Acts of the Apostles 25

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.	1 Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem
2 The chief priests and leaders of the Jews informed him of the case against Paul,	2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented him their formal charges against Paul. They asked him
3 urgently asking him to support them against him, and to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They werepreparing an ambush to murder him on the way.	3 as a favor to have him sent to Jerusalem, for they were plotting to kill him along the way.
4 But Festus replied that Paul was in custody in Caesarea, and that he would be going back there shortlyhimself.	4 Festus replied that Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea and that he himself would be returning there shortly.
5 He said, 'Let your authorities come down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, theycan bring a charge against him.'	5 He said, "Let your authorities come down with me, and if this man has done something improper, let them accuse him."
6 After staying with them for eight or ten days at the most, he went down to Caesarea and the next dayhe took his seat on the tribunal and had Paul brought in.	6 After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the following day took his seat on the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought in.
7 As soon as Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him, makingmany serious accusations which they were unable to substantiate.	7 When he appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and brought many serious charges against him, which they were unable to prove.
8 Paul's defence was this, 'I have committed no offence whatever against either Jewish law, or theTemple, or Caesar.'	8 In defending himself Paul said, "I have committed no crime either against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar."
9 Festus was anxious to gain favour with the Jews, so he said to Paul, 'Are you wil ing to go up toJerusalem and be tried on these charges before me there?'	9 Then Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, said to Paul in reply, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there stand trial before me on these charges?"
10 But Paul replied, 'I am standing before the tribunal of Caesar and this is where I should be tried. Ihave done the Jews no wrong, as you very wel know.	10 Paul answered, "I am standing before the tribunal of Caesar; this is where I should be tried. I have committed no crime against the Jews, as you very well know.
11 If I am guilty of committing any capital crime, I do not ask to be spared the death penalty. But if thereis no substance in the accusations these persons bring against me, no one has a right to surrender me to them. Iappeal to Caesar.'	11 If I have committed a crime or done anything deserving death, I do not seek to escape the death penalty; but if there is no substance to the charges they are bringing against me, then no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."
12 Then Festus conferred with his advisers and replied, 'You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar youshall go.'	12 Then Festus, after conferring with his council, replied, "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go."
13 Some days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus.	13 When a few days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea on a visit to Festus.
14 Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul's case before the king, saying, 'There is a manhere whom Felix left behind in custody,	14 Since they spent several days there, Festus referred Paul's case to the king, saying, "There is a man here left in custody by Felix.
15 and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him,demanding his condemnation.	15 When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and demanded his condemnation.
16 But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confrontshis accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge.	16 I answered them that it was not Roman practice to hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusers and had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge.
17 So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next dayand had the man brought in.	17 So when (they) came together here, I made no delay; the next day I took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in.
18 When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected;	18 His accusers stood around him, but did not charge him with any of the crimes I suspected.
19 but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man cal edJesus whom Paul al eged to be alive.	19 Instead they had some issues with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul claimed was alive.
20 Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be wil ing to go toJerusalem to be tried there on this issue.	20 Since I was at a loss how to investigate this controversy, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these charges.
21 But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the emperor, so I orderedhim to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.'	21 And when Paul appealed that he be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."
22 Agrippa said to Festus, 'I should like to hear the man myself.' He answered, 'Tomorrow you shal hearhim.'	22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I too should like to hear this man." He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him."
23 So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived in great state and entered the audience chamberattended by the tribunes and the city notables; and Festus ordered Paul to be brought in.	23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great ceremony and entered the audience hall in the company of cohort commanders and the prominent men of the city and, by command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
24 Then Festus said, 'King Agrippa, and all here present with us, you see before you the man aboutwhom the whole Jewish community has petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, loudly protesting that heought not to be allowed to remain alive.	24 And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you here present with us, look at this man about whom the whole Jewish populace petitioned me here and in Jerusalem, clamoring that he should live no longer.
25 For my own part I am satisfied that he has committed no capital crime, but when he himself appealedto the emperor I decided to send him.	25 I found, however, that he had done nothing deserving death, and so when he appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
26 But I have nothing definite that I can write to his Imperial Majesty about him; that is why I haveproduced him before you all, and before you in particular, King Agrippa, so that after the examination I may havesomething to write.	26 But I have nothing definite to write about him to our sovereign; therefore I have brought him before all of you, and particularly before you, King Agrippa, so that I may have something to write as a result of this investigation.
27 It seems to me pointless to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.'	27 For it seems senseless to me to send up a prisoner without indicating the charges against him."