Acts 25:6-17

6After Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to 1Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on 2the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought. 7After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing 3many, and serious, charges against him 4which they could not prove, 8while Paul said in his own defense, “5I have not done anything wrong either against the Law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar.” 9But Festus, 6wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul and said, “7Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and 8stand trial before me on these charges?” 10But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s 9tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11If, therefore, I am in the wrong and have committed something deserving death, I am not trying to avoid execution; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I 10appeal to Caesar.” 12Then when Festus had conferred with 11his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”

13Now when several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in 12Caesarea, paying their respects to Festus. 14And while they were spending many days there, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There is a man who was 13left as a prisoner by Felix; 15and when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews 14brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16I 15replied to them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any person before 16the 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 17the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought.