6. When he had spent not more than eight or 10 days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the judge’s bench, he commanded Paul to be brought in.
7. When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove,
8. while Paul made the defense that, “Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all.”
9. Then Festus, wanting to do a favor for the Jews, replied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be tried before me on these charges? ”
10. But Paul said: “I am standing at Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you can see very well.
11. If then I am doing wrong, or have done anything deserving of death, I do not refuse to die, but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar! ”
12. After Festus conferred with his council, he replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go! ”
13. After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus.
14. Since they stayed there many days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix.
15. When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked for a judgment against him.
16. I answered them that it’s not the Romans’ custom to give any man up before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to give a defense concerning the charges.
17. Therefore, when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I sat at the judge’s bench and ordered the man to be brought in.
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.