1 Now when Festus had come into his province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 And the high priest and the leading men of the Jews brought charges before him against Paul, and they urged him,
3 and desired a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, while they laid wait along the way to kill him.
4 Festus, however, answered that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself was about to set out there shortly.
5 "Therefore," he said, "let those among you who are able go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in this man, let them accuse him."
6 And when he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and the next day he sat on the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around and laid many grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,
8 while Paul said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense."
9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there before me concerning these things?"
10 And Paul said, "I am standing at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well.
11 For if I am an offender and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there is nothing in the things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them as a favor. I appeal to Caesar."
12 Then Festus, having conferred with his council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go."
13 And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's case to the king, saying, "There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix,
15 about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges, asking for a judgment against him.
16 To them I answered that it is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction as a favor before the accused has the accusers face to face and has had opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge laid against him.
17 Therefore, when they had come together here, without any delay, on the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought.
18 When the accusers stood up around him, they brought no accusation of such things as I supposed,
19 but had certain questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20 And because I was at a loss how to inquire into these questions, I asked whether he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be judged there concerning these matters.
21 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved for the decision of the Emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar."
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him."
23 So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp and had entered the place of hearing with the commanders and the principal men of the city, at Festus' command Paul was brought in.
24 And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
25 But when I found that he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he himself had appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
26 I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write.
27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner without also indicating the charges against him."