Acts 25:2

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed,

King James Version (1611)
Then the high Priest, and the chiefe of the Iewes informed him against Paul, and besought him,

King James Version
Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,

English Standard Version
And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him,

New American Standard Bible
And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with Festus,

New Century Version
There the leading priests and the important leaders made charges against Paul before Festus.

Amplified Bible
And [there in Jerusalem] the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul [before Festus], and they repeatedly pleaded with him,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him,

Legacy Standard Bible
And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with him,

Berean Standard Bible
where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus

Contemporary English Version
There the chief priests and some Jewish leaders told him about their charges against Paul. They also asked Festus

Complete Jewish Bible
There the head cohanim and the Judean leaders informed him of the case against Sha'ul, and they asked him

Darby Translation
And the chief priests and the chief of the Jews laid informations before him against Paul, and besought him,

Easy-to-Read Version
The leading priests and the important Jewish leaders made charges against Paul before Festus.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the high Priest, and the chiefe of the Iewes appeared before him against Paul: and they besought him,

George Lamsa Translation
Then the high priests and Jewish leaders informed him against Paul.

Good News Translation
where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders brought their charges against Paul. They begged Festus

Lexham English Bible
And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him,

Literal Translation
And the high priest and the chief of the Jews made a statement before him against Paul, and they begged him,

American Standard Version
And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him,

Bible in Basic English
And the chief priests and the chief men of the Jews made statements against Paul,

Hebrew Names Version
Then the Kohen Gadol and the principal men of the Yehudim informed him against Sha'ul, and they begged him,

International Standard Version
The high priests and Jewish leaders informed him of their charges against Paul, urgingActs 24:1,15;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And the chief priest and elders showed him concerning Paulos, and besought from him,

Murdock Translation
And the chief priests and the head men of the Jews made representations to him concerning Paul.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then enfourmed him the hye priest, and the chiefe of the Iewes, of Paul: And they besought hym,

English Revised Version
And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him,

World English Bible
Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they begged him,

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews, appeared before him against Paul and besought him, Begging favour against him,

Weymouth's New Testament
The High Priests and the leading men among the Jews immediately made representations to him against Paul, and begged him--

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the princis of prestis, and the worthieste of the Jewis wenten to hym ayens Poul, and preieden hym,

Update Bible Version
And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they implored him,

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,

New English Translation
So the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul to him.

New King James Version
Then the high priest [fn] and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him,

New Living Translation
where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.

New Life Bible
The head religious leaders and the leaders of the Jews told Festus what they had against Paul.

New Revised Standard
where the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews gave him a report against Paul. They appealed to him

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and the High-priest and chiefs of the Jews laid information before him against Paul, and began to beseech him

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the chief priests and principal men of the Jews went unto him against Paul: and they besought him,

Revised Standard Version
And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they urged him,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then enformed him the hye prestes and the chefe of the Iewes of Paul. And they besought him

Young's Literal Translation
and the chief priest and the principal men of the Jews made manifest to him [the things] against Paul, and were calling on him,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then appeared the hye prestes and the chefe of the Iewes before him agaynst Paul, and intreated him,

Mace New Testament (1729)
when the high priest and the chief of the Jews waited upon him with an information against Paul,

Simplified Cowboy Version
When he got there, the main preachers and head honchos brought up the charges against Paul.

