2Then the high priest and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul before him, and they begged him,
3asking a favour against Paul. They wanted Festus to send for him to come to Jerusalem, for they were setting an ambush on the road to kill him.
4But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there soon.
5"So let those among you who are able go down with me," he said, "and accuse this man, if there is any wrong in him."
6After he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be brought in.
7When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They made many serious charges against Paul, which they could not prove.
8Paul spoke in his own defence: "I have done no wrong at all, not against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar."
9But Festus wanted to please the Jews. So he answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and be judged there before me about these things?"
10Then Paul said, "I am standing at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you know very well."
11"If I have done wrong, or have done anything that deserves death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing in what these men accuse me of, no one may hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."
12Then Festus talked it over with his council, and answered, "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you shall go."
13After some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
14They stayed there many days, and Festus laid Paul's case before the king. He said, "There is a man here whom Felix left in prison."
15When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a judgment against him.
16I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man to die before the accused man has met his accusers face to face, and has been allowed to answer for himself about the charge laid against him.
17So when they came here, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in.
18When his accusers stood up, they brought no charge of the kind of crimes I expected.
19Instead they had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul said was alive.
20I was unsure how to look into such questions. So I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem and be judged there about these matters.
21"But Paul appealed to be kept for the decision of Augustus. So I commanded him to be held until I could send him to Caesar."
22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him."
23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great show, and entered the hall of hearing with the commanders and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
24Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all of you who are here with us, you see this man. The whole crowd of the Jews have appealed to me about him, both at Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer."
25But I found that he had done nothing that deserves death. And since he himself has appealed to Augustus, I have decided to send him.
26I have nothing certain to write about him to my lord. So I have brought him out before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after we have examined him, I may have something to write.
27"For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner without also stating the charges against him."