Acts 25:1-12 - Paul Appeals To Caesar

¹ Now [when] Festus set foot in the province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ² And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him, ³ asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, [because they] were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way. ⁴ Then Festus replied [that] Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and [he] himself was about to go [there] in a short time. ⁵ So he said, "Let those among you [who are] prominent go down with [me], [and] if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him."

⁶ And [after he] had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down on the judgment seat [and] gave orders [for] Paul to be brought. ⁷ And [when] he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges that they were not able to prove, ⁸ [while] Paul said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned with reference to anything!"

⁹ But Festus, [because he] wanted to do a favor for the Jews, answered [and] said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these [things]?"

¹⁰ But Paul said, "I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary [for] me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. ¹¹ If then I am doing wrong and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid dying. But if there is nothing [true] of [the things] which these [people] are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

¹² Then Festus, [after] discussing [this] with [his] council, replied, "You have appealed to Caesar--to Caesar you will go!"