Contextual Overview

¹Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take up his duties as governor, he went up to Jerusalem. The high priests and top leaders renewed their vendetta against Paul. They asked Festus if he wouldn't please do them a favor by sending Paul to Jerusalem to respond to their charges. A lie, of course—they had revived their old plot to set an ambush and kill him along the way. ⁴Festus answered that Caesarea was the proper jurisdiction for Paul, and that he himself was going back there in a few days. "You're perfectly welcome," he said, "to go back with me then and accuse him of whatever you think he's done wrong." ⁶About eight or ten days later, Festus returned to Caesarea. The next morning he took his place in the courtroom and had Paul brought in. The minute he walked in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem were all over him, hurling the most extreme accusations, none of which they could prove. ⁸ Then Paul took the stand and said simply, "I've done nothing wrong against the Jewish religion, or the Temple, or Caesar. Period." ⁹ Festus, though, wanted to get on the good side of the Jews and so said, "How would you like to go up to Jerusalem, and let me conduct your trial there?" ¹⁰Paul answered, "I'm standing at this moment before Caesar's bar of justice, where I have a perfect right to stand. And I'm going to keep standing here. I've done nothing wrong to the Jews, and you know it as well as I do. If I've committed a crime and deserve death, name the day. I can face it. But if there's nothing to their accusations—and you know there isn't—nobody can force me to go along with their nonsense. We've fooled around here long enough. I appeal to Caesar." ¹² Festus huddled with his advisors briefly and then gave his verdict: "You've appealed to Caesar; you'll go to Caesar!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Acts 25:15, Acts 24:1, Job 31:31, Proverbs 4:16, Romans 3:12-19

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 26:11 - saying Luke 21:12 - before Acts 23:12 - that Acts 25:24 - about Romans 15:31 - I may

Cross-References

Genesis 25:1
Abraham married a second time; his new wife was named Keturah. She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

Genesis 25:4
Midian had Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah—all from the line of Keturah.

Genesis 25:17
Ishmael lived 137 years. When he breathed his last and died he was buried with his family. His children settled down all the way from Havilah near Egypt eastward to Shur in the direction of Assyria. The Ishmaelites didn't get along with any of their kin.

Genesis 25:32
Esau said, "I'm starving! What good is a birthright if I'm dead?"

Genesis 25:33
Jacob said, "First, swear to me." And he did it. On oath Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn. Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up and left. That's how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn.

Genesis 37:28
By that time the Midianite traders were passing by. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph with them down to Egypt.

Genesis 37:36
In Egypt the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, manager of his household affairs.

Numbers 22:4
Moab spoke to the leaders of Midian: "Look, this mob is going to clean us out—a bunch of crows picking a carcass clean." Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent emissaries to get Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor on the banks of the Euphrates River, his homeland. Balak's emissaries said, "Look. A people has come up out of Egypt, and they're all over the place! And they're pressing hard on me. Come and curse them for me—they're too much for me. Maybe then I can beat them; we'll attack and drive them out of the country. You have a reputation: Those you bless stay blessed; those you curse stay cursed." The leaders of Moab and Midian were soon on their way, with the fee for the cursing tucked safely in their wallets. When they got to Balaam, they gave him Balak's message. "Stay here for the night," Balaam said. "In the morning I'll deliver the answer that God gives me." The Moabite nobles stayed with him. Then God came to Balaam. He asked, "So who are these men here with you?" Balaam answered, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message: ‘Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I'll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.'" God said to Balaam, "Don't go with them. And don't curse the others—they are a blessed people." The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak's nobles, "Go back home; God refuses to give me permission to go with you." So the Moabite nobles left, came back to Balak, and said, "Balaam wouldn't come with us." Balak sent another group of nobles, higher ranking and more distinguished. They came to Balaam and said, "Balak son of Zippor says, ‘Please, don't refuse to come to me. I will honor and reward you lavishly—anything you tell me to do, I'll do; I'll pay anything—only come and curse this people.'" Balaam answered Balak's servants: "Even if Balak gave me his house stuffed with silver and gold, I wouldn't be able to defy the orders of my God to do anything, whether big or little. But come along and stay with me tonight as the others did; I'll see what God will say to me this time." God came to Balaam that night and said, "Since these men have come all this way to see you, go ahead and go with them. But make sure you do absolutely nothing other than what I tell you." Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went off with the noblemen from Moab. As he was going, though, God's anger flared. The angel of God stood in the road to block his way. Balaam was riding his donkey, accompanied by his two servants. When the donkey saw the angel blocking the road and brandishing a sword, she veered off the road into the ditch. Balaam beat the donkey and got her back on the road. But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side, the donkey again saw God 's angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam's foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again. God 's angel blocked the way yet again—a very narrow passage this time; there was no getting through on the right or left. Seeing the angel, Balaam's donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper; he beat the donkey with his stick. Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: "What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?" Balaam said, "Because you've been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now." The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you've ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this to you before? Have I?" He said, "No." Then God helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw God 's angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt. God 's angel said to him: "Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you're getting way ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn't, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off." Balaam said to God 's angel, "I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road blocking my way. If you don't like what I'm doing, I'll head back." But God 's angel said to Balaam, "Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say—absolutely no other word." And so Balaam continued to go with Balak's nobles. When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him in the Moabite town that was on the banks of the Arnon, right on the boundary of his land. Balak said to Balaam, "Didn't I send an urgent message for help? Why didn't you come when I called? Do you think I can't pay you enough?" Balaam said to Balak, "Well, I'm here now. But I can't tell you just anything. I can speak only words that God gives me—no others." Balaam then accompanied Balak to Kiriath Huzoth (Street-Town). Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep for sacrifices and presented them to Balaam and the nobles who were with him. At daybreak Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal (The Heights of Baal) so that he could get a good view of some of the people.

