Paul Before Festus

1Festus then, having arrived in the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with him, 3requesting a favor against [†]Paul, that he might [†]have him brought to Jerusalem (while they set an ambush to kill him on the way). 4Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5“Therefore,” he said, “let the influential men among you go down there with me, and if there is anything wrong [†]about the man, let them accuse him.”

6And after he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought. 7And after Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, 8while Paul said in his own defense, “I have committed no sin either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and to be tried before me on these matters?” 10But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12Then when Festus had conferred with [†]his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”

Festus and Agrippa Discuss Paul’s Trial

13Now when several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea [†]and greeted Festus. 14And while they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix; 15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18When the accusers stood up, they were not bringing any charges against him for the evil deeds I was expecting, 19but they had some points of disagreement with him about their own [†]religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20And being perplexed about how to investigate [†]such matters, I was asking whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there to be tried on these matters. 21But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for [†]the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

23So, on the next day when Agrippa came [†]together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the hall [†]accompanied by the [†]commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the order of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24And Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer. 25But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and since he himself appealed to [†]the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26[†]Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.”