3. They asked Festus to do them a favor. They wanted him to send Paul back to Jerusalem because they had a plan to kill Paul on the way.
4. But Festus answered, “No, Paul will be kept in Caesarea. I will be going there soon myself,
5. and your leaders can go with me. If this man has really done anything wrong, they can accuse him there.”
6. Festus stayed in Jerusalem another eight or ten days and then went back to Caesarea. The next day Festus told the soldiers to bring Paul before him. Festus was seated on the judgment seat.
7. Paul came into the room, and the Jews who had come from Jerusalem stood around him. They made many serious charges against him, but they could not prove anything.
8. Paul defended himself, saying, “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law, against the Temple, or against Caesar.”
9. But Festus wanted to please the Jews. So he asked Paul, “Do you want to go to Jerusalem for me to judge you there on these charges?”
10. Paul said, “I am standing at Caesar’s judgment seat now. This is where I should be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, and you know it.
11. If I have done something wrong and the law says I must die, then I agree that I should die. I don’t ask to be saved from death. But if these charges are not true, then no one can hand me over to these people. No, I want Caesar to hear my case!”
12. Festus talked about this with his advisors. Then he said, “You have asked to see Caesar, so you will go to Caesar!”
13. A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to visit Festus.
14. They stayed there many days, and Festus told the king about Paul’s case. Festus said, “There is a man that Felix left in prison.
15. When I went to Jerusalem, the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders there made charges against him. They wanted me to order his death.
16. But I told them, ‘When a man is accused of doing something wrong, Romans don’t hand him over for others to judge. First, he must face the people accusing him. And then he must be allowed to defend himself against their charges.’
17. “So when these Jews came here for the trial, I did not waste time. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought in.
18. The Jews stood up and accused him. But they did not accuse him of the kind of crimes I thought they would.