1So Festus, having arrived in the province, went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea after three days.
2The chief priests and the leading men of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him, and they began to petition him,
3asking for a concession against him, that he might summon him to Jerusalem—for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
4So Festus answered that Paul was to be kept in Caesarea, and that he himself intended to depart shortly.
5“So,” he said, “let the influential men among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong with the man, let them accuse him.”
6After spending no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, he took his seat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought.
7And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they were unable to prove.
8Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense either against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar.”
9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?”
10But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you know very well.
11If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have done anything deserving of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing to their accusations against me, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal to Caesar.”
12Then Festus, after conferring with his council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go.”
13Now after some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
14And as they were spending several days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix,
15about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.
16I answered them that it is not the custom for Romans to hand over any person before the accused has met his accusers face to face and has had an opportunity to make a defense against the charge.
17So when they had assembled here, I made no delay, but on the next day I took my seat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought.
18When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge against him of such evil things as I had suspected.
19Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20Being at a loss how to investigate these matters, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.
21But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the Augustus, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
22And Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”
23So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall, along with the commanders and the prominent men of the city. And when Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in.
24And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all you men who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish populace petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
25But I found that he had done nothing deserving of death, and since he himself appealed to the Augustus, I decided to send him.
26But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place, I may have something to write.
27For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner without also specifying the charges against him.”
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