753 that Paul ^G3972 be brought ^G71. 7 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 not done ^G264 anything ^G5100 wrong ^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, wanting ^G2309 to do ^G2698 the Jews ^G2453 a favor ^G5485, replied ^G611 to Paul ^G3972 and said ^G3004, “Are you willing ^G2309 to go ^G305 up ^G305 to Jerusalem ^G2414 and [fn]stand ^G2919 trial ^G2919 before ^G1909 me on these ^G3778 charges?” 10 But Paul ^G3972 said ^G3004, “I am ^G1510 standing ^G2476 before ^G1909 Caesar’s ^G2541 tribunal ^G968, where ^G3757 I ought ^G1163 to be tried ^G2919. I have done ^G91 nothing ^G3762 wrong ^G91 to the Jews ^G2453, as you also ^G2532 very ^G2573 well ^G2573 know ^G1921. 11 If ^G1487, therefore ^G3767, I am ^G91 in ^G91 the ^G91 wrong ^G91 and have committed ^G4238 something ^G5100 deserving ^G514 death ^G2288, I am not trying ^G3868 to ^G3868 avoid ^G3868 execution ^G599; but if ^G1487 there is nothing ^G3762 to the accusations ^G2723 which ^G3739 these ^G3778 men ^G3778 are bringing ^G2723 against ^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.”

13 Now ^G1161 when several ^G5100 days ^G2250 had passed ^G1230, King ^G935 Agrippa ^G67 and Bernice ^G959 arrived ^G2658 in Caesarea ^G2542, paying ^G782 their respects ^G782 to Festus ^G5347. 14 And while ^G5613 they were spending ^G1304 many ^G4183 days ^G2250 there ^G1563, Festus ^G5347 presented ^G394 Paul’s ^G3972 case ^G3588 G2596 to 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 in 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 replied ^G611 to them that it is not the custom ^G1485 of the Romans ^G4514 to hand ^G5483 over ^G5483 any ^G5100 person ^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 tribunal ^G968 and ordered ^G2753 that the man ^G435 be brought ^G71. 18 When the accusers ^G2725 stood ^G2476 up, they did not begin bringing ^G5342 any ^G3762 charges ^G156 [fn]against ^G4012 him of crimes ^G4190 that I suspected ^G5282, 19 but they simply had ^G2192 some ^G5100 points ^G2213 of ^G2213 disagreement ^G2213 with him about ^G4012 their own ^G2398 [fn]religion ^G1175 and about ^G4012 a dead ^G2348 man ^G2348, Jesus ^G2424, whom ^G3739 Paul ^G3972 asserted ^G5335 to be alive ^G2198. 20 And being ^G639 at ^G639 a ^G639 loss ^G639 how ^G2214 to ^G2214 investigate ^G2214 [fn]such ^G3778 matters, I [fn]asked ^G3004 whether ^G1487 he was willing ^G1014 to go ^G4198 to Jerusalem ^G2414 and stand ^G2919 trial ^G2919 there ^G2546 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 that he 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

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

24 And Festus ^G5347 *said ^G5346, “King ^G935 Agrippa ^G67, and all ^G3956 you gentlemen ^G435 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 in Jerusalem ^G2414 and here ^G1759, shouting ^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 deserving ^G514 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 ^G3704 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 the charges ^G156 against ^G2596 him as ^G2532 well ^G2532.”