 1 Now when Festus came to the province, after three days he went up+ from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed Festus about Paul and begged+ him 3 for a favor, asking Festus to send Paul to Jerusalem so they could wait along the way to kill him. 4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea and that he himself would soon+ go+ there. 5 Therefore Festus said: Let those among you who are able go with me and accuse this man to see if there is any wickedness in him. 6 After he stayed+ there among them for ten days, he went down to Caesarea. The next day sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. 7 When Paul came in, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood around+ and made many grievous complaints against Paul that they could not prove. 8 When Paul answered for himself, he said: I have not offended anyone in anything at all, not against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar. 9 But Festus, wanting+ to do the Jews a favor+, answered Paul and said: Will you go up to Jerusalem and be judged by me there about these things? 10 Then Paul said: I stand at Caesar's judgment seat where I ought to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know. 11 For if I am an offender or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if none of these things are true of which these Jews accuse me, no one should be able to deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar. 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered: Since you have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go. 13 After several+ days, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet+ Festus. 14 When they had been there many days, Festus described+ Paul's case+ to the king saying: There is a certain man who was left in prison+ by Felix. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him and wanted+ a judgment against him. 16 I answered them, by saying: It is not the Roman way+ to deliver anyone to die before the one who is accused has the accusers face to face with license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. 17 Therefore when they came here, without any delay, on the very next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought forth. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation of such things as I supposed. 19 But from their own superstition they had certain questions against him and about one called Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20 Because I was doubtful about such questions, I asked Paul if he would go to Jerusalem and be judged there about these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be heard by Augustus, I commanded him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar. 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus: I would also like to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, Festus said, you shall hear him. 23 The next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the place of hearing along with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. 24 Festus said: King Agrippa and everyone+ here present with us: You see this man about whom all the multitude of Jews have petitioned+ me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying out that he should not live any longer. 25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death and that he himself appealed to Augustus, I decided+ to send him there. 26 However, I have no certain thing to write about him to my lord Caesar. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before you, O king Agrippa, so that after you have examined him, I might have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not send with him a significant+ description of the crimes laid against him.
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