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days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 There the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him. They petitioned him, 3 asking him as a favour to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem. This was because they were preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. 4 However, Festus told them that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there soon. 5 “So,” he said, “let those of you who have the authority come down with me and accuse this man, if there is any wrong in him.”
6 After he had stayed among them no more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. The next day he took his seat at the head of the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, and brought many serious charges against him that they were not able to prove.
8 Then Paul made his defence, saying, “I have not committed an offence in any way against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
9 Then Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favour, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial there before me on these charges?”
10 But Paul said, “I am standing in Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know. 11 If, however, I have done anything wrong, or have done something deserving of death, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is no substance in any of these charges these men bring against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!”
13 After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. 14 Since they were staying there for many days, Festus spoke to the king about Paul’s case. He said, “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked for a judgment against him.
16 “I told them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused has met with his accusers face to face, and has had the opportunity to make a defence against their charges. 17 So when they assembled together here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat at the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 When his accusers stood up, they didn’t bring any charges of the sort that I was expecting. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul claimed to be alive. 20 Since I was at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked him if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. 21 But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be held in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”
He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”
23 So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city. Then Festus gave the command and Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said, “King Agrippa and all men present here with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to the Emperor about him. Therefore I have brought him out here before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.