[continued from previous message]   
      
   a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.   
   25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come,   
   Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a   
   convenient season, I will call for thee.   
   26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might   
   loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.   
   27 But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix,   
   willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.   
      
   Acts 25   
      
   Paul Appeals to Caesar   
      
   1 (Ac 23:34) Now three days after Festus had come into the province, he went   
   from Caesarea up to Jerusalem.   
   2 (Ac 25:15; 24:1) The high priest and the elders of the Jews spoke to him   
   against Paul. And they begged him,   
   3 asking as a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem,   
   plotting to kill him along the way.   
   4 Festus said that Paul should be kept at Caesarea and that he himself   
   intended to go there shortly.   
   5 He also said, "Let the men in authority go down   
   with me. If there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him."   
   6 (Ac 25:17; Mt 27:19) Having stayed among them more than ten days, he went   
   down to Caesarea. And the next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered   
   that Paul be brought in.   
   7 (Ac 24:13; Lk 23:2) When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from   
   Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges against him   
   which they could not prove,   
   8 (Ac 24:12; 28:17) while he defended himself, saying, "Neither against   
   the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have   
   I sinned at all."   
   9 (Ac 24:27; 25:20) Desiring to do the Jews a favor, Festus answered, "Are you   
   willing to go up to Jerusalem to be judged   
   concerning these charges before me?"   
   10 Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought   
   to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you know very well.   
   11 (Ac 26:32; 28:19) If I am doing wrong or have done anything worthy   
   of death, I do not refuse to die. But if these are empty charges of   
   which these men accuse me, no one may deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar."   
   12 When Festus had conferred with the council, he then answered,   
   "To Caesar you have appealed. To Caesar you shall go."   
      
   1 Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended   
   from Cæsarea to Jerusalem.   
   2 Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul,   
   and besought him,   
   3 and desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem,   
   laying wait in the way to kill him.   
   4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Cæsarea, and that he   
   himself would depart shortly thither.   
   5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me,   
   and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.   
   6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto   
   Cæsarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be   
   brought.   
   7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round   
   about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could   
   not prove.   
   8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither   
   against the temple, nor yet against Cæsar, have I offended any thing at all.   
   9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt   
   thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?   
   10 Then said Paul, I stand at Cæsar's judgment seat, where I ought to be   
   judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.   
   11 For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I   
   refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse   
   me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Cæsar.   
   12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered,   
   Hast thou appealed unto Cæsar? unto Cæsar shalt thou go.   
      
   Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice   
      
   13 After several days King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea   
   to welcome Festus.   
   14 (Ac 24:27) When they had been there many days, Festus stated Paul's case to   
   the king, saying, "There is a man left as a prisoner by Felix.   
   15 When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews   
   informed me about him, asking for a sentence against him.   
   16 (Ac 25:4-5; Jn 7:51) "I answered, 'It is not the custom of the Romans   
   to deliver any man to die before he who is accused meets the accusers face   
   to face and has the opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge   
   brought against him.'   
   17 (Ac 25:6; 25:10) So when they assembled here, without delay I sat   
   on the judgment seat the next day and ordered that the man be brought in.   
   18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such   
   crimes as I had supposed.   
   19 (Ac 18:15; 23:29) But they had disagreements with him about their own   
   religion and about a Man named Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul asserted   
   was alive.   
   20 (Ac 25:9) Being perplexed about such questions, I asked if he would be   
   willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there concerning these charges.   
   21 But when Paul had appealed to be under guard for the decision of Caesar,   
   I ordered that he be secured until I could send him to Caesar."   
   22 (Ac 9:15) Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man   
   myself." He said, "Tomorrow you shall hear him."   
   23 (Ac 25:13; 26:30) The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp,   
   and they entered the hall with the commanders and the leading men of the city.   
   When Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in.   
   24 (Ac 22:22; 25:7) Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all the men who are   
   present with us, you see this man, concerning whom the whole assembly   
   of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, shouting that he   
   ought not to live any longer.   
   25 (Ac 23:29; Lk 23:4) I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death.   
   But when he himself appealed to Caesar, I decided to send him.   
   26 But I have nothing to write to His Majesty concerning him. Therefore   
   I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa,   
   so that upon examination, I might have something to write.   
   27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without signifying   
   the charges against him."   
      
   13 And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Cæsarea   
   to salute Festus.   
   14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto   
   the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:   
   15 about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of   
   the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.   
   16 To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man   
   to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and   
   have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.   
   17 Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I   
   sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.   
   18 Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of   
   such things as I supposed:   
   19 but had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of   
   one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.   
   20 And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether   
   he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)