Acts 25

1 Then when Festus was come into the prouince, after three dayes, he ascended from Cesarea vnto Hierusalem.

2 Then enfourmed him the hye priest, and the chiefe of the Iewes, of Paul: And they besought hym,

3 And desired fauour agaynst hym, that he woulde sende for hym to Hierusalem: & they layde awayte in the way, to kyll hym.

4 But Festus aunswered, that Paul shoulde be kept at Cesarea, and that he himselfe woulde shortly depart thither.

5 Let them therfore, sayde he, which among you are able, come downe with vs, and accuse hym, yf there be any fault in this man.

6 And when he had taryed among them more then ten dayes, he went downe vnto Cesarea, & the next day sate downe in the iudgement seate, and commaunded Paul to be brought.

7 Who beyng come, the Iewes which were come from Hierusalem, stoode about [hym] and layde many & greeuous complayntes agaynst Paul, which they coulde not proue,

8 Whyles he aunswered [for hym selfe] that he had agaynst the lawe of the Iewes, neither agaynst the temple, nor yet agaynst Caesar offended any thyng at all.

9 But Festus wyllyng to do ye Iewes a pleasure; aunswered Paul, and sayde: Wylt thou go vp to Hierusalem, & there be iudged of these thynges before me?

10 Then said Paul: I stande at Caesars iudgement seate, where I ought to be iudged: To the Iewes haue I no harme done, as thou very wel knowest.

11 For yf I had done any hurt, or committed any thyng worthy of death, I refuse not to dye: But yf there be none of these thinges, wherof they accuse me, no man may delyuer me to them. I appeale vnto Caesar.

12 Then spake Festus, with the counsell, and aunswered: Hast thou appealed vnto Caesar? vnto Caesar shalt thou go.

13 And after certayne dayes, King Agrippa and Bernice came vnto Cesarea, to salute Festus.

14 And when they had ben there a good season, Festus rehearsed Paules cause vnto the kyng, saying: There is a certayne man left in bondes of Felix,

15 About whom, when I came to Hierusalem, the hye priestes and elders of the Iewes enfourmed me, and desired to haue iudgement agaynst hym.

16 To whom I aunswered: It is not the maner of the Romanes, for fauour to delyuer any man that he shoulde perishe, before that he which is accused, haue the accusers before hym, and haue licence to aunswere for hymselfe, concernyng the cryme layde agaynst hym.

17 Therfore, when they were come hyther, without any delay, on the morowe I sate to geue iudgement, and commaunded the man to be brought foorth.

18 Agaynst whom, when the accusers stoode vp, they brought none accusation of such thynges as I supposed:

19 But had certayne questions agaynst hym of their owne superstition, and of one Iesus which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alyue.

20 And because I doubted of such maner of questions, I asked hym whether he woulde go to Hierusalem, and there be iudged of these matters.

21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept vnto the knowledge of Augustus, I commaunded hym to be kept, tyll I myght sende hym to Caesar.

22 Then Agrippa sayde vnto Festus: I woulde also heare the man my selfe. To morowe sayd he, thou shalt heare hym.

23 And on the morowe, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pompe, and were entred into the counsell house, with the chiefe captaynes, and chiefe men of the citie, at Festus commaundement was Paul brought foorth.

24 And Festus sayde: Kyng Agrippa, and al men which are here present with vs, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Iewes haue intreated me, both at Hierusalem, and also here, crying, that he ought not to lyue any longer.

25 Yet founde I nothyng worthy of death, that he had committed: Neuerthelesse, seeyng that he hath appealed to Augustus, I haue determined to sende hym:

26 Of whom I haue no certayne thyng to write vnto my Lorde. Wherfore, I haue brought hym foorth vnto you, and specially vnto thee, O kyng Agrippa, that after examination had, I myght haue somewhat to write.

27 For me thynketh it vnreasonable, for to sende a prysoner, and not to shewe the causes which are laide agaynst him.