18. Concerning him, the accusers stood up and brought no charge of the sort I was expecting.
19. Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive.
20. Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there concerning these matters.
21. But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”
22. Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.”“Tomorrow you will hear him,” he replied.
23. So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in.
24. Then Festus said: “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.
25. Now I realized that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
26. I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write.
27. For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not to indicate the charges against him.”