OET-RV ACTs Chapter 25

25 After Festos had been in the area for three days, he made the uphill trip from Kaisareia to Yerushalem (Jerusalem). 2 There the chief priests and the Jewish leaders repeated their case against Paulos, and they implored Festos, 3 asking as a special favour, that he would order Paulos to be sent to Yerushalem (because they wanted to ambush and kill him on the way). 4 But Festos replied that he’d keep Paulos in Kaisareia and he was heading back there soon, 5 so he told them, “Some of your leaders can go there with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can explain their accusations there.”

6 After staying seven or eight days in Yerushalem, Festos and company travelled back to Kaisareia, and the next day he sat at the judge’s bench and ordered that Paulos be brought in. 7 When he arrived, the Yehudim (Jews) who’d come from Yerushalem stood facing Paulos and presented many heavy charges which they weren’t able to prove. 8 Paulos defended himself, stating that he hadn’t sinned against any Jewish law or against the temple, nor against any Roman law.

9 However, Festos wanted to be able to grant a favour to the Yehudim, so in response to Paulos he asked, “Are you willing to be returned to Yerushalem so that I can judge you about these things there?”

10 “I’m here facing Kaisar’s representative,” Paulos replied. “and it’s quite appropriate for me to be judged here. I’ve done nothing wrong to these Yehudim as you can no doubt see for yourself. 11 If I had done anything wrong, anything worthy of the death sentence, then I’m ready to accept death. On the other hand, if none of their accusations are true, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Kaisar.”

12 So Festos conferred with his legal counsel and answered, “Well, you’ve appealed to Kaisar so you’ll go to Kaisar!”

13 Several days later, King Agrippas and his sister Bernike arrived in Kaisareia to meet Festos. 14 As they had planned to stay on for a few days, Festos mentioned about Paulos to the king, telling him, “There’s a prisoner here that Felix left behind. 15 When I was in Yerushalem (Jerusalem), the chief priests and Jewish elders reported to me, wanting a conviction of this man. 16 I told them that it’s not the Roman way to convict someone until they’ve been able to face their accusers and make their defence against the accusations. 17 So as soon as they arrived here, on the very next day I sat on the judge’s bench and ordered the man to be brought in 18 that they were accusing, but they didn’t raise even one of the charges that I expected. 19 Instead they raised some issues about their own beliefs and about some dead person called Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) that Paulos reckoned was still living. 20 I was puzzled about this debate and asked him if he wanted to be judged about these things in Yerushalem. 21 But Paulos appealed to be kept safe from them until he could face the emperor, so I ordered him to be kept in prison until I can send him to Romai (Rome).”

22 “I’d quite like to hear him myself,” Agrippas said.

“Well, tomorrow,” replied Festos, “you’ll be able to hear from him.”

23 So the next day, King Agrippas and Bernike formally arrived with all their attendants and entered the auditorium to greet the commanders and the prominent men of the city, and then Festos ordered for Paulos to be brought in. 24 Festos started, “King Agrippas and everyone present, observe the prisoner who a multitude of Yehudim (Jews) pleaded with me about both in Yerushalem and here, that he doesn’t deserve to still be alive. 25 But I haven’t discovered anything that he’s done that’s worthy of a death sentence, and since he himself appealed to the emperor, I judged that that’s where he should be sent. 26 The problem is that I don’t have any charge to write to my master and so I’ve brought the prisoner out in front of you so that after you examine him, I might have something I can write, 27 because it doesn’t seem logical to me to transport a prisoner to Romai/Rome if there’s no charges specified against him.”