1 When Festus was then come into the prouince, after three dayes he went vp from Caesarea vnto Hierusalem. 2 Then the high Priest, and the chiefe of the Iewes appeared before him against Paul: and they besought him, 3 And desired fauour against him, that hee would send for him to Hierusalem: and they layd waite to kill him by the way. 4 But Festus answered, that Paul should bee kept at Caesarea, and that he himselfe would shortly depart thither. 5 Let them therefore, saide he, which among you are able, come downe with vs: and if there be any wickednes in the man, let them accuse him. 6 Now when he had taried among them no more then ten dayes, hee went downe to Caesarea, and the next day sate in the iudgement seat, and commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when hee was come, the Iewes which were come from Hierusalem, stoode about him and layd many and grieuous complaints against Paul, whereof they could make no plaine proofe, 8 Forasmuch as he answered, that he had neither offended any thing against the lawe of the Iewes, neither against ye temple, nor against Caesar. 9 Yet Festus willing to get fauour of the Iewes, answered Paul and saide, Wilt thou goe vp to Hierusalem, and there be iudged of these things before mee? 10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesars iudgment seate, where I ought to be iudged: to the Iewes I haue done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. 11 For if I haue done wrong, or committed any thing worthie of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof they accuse me, no man, to pleasure them, can deliuer me to them: I appeale vnto Caesar. 12 Then when Festus had spoken with the Council, hee answered, Hast thou appealed vnto Caesar? vnto Caesar shalt thou goe. 13 And after certaine dayes, King Agrippa and Bernice came downe to Caesarea to salute Festus. 14 And when they had remained there many dayes, Festus declared Pauls cause vnto the King, saying, There is a certaine man left in prison by Felix, 15 Of whom when I came to Hierusalem, the high Priestes and Elders of the Iewes informed me, and desired to haue iudgement against him. 16 To whome I answered, that it is not the maner of the Romanes for fauour to deliuer any man to the death, before that hee which is accused, haue the accusers before him, and haue place to defend himselfe, concerning the crime. 17 Therefore when they were come hither, without delay the day following I sate on the iudgement seate, and commanded the man to be brought foorth. 18 Against whom when the accusers stood vp, they brought no crime of such things as I supposed: 19 But had certaine questions against him of their owne superstition, and of one Iesus which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be aliue. 20 And because I doubted of such maner of question, I asked him whether he would goe to Hierusalem, and there be iudged of these things. 21 But because he appealed to be reserued to the examination of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept, till I mght send him to Cesar. 22 Then Agrippa sayd vnto Festus, I would also heare the man my selfe. To morowe, sayd he, thou shalt heare him. 23 And on the morowe when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great pompe, and were entred into the Common hall with the chiefe captaines and chiefe men of the citie, at Festus commandement Paul was brought forth. 24 And Festus sayd, King Agrippa, and all men which are present with vs, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Iewes haue called vpon me, both at Hierusalem, and here, crying, that he ought not to liue any longer. 25 Yet haue I found nothing worthy of death, that he hath committed: neuertheles, seeing that he hath appealed to Augustus, I haue determined to send him. 26 Of whome I haue no certaine thing to write vnto my Lord: wherefore I haue brought him forth vnto you, and specially vnto thee, King Agrippa, that after examination had, I might haue somewhat to write. 27 For me thinketh it vnreasonable to send a prisoner, and not to shewe the causes which are layde against him.
Paul Appeals to the Emperor
1 Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders brought their charges against Paul. They begged Festus 3 to do them the favor of having Paul come to Jerusalem, for they had made a plot to kill him on the way. 4 Festus answered, “Paul is being kept a prisoner in Caesarea, and I myself will be going back there soon. 5 Let your leaders go to Caesarea with me and accuse the man if he has done anything wrong.”
6 Festus spent another eight or ten days with them and then went to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down in the judgment court and ordered Paul to be brought in. 7 When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come from Jerusalem stood around him and started making many serious charges against him, which they were not able to prove. 8 But Paul defended himself: “I have done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews or against the Temple or against the Roman Emperor.”
9 But Festus wanted to gain favor with the Jews, so he asked Paul, “Would you be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried on these charges before me there?”
10 Paul said, “I am standing before the Emperor's own judgment court, where I should be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you yourself well know. 11 If I have broken the law and done something for which I deserve the death penalty, I do not ask to escape it. But if there is no truth in the charges they bring against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to the Emperor.”
12 Then Festus, after conferring with his advisers, answered, “You have appealed to the Emperor, so to the Emperor you will go.”
Paul before Agrippa and Bernice
13 Some time later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay a visit of welcome to Festus. 14 After they had been there several days, Festus explained Paul's situation to the king: “There is a man here who was left a prisoner by Felix; 15 and when I went to Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests and elders brought charges against him and asked me to condemn him. 16 But I told them that we Romans are not in the habit of handing over any who are accused of a crime before they have met their accusers face-to-face and have had the chance of defending themselves against the accusation. 17 When they came here, then, I lost no time, but on the very next day I sat in the judgment court and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 His opponents stood up, but they did not accuse him of any of the evil crimes that I thought they would. 19 All they had were some arguments with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus, who has died; but Paul claims that he is alive. 20 I was undecided about how I could get information on these matters, so I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. 21 But Paul appealed; he asked to be kept under guard and to let the Emperor decide his case. So I gave orders for him to be kept under guard until I could send him to the Emperor.”
22 Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”
“You will hear him tomorrow,” Festus answered.
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and ceremony and entered the audience hall with the military chiefs and the leading men of the city. Festus gave the order, and Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are here with us: You see this man against whom all the Jewish people, both here and in Jerusalem, have brought complaints to me. They scream that he should not live any longer. 25 But I could not find that he had done anything for which he deserved the death sentence. And since he himself made an appeal to the Emperor, I have decided to send him. 26 But I have nothing definite about him to write to the Emperor. So I have brought him here before you—and especially before you, King Agrippa!—so that, after investigating his case, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating the charges against him.”