Paul’s Trial before Festus 1Then when Festus was come into the prouince, after three dayes, he ascended from Cesarea vnto Hierusalem. 2Then enfourmed him the hye priest, and the chiefe of the Iewes, of Paul: And they besought hym, 3And desired fauour agaynst hym, that he woulde sende for hym to Hierusalem: & they layde awayte in the way, to kyll hym. 4But Festus aunswered, that Paul shoulde be kept at Cesarea, and that he himselfe woulde shortly depart thither. 5Let them therfore, sayde he, which among you are able, come downe with vs, and accuse hym, yf there be any fault in this man.
6And when he had taryed among them more then ten dayes, he went downe vnto Cesarea, & the next day sate downe in the iudgement seate, and commaunded Paul to be brought.
7Who beyng come, the Iewes which were come from Hierusalem, stoode about Paul Appeals to Caesar 10Then said Paul: I stande at Caesars iudgement seate, where I ought to be iudged: To the Iewes haue I no harme done, as thou very wel knowest.
11For yf I had done any hurt, or committed any thyng worthy of death, I refuse not to dye: But yf there be none of these thinges, wherof they accuse me, no man may delyuer me to them. I appeale vnto Caesar.
12Then spake Festus, with the counsell, and aunswered: Hast thou appealed vnto Caesar? vnto Caesar shalt thou go. Festus Consults Agrippa 13And after certayne dayes, King Agrippa and Bernice came vnto Cesarea, to salute Festus.
14And when they had ben there a good season, Festus rehearsed Paules cause vnto the kyng, saying: There is a certayne man left in bondes of Felix,
15About whom, when I came to Hierusalem, the hye priestes and elders of the Iewes enfourmed me, and desired to haue iudgement agaynst hym.
16To whom I aunswered: It is not the maner of the Romanes, for fauour to delyuer any man that he shoulde perishe, before that he which is accused, haue the accusers before hym, and haue licence to aunswere for hymselfe, concernyng the cryme layde agaynst hym.
17Therfore, when they were come hyther, without any delay, on the morowe I sate to geue iudgement, and commaunded the man to be brought foorth.
18Agaynst whom, when the accusers stoode vp, they brought none accusation of such thynges as I supposed:
19But had certayne questions agaynst hym of their owne superstition, and of one Iesus which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alyue.
20And because I doubted of such maner of questions, I asked hym whether he woulde go to Hierusalem, and there be iudged of these matters.
21But when Paul had appealed to be kept vnto the knowledge of Augustus, I commaunded hym to be kept, tyll I myght sende hym to Caesar.
22Then Agrippa sayde vnto Festus: I woulde also heare the man my selfe. To morowe sayd he, thou shalt heare hym. Paul before Agrippa and Bernice 23And on the morowe, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pompe, and were entred into the counsell house, with the chiefe captaynes, and chiefe men of the citie, at Festus commaundement was Paul brought foorth.
24And Festus sayde: Kyng Agrippa, and al men which are here present with vs, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Iewes haue intreated me, both at Hierusalem, and also here, crying, that he ought not to lyue any longer.
25Yet founde I nothyng worthy of death, that he had committed: Neuerthelesse, seeyng that he hath appealed to Augustus, I haue determined to sende hym:
26Of whom I haue no certayne thyng to write vnto my Lorde. Wherfore, I haue brought hym foorth vnto you, and specially vnto thee, O kyng Agrippa, that after examination had, I myght haue somewhat to write.
27For me thynketh it vnreasonable, for to sende a prysoner, and not to shewe the causes which are laide agaynst him. |
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