Parallel Bible results for "acts 25"

Acts 25

Hebrew Names Version HNV

1 Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Yerushalayim from Caesarea.

2 Then the Kohen Gadol and the principal men of the Yehudim informed him against Sha'ul, and they begged him,

3 asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Yerushalayim; plotting to kill him on the way.

4 However Festus answered that Sha'ul was kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly.

5 "Let them therefore," said he, "that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him."

6 When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Sha'ul to be brought.

7 When he had come, the Yehudim who had come down from Yerushalayim stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove,

8 while he said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Yehudim, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all."

9 But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Yehudim, answered Sha'ul and said, "Will you go up to Yerushalayim, and there be judged of these things before me?"

10 But Sha'ul said, "I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Yehudim, as you also know very well.

11 For if I have done wrong, and have committed anything worthy of death, I don't refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that these accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go."

13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and greeted Festus.

14 As they stayed there many days, Festus laid Sha'ul's case before the King, saying, "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

15 about whom, when I was at Yerushalayim, the chief Kohanim and the Zakenim of the Yehudim informed me, asking for a sentence against him.

16 To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction, before the accused have met the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

17 When therefore they had come together here, I didn't delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought.

18 Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed;

19 but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Yeshua, who was dead, whom Sha'ul affirmed to be alive.

20 I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Yerushalayim and there be judged concerning these matters.

21 But when Sha'ul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar."

22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him."

23 So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Sha'ul was brought in.

24 Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Yehudim petitioned me, both at Yerushalayim and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.

26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before you, king Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write.

27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him."

The Message Bible MSG

1 Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take up his duties as governor, he went up to Jerusalem.

2 The high priests and top leaders renewed their vendetta against Paul.

3 They asked Festus if he wouldn't please do them a favor by sending Paul to Jerusalem to respond to their charges. A lie, of course - they had revived their old plot to set an ambush and kill him along the way.

4 Festus answered that Caesarea was the proper jurisdiction for Paul, and that he himself was going back there in a few days.

5 "You're perfectly welcome," he said, "to go back with me then and accuse him of whatever you think he's done wrong."

6 About eight or ten days later, Festus returned to Caesarea. The next morning he took his place in the courtroom and had Paul brought in.

7 The minute he walked in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem were all over him, hurling the most extreme accusations, none of which they could prove.

8 Then Paul took the stand and said simply, "I've done nothing wrong against the Jewish religion, or the Temple, or Caesar. Period."

9 Festus, though, wanted to get on the good side of the Jews and so said, "How would you like to go up to Jerusalem, and let me conduct your trial there?"

10 Paul answered, "I'm standing at this moment before Caesar's bar of justice, where I have a perfect right to stand. And I'm going to keep standing here. I've done nothing wrong to the Jews, and you know it as well as I do.

11 If I've committed a crime and deserve death, name the day. I can face it. But if there's nothing to their accusations - and you know there isn't - nobody can force me to go along with their nonsense. We've fooled around here long enough. I appeal to Caesar."

12 Festus huddled with his advisors briefly and then gave his verdict: "You've appealed to Caesar; you'll go to Caesar!"

13 A few days later King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice, visited Caesarea to welcome Festus to his new post.

14 After several days, Festus brought up Paul's case to the king. "I have a man on my hands here, a prisoner left by Felix.

15 When I was in Jerusalem, the high priests and Jewish leaders brought a bunch of accusations against him and wanted me to sentence him to death.

16 I told them that wasn't the way we Romans did things. Just because a man is accused, we don't throw him out to the dogs. We make sure the accused has a chance to face his accusers and defend himself of the charges.

17 So when they came down here I got right on the case. I took my place in the courtroom and put the man on the stand.

18 "The accusers came at him from all sides,

19 but their accusations turned out to be nothing more than arguments about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who the prisoner claimed was alive.

20 Since I'm a newcomer here and don't understand everything involved in cases like this, I asked if he'd be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there.

21 Paul refused and demanded a hearing before His Majesty in our highest court. So I ordered him returned to custody until I could send him to Caesar in Rome."

22 Agrippa said, "I'd like to see this man and hear his story." "Good," said Festus. "We'll bring him in first thing in the morning and you'll hear it for yourself."

23 The next day everybody who was anybody in Caesarea found his way to the Great Hall, along with the top military brass. Agrippa and Bernice made a flourishing grand entrance and took their places. Festus then ordered Paul brought in.

24 Festus said, "King Agrippa and distinguished guests, take a good look at this man. A bunch of Jews petitioned me first in Jerusalem, and later here, to do away with him. They have been most vehement in demanding his execution.

25 I looked into it and decided that he had committed no crime. He requested a trial before Caesar and I agreed to send him to Rome.

26 But what am I going to write to my master, Caesar? All the charges made by the Jews were fabrications, and I've uncovered nothing else.

27 For it seems to me silly to send a prisoner all that way for a trial and not be able to document what he did wrong."