Acts 25-26; Psalms 131 - Prayer Tents

Paul Appears before Festus

25Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem,G3767G5347G1910G1885G3326G5140G2250G305G575G2542G1519G2414 2where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.G1161G749G2532G4413G2453G1718G846G2596G3972G2532G3870G846 3They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem .G154G5485G2596G846G3704G3343G846G1519G2419G4160G1747G2596G3598G337G846 4But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon.G3303G3767G5347G611G3972G5083G1722G2542G1161G1438G3195G1607G1722G5034 5So he said, "Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations."G3767G5346G1722G5213G1415G4782G2723G846G435G1536G2076G1536G1722G5129 6About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in.G1161G1304G1722G846G4119G2228G1176G2250G2597G1519G2542G1887G2523G1909G968G2753G3972G71 7When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn't prove.G1161G846G3854G2453G2597G575G2414G4026G2532G5342G4183G926G157G2596G3972G3739G2480G3756G584 8Paul denied the charges. "I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government," he said.G626G846G3754G3777G1519G3551G2453G3777G1519G2411G3777G1519G2541G264G5100 9Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, "Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?"G1161G5347G2309G2698G2453G5485G611G3972G2036G2309G305G1519G2414G1563G2919G4012G5130G1909G1700 10But Paul replied, "No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews.G1161G2036G3972G1510G2476G1909G2541G968G3757G3165G1163G2919G2453G91G3762G91G5613G2532G4771G2566G1921 11If I have done something worthy of death, I don't refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!"G1063G1487G3303G91G2532G4238G5100G514G2288G3868G3756G599G1161G1487G2076G3762G3739G3778G2723G3450G3762G1410G5483G3165G846G1941G2541 12Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, "Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!"G5119G5347G4814G3326G4824G611G1941G2541G1909G2541G4198 13A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus.G1161G1230G5100G2250G935G67G2532G959G2658G1519G2542G782G5347 14During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. "There is a prisoner here," he told him, "whose case was left for me by Felix.G1161G5613G1304G1563G4119G2250G5347G394G3972G2596G935G3004G2076G5100G435G2641G1198G5259G5344 15When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him.G4012G3739G1096G3450G1096G1519G2414G749G2532G4245G2453G1718G154G1349G2596G846 16I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves.G4314G3739G611G3754G2076G3756G1485G4514G5483G5100G444G1519G684G4250G2228G2723G2192G2725G2596G4383G5037G2983G5117G627G4012G1462 17"When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn't delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in.G3767G846G4905G1759G4160G3367G311G1836G2523G1909G968G2753G435G71 18But the accusations made against him weren't any of the crimes I expected.G4012G3739G2725G2476G2018G3762G156G3739G1473G5282 19Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive.G1161G2192G5100G2213G4314G846G4012G2398G1175G2532G4012G5100G2424G2348G3739G3972G5335G2198 20I was at a loss to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem.G1161G1473G639G1519G5127G4012G2214G3004G1487G1014G4198G1519G2419G2546G2919G4012G5130 21But Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor. So I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar."G1161G3972G1941G5083G846G1519G1233G4575G2753G846G5083G2193G3739G3992G846G4314G2541 22"I'd like to hear the man myself," Agrippa said. And Festus replied, "You will—tomorrow!"G1161G67G5346G4314G5347G1014G2532G191G444G846G839G1161G5346G191G846

Paul Speaks to Agrippa

23So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.G1887G3767G67G2064G2532G959G3326G4183G5325G2532G1525G1519G201G4862G5037G5506G2532G2596G1851G435G5607G4172G2532G5347G2753G3972G71 24Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem.G2532G5347G5346G935G67G2532G3956G435G3588G4840G2254G2334G5126G4012G3739G3956G4128G2453G1793G3427G5037G1722G2414G2532G1759G1916G1163G3361G2198G3371 25But in my opinion he has done nothing deserving death. However, since he appealed his case to the emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.G1161G1473G2638G846G4238G3367G514G2288G2532G1161G846G5127G1941G4575G2919G3992G846 26"But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no clear charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write.G4012G3739G2192G3756G804G5100G1125G2962G1352G4254G846G4254G1909G5216G2532G3122G1909G4675G935G67G3704G351G1096G2192G5100G1125 27For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!"G1063G1380G3427G249G3992G1198G2532G3361G4591G156G2596G846