1 Three days after Festus came to the province he went from Caesarea up to Jerusalem.
2 The leading priests and the leading Jewish men [there] informed Festus of the charges against Paul. Then they begged him
3 to do them a favor by having Paul brought [from Caesarea] to Jerusalem, for they were plotting to kill him on the way.
4 Festus answered that [since] Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea, and [since] he himself was soon going there [i.e., he could see Paul at Caesarea at that time].
5 So, he said, "Let your leaders go down with me and if there is anything [found] wrong with the man, let them bring their charges against him [at that time]."
6 After staying not more than eight or ten [more] days [there in Jerusalem], Festus went down to Caesarea and the following day he ordered Paul to appear before him as he sat in his court of justice.
7 When Paul appeared, the [Jewish] leaders who had accompanied Festus down from Jerusalem gathered around him and brought many serious charges against him, which they were not able to prove.
8 Paul replied in his defense, "I have not committed any sin against the law of the Jews, nor against the Temple, nor against Caesar."
9 But Festus, wanting to gain favor with the Jews [See 24:27], answered Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?"
10 Paul replied, "I am [already] standing before a court of Caesar's authority, where I deserve to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you very well know.
11 If then I am a criminal and have committed any crime that deserves the death penalty, I will not try to avoid being put to death. But if none of the charges I have been accused of are true, [then] no one has the right to turn me over [to the authorities]. I make my appeal to Caesar."
12 After conferring with his advisors, Festus answered Paul, "[Since] you have appealed to Caesar, then you will go to Caesar."
13 After a number of days King Agrippa [Note: This man was the great grandson of Herod the Great. See Matt. 2:1] and [his wife] Bernice arrived at Caesarea and came to greet Festus.
14 While they stayed there [with him] for many days, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king, saying, "There is this man [named Paul] who was left in custody by Felix.
15 When I was at Jerusalem, the leading priests and the Jewish elders presented his case before me to make a judgment against him.
16 I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to turn over any person [for sentencing] before he is faced by his accusers and has had the opportunity to defend himself against the charges made against him.
17 When therefore his accusers had assembled here I did not delay [in dealing with the matter; in fact] the very next day I sat in court and summoned the man to be brought [before me].
18 When his accusers stood up, they brought no charge of wrongdoing as I had expected [they would].
19 All they had was a controversy with him over their own religion and about someone named Jesus, who had died [but] whom Paul alleges is [now] alive.
20 And I was perplexed as to how to proceed with the investigation, so I [finally] asked him if he would go to Jerusalem to have his case judged there.
21 But when Paul requested that his case be reviewed for a decision by Caesar, I ordered him to remain in custody until I could send him to Caesar."
22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I had been wanting to hear this man's testimony myself." [Festus replied], "Tomorrow you will [have the opportunity to] hear him."
23 So, the next day, when Agrippa and [his wife] Bernice, arrived in an elaborate procession, they entered the hearing chamber, along with the commanders and leading men of the city.
24 Then Festus spoke, "King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen assembled with us, you see this man whose case a large number of Jews, [first] at Jerusalem and [then] here [in Caesarea] have petitioned me [to resolve]. They have been clamoring for him to be put to death,
25 but I found that he had committed nothing which deserved the death [penalty]. And since he himself appealed [his case] to the Emperor, I decided to send him [to Rome].
26 But I do not have anything specific to write to His Majesty. This is the reason I have brought him before this assembly, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after you have questioned him, I would [then] have something [substantial] to write.
27 For it does not seem reasonable for me to send a prisoner [to Rome] without indicating what the [formal] charges are against him."