Festus therefore, {Or, having entered upon his province}having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Cæsarea.
And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him,
asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way.
Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Cæsarea, and that he himself was about to depart thither shortly.
Let them therefore, saith he, that are of power among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.
And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down unto Cæsarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.
And when he was come, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove;
while Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Cæsar, have I sinned at all.
But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
But Paul said, I am standing before Cæsar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou also very well knowest.
If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is true whereof these accuse me, no man can {Greek: grant me by favor.}give me up unto them. I appeal unto Cæsar.
Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Cæsar: unto Cæsar shalt thou go.
Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Cæsarea, {Or, having saluted}and saluted Festus.
And as they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the King, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;
about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for sentence against him.
To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans to {Greek: grant me by favor.}give up any man, before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.
When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought.
Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed;
but had certain questions against him of their own {Or, superstition}religion, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters.
But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of {Greek: the Augustus.}the emperor, I commanded him to be kept till I should send him to Cæsar.
And Agrippa said unto Festus, I also {Or, was wishing}could wish to hear the man myself. To-morrow, saith he, thou shalt hear him.
So on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and they were entered into the place of hearing with the {Or, military tribune Greek: chiliarch.}chief captains and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in.
And Festus saith, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death: and as he himself appealed to {Greek: the Augustus.}the emperor I determined to send him.
Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I may have somewhat to write.
For it seemeth to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not withal to signify the charges against him.
Querverweise zu Apostelgeschichte 25,23 Apg 25,23
And upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sat on the {Or, judgement-seat See Matthew 27:19.}throne, and made an oration unto them.
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a {Greek: vessel of election.}chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel:
when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even a hundred and fourscore days.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
Therefore Sheol hath enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their {Or, tumult}pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them, descend into it.
Thy pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and worms cover thee.
Wherefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pride of the strong to cease; and {Or, they that sanctify them}their holy places shall be profaned.
At Tehaphnehes also the day shall {Another reading is, be dark.}withdraw itself, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pride of her power shall cease in her: as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.
By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall; the terrible of the nations are they all: and they shall bring to nought the pride of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.
And I will make the land a desolation and an astonishment; and the pride of her power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through.
The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for the royal dwelling-place, by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
and those that use the world, as not using it to the full: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind, and withereth the grass; and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his goings.
For, {Isaiah 40:6 ff.}All flesh is as grass,And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass.The grass withereth, and the flower falleth:
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.