Acts 25:13-27 - Festus Asks King Agrippa For Advice
13 Some days had passed, when king Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14 As they were spending several days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. "There is a man," he said, "who was left in prison by Felix. 15 When I was at Jerusalem, the high priests and elders of the Jews informed me about him and demanded his condemnation. 16 I told them Romans were not in the habit of giving up any man until the accused met the accusers face to face and had a chance of defending himself against the impeachment. 17 Well, the day after they came here along with me, I took my seat on the tribunal without any loss of time. I ordered the man to be brought in, 18 but when his accusers stood up they did not charge him with any of the crimes that I had expected. 19 The questions at issue referred to their own religion and to a certain Jesus who had died. Paul said he was alive. 20 As I felt at a loss about the method of inquiry into such topics, I asked if he would go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. 21 But Paul entered an appeal for his case to be reserved for the decision of the emperor; so I ordered him to be detained till I could remit him to Caesar."
22 "I should like to hear the man myself," said Agrippa to Festus. "You shall hear him to-morrow," said Festus.
23 So next day Agrippa and Bernice proceeded with great pomp to the hall of audience, accompanied by the military commanders and the prominent civilians of the town. Festus then ordered Paul to be brought in. 24 "King Agrippa and all here present," said Festus, "you see before you a man of whom the entire body of the Jews at Jerusalem and also here have complained to me. They loudly insist he ought not to live any longer. 25 I could not find he had done anything that deserved death, so I decided to send him, on his own appeal, to the emperor. 26 Only, I have nothing definite to write to the sovereign about him. So I have brought him up before you all, and especially before you, O king Agrippa, in order that I may have something to write as the result of your cross-examination. 27 For it seems absurd to me to forward a prisoner without notifying the particulars of his charge."