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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Acts 25 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/acts/25.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/acts/25-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Acts 25</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../acts/24.htm" title="Acts 24">◄</a> Acts 25 <a href="../acts/26.htm" title="Acts 26">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">Paul Asks To Be Tried by the Roman Emperor</h3><p class="par"><span class="v44_25_1"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.1" class="v44_25_1">1</span>Three days after Festus had become governor, he went from Caesarea to Jerusalem. </span><span class="v44_25_2"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.2" class="v44_25_2">2</span>There the chief priests and some Jewish leaders told him about their charges against Paul. They also asked Festus </span><span class="v44_25_3"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.3" class="v44_25_3">3</span>if he would be willing to bring Paul to Jerusalem. They begged him to do this because they were planning to attack and kill Paul on the way. </span><span class="v44_25_4"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.4" class="v44_25_4">4</span>But Festus told them, “Paul will be kept in Caesarea, and I am soon going there myself. </span><span class="v44_25_5"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.5" class="v44_25_5">5</span>If he has done anything wrong, let your leaders go with me and bring charges against him there.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_25_6"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.6" class="v44_25_6">6</span>Festus stayed in Jerusalem for eight or ten more days before going to Caesarea. Then the next day he took his place as judge and had Paul brought into court. </span><span class="v44_25_7"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.7" class="v44_25_7">7</span>As soon as Paul came in, the leaders from Jerusalem crowded around him and said he was guilty of many serious crimes. But they could not prove anything. </span><span class="v44_25_8"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.8" class="v44_25_8">8</span>Then Paul spoke in his own defense, “I have not broken the Law of my people. And I have not done anything against either the temple or the Emperor.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_25_9"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.9" class="v44_25_9">9</span>Festus wanted to please the leaders. So he asked Paul, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried by me on these charges?”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_25_10"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.10" class="v44_25_10">10</span>Paul replied, “I am on trial in the Emperor's court, and that's where I should be tried. You know very well I have not done anything to harm the Jewish nation. </span><span class="v44_25_11"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.11" class="v44_25_11">11</span>If I had done something deserving death, I would not ask to escape the death penalty. But I am not guilty of any of these crimes, and no one has the right to hand me over to these people. I now ask to be tried by the Emperor himself.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_25_12"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.12" class="v44_25_12">12</span>After Festus had talked this over with members of his council, he told Paul, “You have asked to be tried by the Emperor, and to the Emperor you will go!”</span></p><h3 class="s1">Paul Speaks to Agrippa and Bernice</h3><p class="par"><span class="v44_25_13"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.13" class="v44_25_13">13</span>A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to visit Festus. </span><span class="v44_25_14"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.14" class="v44_25_14">14</span>They had been there for several days, when Festus told the king about the charges against Paul. He said:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v44_25_14">Felix left a man here in jail, </span><span class="v44_25_15"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.15" class="v44_25_15">15</span>and when I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish leaders came and asked me to find him guilty. </span><span class="v44_25_16"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.16" class="v44_25_16">16</span>I told them it isn't the Roman custom to hand a man over to people who are bringing charges against him. He must first have the chance to meet them face to face and to defend himself against their charges.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v44_25_17"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.17" class="v44_25_17">17</span>So when they came here with me, I wasted no time. On the very next day I took my place on the judge's bench and ordered him to be brought in. </span><span class="v44_25_18"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.18" class="v44_25_18">18</span>But when the men stood up to make their charges against him, they did not accuse him of any of the crimes that I thought they would. </span><span class="v44_25_19"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.19" class="v44_25_19">19</span>Instead, they argued with him about some of their beliefs and about a dead man named Jesus, who Paul said was alive.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v44_25_20"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.20" class="v44_25_20">20</span>Since I did not know how to find out the truth about all this, I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be put on trial there. </span><span class="v44_25_21"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.21" class="v44_25_21">21</span>But Paul asked to be kept in jail until the Emperor could decide his case. So I ordered him to be kept here until I could send him to the Emperor.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_25_22"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.22" class="v44_25_22">22</span>Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would also like to hear what this man has to say.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_25_22">Festus answered, “You can hear him tomorrow.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v44_25_23"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.23" class="v44_25_23">23</span>The next day Agrippa and Bernice made a big show as they came into the meeting room. High ranking army officers and leading citizens of the town were also there. Festus then ordered Paul to be brought in </span><span class="v44_25_24"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.24" class="v44_25_24">24</span>and said:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v44_25_24">King Agrippa and other guests, look at this man! Every Jew from Jerusalem and Caesarea has come to me, demanding for him to be put to death. </span><span class="v44_25_25"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.25" class="v44_25_25">25</span>I have not found him guilty of any crime deserving death. But because he has asked to be judged by the Emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v44_25_26"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.26" class="v44_25_26">26</span>I have to write some facts about this man to the Emperor. So I have brought him before all of you, but especially before you, King Agrippa. After we have talked about his case, I will then have something to write. </span><span class="v44_25_27"><span class="reftext" id="Acts.25.27" class="v44_25_27">27</span>It makes no sense to send a prisoner to the Emperor without stating the charges against him.</span></p> </div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. 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