Acts 25:12-27

12Then when Festus had conferred with 1his 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 2Caesarea 3and 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 4left as a prisoner by Felix; 15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews 5brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16I 6answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before 7the 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 8the 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 9points of disagreement with him about their own 1011religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 2012Being at a loss how to investigate 13such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. 21But when Paul 14appealed to be held in custody for 15the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22Then 16Agrippa 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 17Agrippa came 18together with 19Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium 20accompanied by the 21commanders 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 22all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that 23he ought not to live any longer. 25But I found that he had committed 24nothing worthy of death; and since he himself 25appealed to 26the Emperor, I decided to send him. 2627Yet 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.”