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Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Acts 25:3

They asked Festus to do them a favor. They wanted him to send Paul back to Jerusalem, because they had a plan to kill him on the way.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Malice;   Paul;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jerusalem;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Herod;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Caesarea;   Felix;   Festus;   Judea;   Palestine;   Rome;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Ordination;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ambush;   Appeal to Caesar;   Caesarea;   Grace;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Nero;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Caesarea ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Festus;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Festus;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him.
King James Version (1611)
And desired fauour against him, that he would send for him to Hierusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.
King James Version
And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.
English Standard Version
asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.
New American Standard Bible
requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way).
Amplified Bible
asking as a concession against Paul, that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; (meanwhile planning an ambush to kill him on the way).
New American Standard Bible (1995)
requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way).
Legacy Standard Bible
requesting a favor against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (while they set an ambush to kill him on the way).
Berean Standard Bible
to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
Contemporary English Version
if he would be willing to bring Paul to Jerusalem. They begged him to do this because they were planning to attack and kill Paul on the way.
Complete Jewish Bible
to do them the favor of having the man sent to Yerushalayim. (They had plotted to have him ambushed and killed en route.)
Darby Translation
asking as a grace against him that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying people in wait to kill him on the way.
Easy-to-Read Version
They asked Festus to do them a favor. They wanted him to send Paul back to Jerusalem because they had a plan to kill Paul on the way.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And desired fauour against him, that hee would send for him to Hierusalem: and they layd waite to kill him by the way.
George Lamsa Translation
They besought him as a favor to send for him and bring him to Jerusalem, for they were plotting to kill him on the way.
Good News Translation
to do them the favor of having Paul come to Jerusalem, for they had made a plot to kill him on the way.
Lexham English Bible
asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way.
Literal Translation
asking a favor against him, so as he might send for him to Jerusalem, making a plot to kill him on the way.
American Standard Version
asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way.
Bible in Basic English
Requesting Festus to give effect to their design against him, and send him to Jerusalem, when they would be waiting to put him to death on the way.
Hebrew Names Version
asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Yerushalayim; plotting to kill him on the way.
International Standard Version
and begging him as a favor to have Paulas a favor against him to have him
">[fn] brought to Jerusalem. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the way.Acts 23:12,15;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
asking of him this favour, that he would bring him to Urishlem, while they would act treacherously in the way by killing him.
Murdock Translation
And they petitioned him, asking of him the favor, that he would send for him to come to Jerusalem; they placing an ambush to slay him by the way.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And desired fauour agaynst hym, that he woulde sende for hym to Hierusalem: & they layde awayte in the way, to kyll hym.
English Revised Version
asking favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying wait to kill him on the way.
World English Bible
asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying an ambush to kill him by the way.
Weymouth's New Testament
asking it as a favour, to Paul's prejudice--to have him brought to Jerusalem. They were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and axiden grace ayens hym, that he schulde comaunde hym to be led to Jerusalem; and thei settiden aspies to sle hym in the weie.
Update Bible Version
asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way.
Webster's Bible Translation
And desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.
New English Translation
Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul, they urged Festus to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush to kill him along the way.
New King James Version
asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem--while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him.
New Living Translation
They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way).
New Life Bible
They asked Festus for a favor. They wanted Paul to be brought to Jerusalem because they had plans to kill him on the way.
New Revised Standard
and requested, as a favor to them against Paul, to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, planning an ambush to kill him along the way.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
asking for themselves as a favour against him, that he would send for him unto Jerusalem, - making, an ambush, to kill him on the way.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Requesting favour against him, that he would command him to be brought to Jerusalem, laying wait to kill him in the way.
Revised Standard Version
asking as a favor to have the man sent to Jerusalem, planning an ambush to kill him on the way.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and desired faveour agaynst him that he wold sende for him to Ierusalem: and layde awayte for him in the waye to kill him.
Young's Literal Translation
asking favour against him, that he may send for him to Jerusalem, making an ambush to put him to death in the way.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and desyred fauoure agaynst him, that he wolde sende for him to Ierusalem, and layed wayte for him, that they might slaye him by the waye.
Mace New Testament (1729)
"desiring the favour he might be sent for to Jerusalem." they having prepar'd measures to assassinate him upon the road.
Simplified Cowboy Version
With silver tongues, they graciously asked that Paul be returned to them for a trial. Of course, they were still going to ambush him and kill him before any trial took place.

