5
"Some of your leaders can come down with me," he said. "If he's done anything wrong, they can bring charges against him."
6
He stayed with them for no more than eight or ten days, then went down to Caesarea. The following day he took his seat in the court and ordered that Paul be brought in.
7
When he arrived, many Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him. They brought serious charges against him, but they couldn't prove them.
8
In his own defense, Paul said, "I've done nothing wrong against the Jewish Law, against the temple, or against Caesar."
9
Festus, wanting to put the Jews in his debt, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me concerning these things?"
10
Paul replied, "I'm standing before Caesar's court. I ought to be tried here. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you well know.
11
If I'm guilty and have done something that deserves death, then I won't try to avoid death. But if there is nothing to their accusations against me, no one has the authority to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!"
12
After Festus conferred with his advisors, he responded, "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go."
King Agrippa informed about Paul
13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to welcome Festus.
14
Since they were staying there for many days, Festus discussed the case against Paul with the king. He said, "There is a man whom Felix left in prison.
15
When I was in Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests and elders brought charges against him and requested a guilty verdict in his case.