1Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,[ † ]Acts 8:40Acts 25:4-6, 13 2where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus[ † ]Acts 24:1Acts 25:15 3to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.[ † ]Acts 23:12-15
4But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.”[ † ]Acts 18:14Acts 25:18
6After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.[ † ]Mark 15:3Luke 23:2-10Acts 24:5-13
8Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”[ † ]Acts 6:13Acts 24:12Acts 28:17
9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”[ † ]Acts 12:2Acts 24:27Acts 25:20
10Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”[ † ]Acts 18:14Acts 23:29Acts 25:25Acts 26:31Acts 26:32Acts 28:19
12Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14Since they were staying several days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king: “There is a certain man whom Felix left in prison.[ † ]Acts 24:27 15While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews presented their case and requested a judgment against him.[ † ]Acts 24:1Acts 25:2-3 16I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.[ † ]Acts 25:4-5
17So when they came here with me, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered that the man be brought in.[ † ]Matthew 27:19Acts 25:6-10 18But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive.[ † ]Acts 18:14-15Acts 23:29
20Since I was at a loss as to how to investigate these matters, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. 21But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”[ † ]Acts 25:11-12
22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” “Tomorrow you will hear him,” Festus declared.[ † ]Acts 9:15
23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium, along with the commanders and leading men of the city. And Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.[ † ]Acts 9:15
24Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.[ † ]Acts 25:2-3, 7Acts 21:36Acts 22:22 25But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.[ † ]Acts 23:9-29Acts 26:31Acts 25:11-12
26I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this inquiry I may have something to write. 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”