Acts of the Apostles 25

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.	1 And so, when Festus had arrived in the province, after three days, he ascended to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 The chief priests and leaders of the Jews informed him of the case against Paul,	2 And the leaders of the priests, and those first among the Jews, went to him against Paul. And they were petitioning 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 asking for favor against him, so that he would order him to be led to Jerusalem, where they were maintaining an ambush in order 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 But Festus responded that Paul was to be kept in Caesarea, and that he himself would soon go there.
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 “Therefore,” he said, “let those among you who are able, descend at the same time, and if there is any guilt in the man, they may 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 Then, having stayed among them no more than eight or ten days, he descended to Caesarea. And on the next day, he sat in the judgment seat, and he ordered Paul to be led 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 And when he had been brought, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, throwing out many serious accusations, none of which they were able to prove.
8 Paul's defence was this, 'I have committed no offence whatever against either Jewish law, or theTemple, or Caesar.'	8 Paul offered this defense: “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended in any matter.”
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 But Festus, wanting to show greater favor to the Jews, responded to Paul by saying: “Are you willing to ascend to Jerusalem and to be judged there about these things before me?”
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 But Paul said: “I stand in Caesar’s tribunal, which is where I ought to be judged. I have done no harm to the Jews, as you 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 For if I have harmed them, or if I have done anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying. But if there is nothing to these things about which they accuse me, no one is able to deliver me 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, having spoken with the council, responded: “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”
13 Some days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus.	13 And when some days had passed, king Agrippa and Bernice descended to Caesarea, to greet 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 And since they remained there for many days, Festus spoke to the king about Paul, saying: “A certain man was left behind as a prisoner 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 at Jerusalem, the leaders of the priests and the elders of the Jews came to me about him, asking for condemnation against him.
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 is not the custom of the Romans to condemn any man, before he who is being accused has been confronted by his accusers and has received the opportunity to defend himself, so as to clear himself of the charges.
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 Therefore, when they had arrived here, without any delay, on the following day, sitting in the judgment seat, I ordered the man to be brought.
18 When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected;	18 But when the accusers had stood up, they did not present any accusation about him from which I would suspect evil.
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 brought against him certain disputes about their own superstition and about a certain Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul asserted to be 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 Therefore, being in doubt about this kind of question, I asked him if he was willing go to Jerusalem and to be judged there about these things.
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 But since Paul was appealing to be kept for a decision before Augustus, I ordered him to be kept, until I might send him to Caesar.”
22 Agrippa said to Festus, 'I should like to hear the man myself.' He answered, 'Tomorrow you shal hearhim.'	22 Then Agrippa said to Festus: “I myself also want to hear the man.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall 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 And on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had arrived with great ostentation and had entered into the auditorium with the tribunes and the principal men of the city, Paul was brought in, at the order of Festus.
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 who are present together with us, you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews disturbed me at Jerusalem, petitioning and clamoring that he should not be allowed to live any 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 Truly, I have discovered nothing brought forth against him that is worthy of death. But since he himself has appealed to Augustus, it was my judgment 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 not determined what to write to the emperor about him. Because of this, I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, O king Agrippa, so that, once an inquiry has occurred, I may have something to write.
27 It seems to me pointless to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.'	27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to indicate the accusations set against him.”