Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

Acts 25
¹ Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem,
² where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.
³ They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way).
⁴ But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon.
⁵ So he said, “Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.”
⁶ About 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.
⁷ When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove.
⁸ Paul denied the charges. “I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government,” he said.
⁹ Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?”
¹⁰ But 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.
¹¹ If 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!”