Acts 25:1-12 - Paul Appeals To Caesar

¹ Then Festus having entered upon his office, after three days went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem; ² and both the chief priests and the first men of the Jews appeared before him against Paul, and continued to entreat him, ³ asking favor against him, in order that he might send him to Jerusalem, making a plot to kill him on the road. ⁴ Then indeed Festus responded, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and himself was about to go away quickly: ⁵ Then, says he, Let the influential ones among you, coming down, accuse him, if there is anything wrong in the man.

⁶ And having tarried with them not more than eight or ten days, having come down to Caesarea, on the following day, sitting on the tribunal, he commanded that Paul should be brought forth. ⁷ And he being present, the Jews having come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him charges many and heavy, which they were not able to prove. ⁸ And Paul apologizing, that Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I done anything wrong.

⁹ And Festus, wishing to confer a gratification on the Jews, responding to Paul, said, Are you willing, having gone up to Jerusalem, there to be judged by me concerning these things?

¹⁰ And Paul said, I am standing at the tribunal of Caesar, where it behooves me to be judged. To the Jews I have done nothing wrong, as you indeed well know. ¹¹ If therefore I indeed am guilty of unrighteousness, and have done anything worthy of death, I do not ask not to die: but if nothing of these things of which they accuse me is true, no man is able to gratify them (by my death): I appeal unto Caesar.

¹² Then Festus, having spoken with the council, responded, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar; thou shalt go unto Caesar.