Contextual Overview

1 Three days after Festus became governor, he went from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 There the leading priests and the important leaders made charges against Paul before Festus. 3 They asked Festus to do them a favor. They wanted him to send Paul back to Jerusalem, because they had a plan to kill him on the way. 4 But Festus answered that Paul would be kept in Caesarea and that he himself was returning there soon. 5 He said, "Some of your leaders should go with me. They can accuse the man there in Caesarea, if he has really done something wrong." 6 Festus stayed in Jerusalem another eight or ten days and then went back to Caesarea. The next day he told the soldiers to bring Paul before him. Festus was seated on the judge's seat 7 when Paul came into the room. The people who had come from Jerusalem stood around him, making serious charges against him, which they could not prove. 8 This is what Paul said to defend himself: "I have done nothing wrong against the law, against the Temple, or against Caesar." 9 But Festus wanted to please the people. So he asked Paul, "Do you want to go to Jerusalem for me to judge you there on these charges?" 10 Paul said, "I am standing at Caesar's judgment seat now, where I should be judged. I have done nothing wrong to them; you know this is true.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

desired: Acts 9:2, 1 Samuel 23:19-21, Jeremiah 38:4, Mark 6:23-25, Luke 23:8-24

laying: Acts 23:12-15, Acts 26:9-11, Psalms 37:32, Psalms 37:33, Psalms 64:2-6, Psalms 140:1-5, Jeremiah 18:18, John 16:3, Romans 3:8

Reciprocal: Ezra 8:31 - the hand Psalms 35:20 - but Psalms 119:95 - wicked Proverbs 1:11 - let us lay Proverbs 12:6 - words Proverbs 24:15 - Lay Jeremiah 26:24 - that Hosea 6:8 - polluted with blood Matthew 14:9 - sorry Acts 6:11 - they Acts 9:24 - their Acts 12:11 - all Acts 20:3 - the Jews Acts 23:15 - that he Acts 23:21 - for Acts 25:9 - willing Acts 25:24 - about Acts 26:17 - Delivering Acts 26:21 - the Jews 2 Corinthians 11:26 - in perils by mine 2 Timothy 3:11 - but

Cross-References

2 Samuel 2:9
and made him king of Gilead, Ashuri, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.
1 Kings 10:1
When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to test him with hard questions.
Job 6:19
The groups of travelers from Tema look for water, and the traders of Sheba look hopefully.
Psalms 72:10
Let the kings of Tarshish and the faraway lands bring him gifts. Let the kings of Sheba and Seba bring their presents to him.
Jeremiah 25:23
the people of Dedan and Tema and Buz; all who cut their hair short;
Jeremiah 49:8
You people living in the town of Dedan, run away and hide in deep caves, because I will bring disaster on the people of Esau. It is time for me to punish them.
Ezekiel 25:13
So this is what the Lord God says: I will use my power against Edom, killing every human and animal in it. And I will destroy Edom all the way from Teman to Dedan as they die in battle.
Ezekiel 27:6
They made your oars from oak trees from Bashan. They made your deck from cypress trees from the coast of Cyprus and set ivory into it.
Ezekiel 27:20
"‘People of Dedan became merchants for you, trading saddle blankets for riding.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And desired favour against him,.... Paul; they asked what would be a favour to them, and a prejudice to him: or "of him", that is, of Festus; they asked a favour of him, and desired it as such, as what would be gratefully accepted and acknowledged by them; which sense is confirmed by the Syriac version; the Arabic version renders it "to", or "upon them"; that is, they asked him to grant a favour to them, or bestow one on them, which is as follows:

that he would send for him to Jerusalem; that his case might be heard before him, and he might be tried and judged by him, as they pretended:

laying wait in the way to kill him; this was their design, though they concealed it, and pretended no other view than that justice might take place: their scheme was, that if they could have prevailed upon Festus to have sent for Paul to Jerusalem, from Caesarea, they would have provided men, perhaps the same forty and upwards as before, in Acts 23:12 to have laid in wait for him in the way as he came, and to have killed him: the whole of this shows the malice of these men, the badness of their cause, the indefatigableness and diligence to attain their end, the danger the apostle was in, and the care of Providence over him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And desired favour against him - Desired the favor of Festus, that they might accomplish their wicked purpose on Paul.

Would send for him to Jerusalem - Probably under a pretence that he might be tried by the Sanhedrin; or perhaps they wished Festus to hear the cause there, and to decide it while he was at Jerusalem. Their real motive is immediately stated.

Laying wait in the way to kill him - That is, they would lie in wait, or they would employ a band of Sicarii, or assassins, to take his life on the journey. See the notes on Acts 21:38; Acts 23:12. It is altogether probable that if this request had been granted, Paul would have been killed. But God had promised him that he should bear witness to the truth at Rome Acts 23:11, and his providence was remarkable in thus influencing the mind of the Roman governor, and defeating the plans of the Jewish council.


 
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