6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Cæsarea; and the next day sitting on the judg ment seat commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem an stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. 8 While he 8. And he cleared himself against all the accusaswered for himself, tions, which were reducible to three heads: offences Neither against the against the Mosaical law, profaning the temple, raisneither against the ing sedition against the government of the Romans, temple, nor yet a- (see ch. xxiv. law of the Jews, gainst Cæsar, have I offended any thing at all. 9 But Festus, wil ling to do the Jews I stand at Cæsar's 5, 6.) 10. I am a Roman; and I ought to be judged, not a pleasure, answered by the Jewish sanhedrim or laws, but by the Roman; Paul, and said, Wilt (and though I were liable to them, yet thou already thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be discernest that they are not able to prove that I have judged of these any way trespassed against the Jews or their law ;) things before me? 11. And if I have done any thing which by the 10 Then said Paul, Roman laws is punishable capitally, I will be content judgment seat, where most willingly to suffer death; I desire no mercy: I ought to be judged: (this he did, knowing there was then no edict of the to the Jews have I emperors against Christianity, see note [a] ch. xxvi.) done no wrong, as But if all their accusations are invalid, if I am, as thou very well know- thou knowest I am, ver. 10, free from that charge of II For if I be an having wronged them, and being a Roman ought to offender, or have be judged by the Roman laws, and none of them committed any thing hath interdicted Christianity, there is then no reason worthy of death, II should be delivered up to my enemies to be my but if there be none judges. It were absolutely unjust to do so; and of these things from that intention of thine I make mine appeal to whereof these accuse the Roman emperor, and desire that he may judge me, no man may de- between us. est. 5 refuse not to die: liver me unto them. I appeal unto Cæsar. 12. And Festus, conferring with those of the Jewish 12 Then Festus, sanhedrim that were there, answered 4 no more, où TALOUS. 5 desire not to escape death, οὐ παραιτοῦμαι ἀποθανεῖν. when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Cæsar? unto Cæsar shalt thou go. 13 And after cer tain days *king A e Agrippa, who, after Herod, was tetrarch of Gali grippa and Bernice lee, and his sister Bernice, came unto Cæsarea 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 f brought in an accusation to me, desiring— to give sentence of capital punishment against man to die, before any man, before that he that he which is accused [a] have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. 17 Therefore, when 17. And therefore that they must of necessity go they were come hi- to Cæsarea and accuse him. And when they came I ther, without any used all expedition, and the very next day I went to delay on the morrow the bench to hear this cause of Paul. I sat on the judg ment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. 18 Against whom 18. And upon hearing, I found him absolutely when the accusers free from all capital crimes, all seditious practices, 6 stood up, they whereof they accused him, and wherein I suspected brought none accuhim to be most guilty. sation of such things 19. And all that stuck was some disputable matters, against about his particular way of serving or worshipping him of their own God, and whether one Jesus were still dead, or whesuperstition, and of ther he were risen again, as Paul affirmed. one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20 And 9 because 20, 21. And making some scruple, whether it were I doubted of such fit for me to give sentence in this matter, or whether manner of questions, I asked him whether it were not better to refer him to the Jews' sanhedrim, he would go to Je- to be judged there, Paul appealed to Cæsar, claimed rusalem, and there his privilege of a Roman, that he might not be debe judged of these livered up to the Jews; and thereupon I remanded him to prison, till I could conveniently send him to had appealed to be Rome to Cæsar. matters. 21 But when Paul reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Cæsar. 22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. 23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with h 10 great [b] pomp, h retinue and train, and entered into the court or and was entered into hall, with the colonels, and principal men the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. 24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have 11 dealt i Jews, wheresoever inhabiting, those of Jerusalem with me, both at Je- and others, have made complaints to me, as against a rusalem, and also most notable malefactor that ought to be put to death. here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 8 his own way of worshipping God, Tns días deioidamovías: see note [e] chap. xvii. 9 having some doubt whether I should examine this matter, I, ἀπορούμενος ἐγὼ εἰς τὴν περὶ τούτου ζήτησιν. 10 a great train, appearance, or show, parraolas. 11 besought me, or pleaded to me, ἐνέτυχόν μοι. found that he had committed nothing k no capital crime, and seeing he appealed to the worthy of death, and emperor of Rome, to be sentenced at his tribunal, that he himself hath I have determined to send him. appealed to Augus tus, I have determined to send him. 26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto 'my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. 27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him. speak for thyself. Then Paul stretch- a beckoning to the by-standers to hold their peace ed forth the hand, and give audience, made this apology for himself. and answered for himself: 2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: 3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most b I was of that sect which is the strictest of all the straitest sect of our rest in the Jewish religion, viz. a Pharisee. religion I lived Pharisee. a 6 And now I 'stand 6. And accordingly now I am accused for asserting and am judged for the resurrection of the dead, which as it is a doctrine the hope of the pro- acknowledged by the Pharisees, so is it the fundamise made of God mental promise made of old, unto our fathers: 7 Unto which pro mise our 7. And generally depended on by the Jews, and twelve in intuition thereof it is that they spend their time in tribes, instantly ser- piety and obedience to God: and yet for the believving God day and night, hope to come. ing and expecting this I am accused by these Jews. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the that God should raise 8 Why should it 8. This being by me asserted to be founded in the be thought a thing resurrection of Christ, that is the thing that is most incredible with you, disbelieved, God's having raised Christ from the dead. And why should that be judged so incredible? 9. I confess I was once of opinion that I was with myself, that I obliged to persecute this profession and doctrine of ought to do many Christ. the dead? 9 I verily thought things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. : 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I e © gave my voice against them. II And I punished c was a principal actor, ch. vii. 56, and approver of the sentence, ch. viii. 1. 11. And in other cities beside Jerusalem I brought them oft in every them into their courts, and used all rigid means to synagogue, and com- make them deny Christ; and was so fierce against pelled them to blaspheme; and being them, that I forced them to fly to heathen cities, and exceedingly mad a- then pursued them thither. gainst them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the d chief priests, d sanhedrim, ch. ix. 2. 1 stand questioned, ἕστηκα κρινόμενος. 2 through all the consistories, kaтà náσas ovvaywyás see note [d] Matt. vi. |