The Concordant Literal New Testament

Acts of the Apostles

The Concordant Version

The King James Version

Chapter 25 (CV)

¹ Festus, then, stepping into the prefecture, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
² Besides, the chief priests and the foremost of the Jews inform him against Paul, and they entreated him,
³ requesting a favor against him, so that he should send after him to bring him into Jerusalem, making an ambush to assassinate him by the way.
⁴ Festus, indeed, then, answered that Paul is to be kept in Caesarea, yet he himself was about to be going out quickly.
⁵ "Those, then, among you," he is averring, "who are able, step down with me. If there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him."
⁶ Now, tarrying among them not more than eight or ten days, descending to Caesarea, on the morrow, being seated on the dais, he orders Paul to be led forth.
⁷ Now at his coming along, the Jews who have descended from Jerusalem stand about him, bringing many and heavy charges against him, which they were not strong enough to demonstrate,
⁸ Paul defending that "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the sanctuary, nor against Caesar did I sin."
⁹ Now Festus, wanting to curry favor with the Jews, answering Paul, said, "Are you willing to go up into Jerusalem to be judged there before me concerning these things?"
¹⁰ Yet Paul said, "At the dais of Caesar am I standing, where I must be judged. The Jews in nothing have I injured, as you also are most ideally recognizing.
¹¹ If, indeed, then, I am injuring, and I have committed anything deserving of death, I am not refusing to die. Yet if there is nothing in that of which these are accusing me, no one can surrender me to them as a favor. To Caesar am I appealing!"
¹² Then Festus, conferring with the council, answered, "To Caesar have you appealed. To Caesar shall you go!"
¹³ Now, some days elapsing, Agrippa, the king, and Bernice arrive at Caesarea, greeting Festus.
¹⁴ Now as they tarried more days there, Festus submitted Paul's affairs to the king, saying, "There is a certain man, left prisoner by Felix,
¹⁵ concerning whom, at my coming to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews inform, requesting his conviction,
¹⁶ to whom I answered that it is not the custom for Romans to surrender as a favor any man ere the accused may have the accusers face to face, besides getting a defensive position concerning the indictment.
¹⁷ "At their coming together in this place, then, making not one postponement, the next day, being seated on the dais, I order the man to be led forth,
¹⁸ concerning whom the accusers, when they stand up, brought not one charge of the wicked things which I suspected,
¹⁹ yet they had certain questions concerning their own religion against him, and concerning a certain Jesus, who has died, whom Paul alleged to be alive.
²⁰ Now I, being perplexed by the questioning about these things, asked, if he may be intending to go to Jerusalem and to be judged there concerning these things.
²¹ Now at Paul's appealing to be kept for the Imperial investigation, I order him to be kept till I send him up to Caesar."
²² Now Agrippa to Festus: "I myself also intended to hear the man." "Tomorrow," he is averring, "you shall hear him."
²³ On the morrow, then, at Agrippa and Bernice's coming with much pageantry and entering the audience chamber together, besides captains and prominent men of the city, and at Festus' order, Paul was led forth.
²⁴ And Festus is averring, "King Agrippa, and all men present with us, you are beholding this man concerning whom the entire multitude of the Jews pled with me, both in Jerusalem and in this place, imploring that he must not by any means be living longer.
²⁵ Now I grasped that he has committed nothing deserving of death, yet as he himself appeals to the Imperial judge, I decide to send him --
²⁶ concerning whom I haven't anything certain to write to the lord. Wherefore I led him before you, and especially before you, king Agrippa, so that, the examination occurring, I should have something to write.
²⁷ For it seems to me irrational, sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him."

Chapter 25 (KJV)

¹ Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
² Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,
³ And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.
⁴ But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.
⁵ Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.
⁶ And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.
⁷ And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
⁸ While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.
⁹ But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
¹⁰ Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
¹¹ For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
¹² Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
¹³ And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.
¹⁴ And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:
¹⁵ About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.
¹⁶ To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.
¹⁷ Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.
¹⁸ Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:
¹⁹ But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
²⁰ And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.
²¹ But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.
²² Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.
²³ And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.
²⁴ And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
²⁵ But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
²⁶ Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.
²⁷ For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

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