Paul’s Trial before Festus

1Now whan Festus was come in to the countre, ouer thre dayes he wente vp from Cesarea to Ierusalem. 2Then appeared the hye prestes and the chefe of the Iewes before him agaynst Paul, and intreated him, 3and desyred fauoure agaynst him, that he wolde sende for him to Ierusalem, and layed wayte for him, that they might slaye him by the waye. 4Then answered Festus, that Paul shulde be kepte at Cesarea, but that he himselfe wolde shortly go thither agayne. 5Let them therfore (sayde he) which are able amonge you, come downe with vs to accuse the man, yf there be ought in him.

6Whan he had taried amonge them more then ten dayes, he wente downe to Cesarea. And on the nexte daye he sat downe on the iudgment seate, and commaunded Paul to be broughte. 7Whan he was come, ye Iewes which were come downe from Ierusalem, stode rounde aboute him, and broughte vp many and greuous quarels agaynst Paul, which they coulde not proue, 8whyle he answered for himselfe: I haue nether offended ought agaynst the lawe of the Iewes, ner agaynst the teple, ner agaynst the Emperoure. 9But Festus wyllinge to shewe the Iewes a pleasure, answered Paul, and sayde: Wilt thou go vp to Ierusalem, and there be iudged off these thinges before me?

Paul Appeals to Caesar

10But Paul sayde: I stonde at the Emperours iudgmet seate, where I ought to be iudged: to the Iewes haue I done no harme, as thou also knowest very well. 11Yf I haue hurte eny man, or committed eny thinge worthy off death, I refuse not to dye. But yf there are no soch thinges as they accuse me off, then maye no man delyuer me vnto them. I appeale vnto the Emperoure. 12Then spake Festus with the Councell, and answered: Thou hast appealed vnto the Emperoure, to the Emperoure shalt thou go.

Festus Consults Agrippa

13After certayne dayes came kynge Agrippa and Bernice to Cesarea to welcome Festus. 14And whan they had taried there many dayes, Festus rehearsed Pauls cause vnto the kynge, and sayde: There is a man left bounde of Felix, 15for whose cause the hye prestes and Elders of the Iewes appeared before me whan I was at Ierusalem, and desyred a sentence agaynst him. 16Vnto whom I answered: It is not the maner off the Romaynes to delyuer eny man that he shulde perishe, before that he which is accused, haue his accusers presente, and receaue libertye to answere for him selfe to the accusacion. 17Wha they were come hither together, I made no delaye, but sat the nexte daye in iudgment, and commaunded the man to be broughte forth. 18Of whom, whan the accusers stode vp, they broughte no accusacion of soch thinges as I supposed: 19But had certayne questions agaynst him of their awne supersticions, and of one Iesus deed, whom Paul affirmed to be alyue. 20Howbeit because I vnderstode not the question, I axed hi, whether he wolde go to Ierusale, and there be iudged of these matters. 21But wha Paul had appealed, that he might be kepte vnto the knowlege of the Emperoure, I comaunded him to be kepte, tyll I mighte sende him to the Emperoure. 22Agrippa sayde vnto Festus: I wolde fayne heare the man also. He sayde: Tomorow shalt thou heare him.

Paul before Agrippa and Bernice

23And on the nexte daye came Agrippa & Bernice with greate pompe, and wete in to the comon hall with the captaynes & chefe me of the cite. And at Festus comaundement, Paul was brought forth. 24And Festus sayde: Kynge Agrippa, and all ye men which are here with vs, ye se this man, aboute whom all the multitude of the Iewes haue entreated me, both at Ierusale and here also, and cried, that he ought not to lyue eny lenger. 25But whan I perceaued that he had done nothinge worthy off death, and that he himselfe also had appealed vnto the Emperoure, I determyned to sende him, 26of who I haue no certayne thinge to wryte vnto my lorde. Therfore haue I caused hi to be broughte forth before you, specially before the (O kynge Agrippa) that after examinacion had, I might haue somwhat to wryte. 27For me thynke it an vnreasonable thinge to sende a presoner, and not to shewe the causes which are layed agaynst him.