The Koine Bible

Then Festus, having arrived in the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea,

The chief priests and the leading men of the Jews appeared before him concerning Paul and were urging him.

asking for a favor against him so that he might be sent to Jerusalem, making an ambush to kill him on the way.

Then Festus answered that Paul would be kept safe until he could be sent to Caesar, but that he intended to depart soon.

Those among you who are able, come down and accuse him of anything improper in the man.

After spending no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day, sitting on the tribunal, he ordered Paul to be brought.

When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious accusations that they were unable to prove,

Paul was defending himself, stating that he had neither sinned against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar.

But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, Do you want to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged by me concerning these matters?

But Paul said, I stand at Caesar’s tribunal, where I must be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

Therefore, if I have done wrong and deserve to die, I do not refuse to die; but if there is nothing of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.

Then Festus, after conferring with the council, answered: You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go.

After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea and greeted Festus.

And after spending several days there, Festus reported to the king concerning Paul, saying, A certain man has been left as a prisoner by Felix,

Concerning which, when I came to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews appeared to me, asking for judgment against him.

To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the one accused has the accusers face to face and has received an opportunity to defend himself concerning the charge.

Therefore, when they had gathered here, without making any delay, I sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought in.

Concerning which, the accusers who stood there brought no charge of wrongdoing that I had committed.

They had some disputes with him about their own superstition and about a certain Jesus who had died, whom Paul claimed was alive.

But since I was uncertain about the inquiry concerning these matters, I said, if he wishes, let him go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these things.

But when Paul appealed to be kept until the decision of Caesar, I ordered him to be kept until I send him to Caesar.

But Agrippa said to Festus, I also wished to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, he says, you will hear him.

Now on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with much pomp and had entered the auditorium together with the commanders and the leading men of the city, and Festus had given the order, Paul was brought in.

And Festus says, King Agrippa and all the men who are present with us, you see this man about whom all the crowd of the Jews came to me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should no longer live.

But I have found nothing deserving of death in him, and since he has appealed to Caesar, I have decided to send him.

Concerning which I do not have anything certain to write to the lord; therefore I brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation I might have something to write.

For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner without also indicating the charges against him.