Acts 25
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1Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 1Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,
2The high priests and Jewish leaders informed him of their charges against Paul, urging 2where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.
3and asking Festus to have Paul brought to Jerusalem as a favor. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the road.3They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
4Festus replied that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there soon. 4Festus answered, "Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
5"Therefore," he said, "have your authorities come down with me and present their charges against him there, if there is anything wrong with the man."5Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there."
6Festus stayed with them no more than eight or ten days and then went down to Caesarea. The next day, he sat on the judge's seat and ordered Paul brought in. 6After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him.
7When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and began bringing a number of serious charges against him that they couldn't prove. 7When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.
8Paul said in his defense, "I have done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews, or of the Temple, or of the emperor."8Then Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar."
9Then Festus, wanting to do the Jewish leaders a favor, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried there before me on these charges?"9Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?"
10But Paul said, "I am standing before the emperor's judgment seat where I ought to be tried. I haven't done anything wrong to the Jewish leaders, as you know very well. 10Paul answered: "I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.
11If I'm guilty and have done something that deserves death, I'm willing to die. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal to the emperor!"11If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!"
12Festus talked it over with the council and then answered, "To the emperor you have appealed; to the emperor you will go!"12After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"
13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to welcome Festus. 13A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
14Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. He said, "There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix. 14Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.
15When I went to Jerusalem, the high priests and the Jewish elders informed me about him and asked me to condemn him. 15When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.
16I answered them that it was not the Roman custom to sentence a man to be punished until the accused met his accusers face to face and had an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. 16"I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.
17So they came here with me, and the next day without any delay I sat down in the judge's seat and ordered the man to be brought in. 17When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.
18When his accusers stood up, they didn't accuse him of any of the crimes I was expecting. 18When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.
19Instead, they had several arguments with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died—but Paul kept asserting he was alive. 19Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.
20I was puzzled how I should investigate such matters, so I asked if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried there for these things. 20I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.
21But Paul appealed his case and asked to be held in prison until the decision of his Majesty. So I ordered him to be held in custody until I could send him to the emperor."21But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."
22Agrippa told Festus, "I would like to hear the man." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him."22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man myself." He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him."
23The next day, Agrippa and Bernice arrived with much fanfare and went into the auditorium along with the tribunes and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
24Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you men who are present with us! You see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 24Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
25I find that he has not done anything deserving of death. But since he has appealed to his Majesty, I have decided to send him. 25I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome.
26I have nothing reliable to write our Sovereign about him, so I have brought him to all of you, and especially to you, King Agrippa, so that I will have something to write after he is cross-examined. 26But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write.
27For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him."27For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him."
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Acts 24
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