Job 2:11
Three of Job's friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country—Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath—and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him. When they first caught sight of him, they couldn't believe what they saw—they hardly recognized him! They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of their grief. Then they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then the high priest,.... Ananias, as in Acts 23:2 the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin version, and all the Oriental versions, read, "the chief priests", the whole college of the priests:

and the chief of the Jews; their rulers and elders, the members of the Jewish sanhedrim;

informed him against Paul; they took the first opportunity of waiting upon him, when he was come to Jerusalem; hoping it might be a favourable one to them, since he was just entering upon his government, and might be willing to gratify the chief of the nation, and gain their affection and esteem, and since as yet he was not acquainted with their wicked dispositions and artifices; and brought a bill of information against Paul, and gave a large account of him, what a wicked man he was, and what evils he had committed; they laid many things to his charge, and very heavily accused him, and endeavoured to prepossess the governor, and prejudice him against him:

and besought him; that he would grant them the following request.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then the high priest - The high priest at this time was Ismael, the son of Fabi. He had been promoted to that office by Agrippa (Josephus, Antiq., book 20, chapter 8, section 8). It is probable, however, that the person here intended was Ananias, who had been high priest, and who would retain the name. See the notes on Acts 23:2. Some mss. read “high priests” here in the plural number, and this reading is approved by Mill and Griesbach. There is, however, no improbability in supposing that the high priest Ismael might have been also as much enraged against Paul as the others.

Informed him against Paul - Informed him of the accusation against him, and doubtless endeavored to prejudice the mind of Festus against him. They thus showed their unrelenting disposition. It might have been supposed that after two years this unjust prosecution would be abandoned and forgotten. But malice does not thus forget its object, and the spirit of persecution is not thus satisfied. It is evident that there was here every probability that injustice would be done to Paul, and that the mind of Festus would be biased against him. He was a stranger to Paul, and to the embittered feelings of the Jewish character. He would wish to conciliate their favor upon entering into the duties of his office. A strong representation, therefore, made by the chief men of the nation, would be likely to prejudice him violently against Paul, and to unfit him for the exercise of impartial justice.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 25:2. The high priest - informed him against Paul — They supposed that as Felix, to please them, on the resignation of his government, had left Paul bound, so Festus, on the assumption of it, would, to please them, deliver him into their hand; but, as they wished this to be done under the colour of justice, they exhibited a number of charges against Paul, which they hoped would appear to Festus a sufficient reason why a new trial should be granted; and he be sent to Jerusalem to take this trial. Their motive is mentioned in the succeeding verse.