Acts 25:11-27

11If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I 1appeal to Caesar.” 12Then when Festus had conferred with 2his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”

13Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at 3Caesarea 4and paid their respects to Festus. 14While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was 5left as a prisoner by Felix; 15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews 6brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16I 7answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before 8the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on 9the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, 19but they simply had some 10points of disagreement with him about their own 1112religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 2013Being at a loss how to investigate 14such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. 21But when Paul 15appealed to be held in custody for 16the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22Then 17Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

23So, on the next day when 18Agrippa came 19together with 20Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium 21accompanied by the 22commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom 23all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that 24he ought not to live any longer. 25But I found that he had committed 25nothing worthy of death; and since he himself 26appealed to 27the Emperor, I decided to send him. 2628Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.”