Acts 25
1Three days after entering the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2The chief priests and the leading men of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him and urged him, 3asking a favor against Paul: that he summon him to Jerusalem. They were planning an ambush to kill him along the road. 4Festus answered that Paul was being kept in Caesarea and that he himself would leave soon. 5“So,” he said, “let those of you with authority go down with me, and if there is anything wrong with the man, let them accuse him.”
6After staying among them no more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul brought in. 7When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious accusations which they could not prove. 8Paul made his defense: “I have committed no sin against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9But Festus, wishing to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there before me about these things?” 10Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. I have done the Jews no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11So if I am doing wrong and have committed anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, 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.”
13After some days, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to greet Festus. 14While they were spending several days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, “There is a man left behind as a prisoner by Felix. 15When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges concerning him, asking for his condemnation. 16I answered them that it is not Roman custom to hand over a person as a favor before the accused faces his accusers and has an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. 17So when they gathered here, I made no delay, but the next day sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man brought in. 18The accusers stood up but brought no charge of the evils I had suspected. 19They had some disputes with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died, whom Paul claimed was alive. 20Being at a loss how to investigate these matters, I asked whether he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be judged there about them. 21But when Paul appealed to be kept for the emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22Agrippa said to Festus, “I too would like to hear the man.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”
23So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall with the commanders and the prominent men of the city. At Festus's command, Paul was brought in. 24Festus said, “King Agrippa and all the men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole multitude of the Jews petitioned me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought no longer to live. 25But I found he had done nothing deserving death. Since he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to send him. 26I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. So I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination I may have something to write. 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without also stating the charges against him.”