1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Acts 25

2 The Jews accuse Paul before Festus. 8 He answereth for himself, 11 and appealeth unto Cesar. 14 Afterwards Festus openeth his matter to King Agrippa, 23 and he is brought forth. 25 Festus cleareth him to have done nothing worthy of death.

 25:1 Festus 5347 then 3767, having arrived 1910 in the province 1885a, three 5140 days 2250 later 3326 went 305 up to Jerusalem 2414 from Caesarea 2542.

 25:2 And the chief 749 priests 749 and the leading 4413 men 4413 of the Jews 2453 brought 1718 charges 1718 against 2596 Paul 3972, and they were urging 3870 him,

 25:3 requesting 154 a concession 5485 against 2596 Paul, that he might have him brought 3343 to Jerusalem 2419 ([at the same time], setting 4160 an ambush 1747 to kill 337 him on the way 3598).

 25:4 Festus 5347 then 3767 answered 611 that Paul 3972 was being kept 5083 in custody 5083 at Caesarea 2542 and that he himself 1438 was about 3195 to leave 1607 shortly 5034.

 25:5 “Therefore 3767,” he *said 5346, “let the influential 1415 men 1415 among 1722 you go 4782 there with me, and if 1487 there is anything 5100 wrong 824 about 1722 the man 435, let them prosecute 2723 him.”

 25:6 ¶ After he had spent 1304 not more 4183 than eight 3638 or 2228 ten 1176 days 2250 among 1722 them, he went 2597 down 2597 to Caesarea 2542, and on the next 1887 day 1887 he took 2523 his seat 2523 on the tribunal 968 and ordered 2753 Paul 3972 to be brought 71.

 25:7 After Paul arrived 3854, the Jews 2453 who had come 2597 down 2597 from Jerusalem 2414 stood 4026 around 4026 him, bringing 2702 many 4183 and serious 926 charges 159b against 2702 him which 3739 they could 2480 not prove 584,

 25:8 while Paul 3972 said 626 in his own defense 626, “I have committed 264 no 3777 offense 264 either 3777 against 1519 the Law 3551 of the Jews 2453 or 3777 against 1519 the temple 2413 or 3777 against 1519 Caesar 2541.”

 25:9 But Festus 5347, wishing 2309 to do 2698 the Jews 2453 a favor 5485, answered 611 Paul 3972 and said 3004, “Are you willing 2309 to go 305 up to Jerusalem 2414 and stand 2919 trial 2919 before 1909 me on these 3778 [charges]?”

 25:10 But Paul 3972 said 3004, “I am 1510 standing 2476 before 1909 Caesar’s 2541 tribunal 968, where 3757 I ought 1163 to be tried 2919. I have done 91 no 3762 wrong 91 to [the] Jews 2453, as you also 2532 very 2573 well 2573 know 1921.

 25:11 “If 1487, then 3767, I am 91 a wrongdoer 91 and have committed 4238 anything 5100 worthy 514 of death 2288, I do not refuse 3868 to die 599; but if 1487 none 3762 of those things is [true] of which 3739 these 3778 men 3778 accuse 2723 me, no 3762 one 3762 can 1410 hand 5483 me over to them. I appeal 1941 to Caesar 2541.”

 25:12 Then 5119 when Festus 5347 had conferred 4814 with his council 4824, he answered 611, “You have appealed 1941 to Caesar 2541, to Caesar 2541 you shall go 4198.”

 25:13 ¶ Now 1161 when several 5100 days 2250 had elapsed 1230, King 935 Agrippa 67 and Bernice 959 arrived 2658 at Caesarea 2542 and paid 782 their respects 782 to Festus 5347.

 25:14 While 5613 they were spending 1304 many 4183 days 2250 there 1563, Festus 5347 laid 394 Paul’s 3972 case 3588 2596 before the king 935, saying 3004, “There is a man 435 who was left 2641 as a prisoner 1198 by Felix 5344;

 25:15 and when I was at Jerusalem 2414, the chief 749 priests 749 and the elders 4245 of the Jews 2453 brought 1718 charges 1718 against 4012 him, asking 154 for a sentence 2613b of condemnation 2613b against 4012 him.

 25:16 “I answered 611 them that it is not the custom 1485 of the Romans 4514 to hand 5483 over any 5100 man 444 before 4250 the accused 2723 meets 2192 his accusers 2725a face 4383 to face 4383 and has 2192 an opportunity 5117 to make his defense 627 against 4012 the charges 1462.

 25:17 “So 3767 after they had assembled 4905 here 1759a, I did not delay 311a, but on the next 1836 day took 2523 my seat 2523 on the tribunal 968 and ordered 2753 the man 435 to be brought 71 before me.

 25:18 “When the accusers 2725a stood 2476 up, they [began] bringing 5342 charges 156 against 4012 him not of such 3739 crimes 4190 as I was expecting 5282,

 25:19 but they [simply] had 2192 some 5100 points 2213 of disagreement 2213 with him about 4012 their own 2398 religion 1175 and about 4012 a dead 2348 man 5100, Jesus 2424, whom 3739 Paul 3972 asserted 5335 to be alive 2198.

 25:20 “Being 639 at a loss 639 how 2214 to investigate 2214 such 3778 matters, I asked 3004 whether 1487 he was willing 1014 to go 4198 to Jerusalem 2414 and there 2546 stand 2919 trial 2919 on these 3778 matters.

 25:21 “But when Paul 3972 appealed 1941 to be held 5083 in custody 5083 for the Emperor’s 4575 decision 1233, I ordered 2753 him to be kept 5083 in custody 5083 until 2193 I send 375 him to Caesar 2541.”

 25:22 Then 2532 Agrippa 67 [said] to Festus 5347, “I also 2532 would like 1014 to hear 191 the man 444 myself 846.” “Tomorrow 839,” he *said 5346, “you shall hear 191 him.”

 25:23 ¶ So 3767, on the next 1887 day 1887 when Agrippa 67 came 2064 together 2532 with Bernice 959 amid 3326 great 4183 pomp 5325, and entered 1525 the auditorium 201 accompanied 4862 by the commanders 5506 and the prominent 1851 men 435 of the city 4172, at the command 2753 of Festus 5347, Paul 3972 was brought 71 in.

 25:24 Festus 5347 *said 5346, “King 935 Agrippa 67, and all 3956 you gentlemen 435 here 4840 present 4840 with us, you see 2334 this 3778 man 3778 about 4012 whom 3739 all 537a the people 4128 of the Jews 2453 appealed 1793 to me, both 5037 at Jerusalem 2414 and here 1759a, loudly 994 declaring 994 that he ought 1163 not to live 2198 any 3371 longer 3371.

 25:25 “But I found 2638 that he had committed 4238 nothing 3367 worthy 514 of death 2288; and since he himself 846 appealed 1941 to the Emperor 4575, I decided 2919 to send 3992 him.

 25:26 “Yet I have 2192 nothing 3756 definite 804 about 4012 him to write 1125 to my lord 2962. Therefore 1352 I have brought 4254 him before 4254 you [all] and especially 3122 before 1909 you, King 935 Agrippa 67, so 3704 that after the investigation 351 has taken 1096 place 1096, I may have 2192 something 5101 to write 1125.

 25:27 “For it seems 1380 absurd 249 to me in sending 3992 a prisoner 1198, not to indicate 4591 also 2532 the charges 156 against 2596 him.”