Paul Appeals to Caesar
1 Now [when] Festus set foot in the province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
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And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him,
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asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, [because they] were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way.
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Then Festus replied [that] Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and [he] himself was about to go [there] in a short time.
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So he said, "Let those among you [who are] prominent go down with [me], [and] if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him."
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And [after he] had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down on the judgment seat [and] gave orders [for] Paul to be brought.
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And [when] he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges that they were not able to prove,
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[while] Paul said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned with reference to anything!"
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But Festus, [because he] wanted to do a favor for the Jews, answered [and] said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these [things]?"
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But Paul said, "I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary [for] me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.
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If then I am doing wrong and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid dying. But if there is nothing [true] of [the things] which these [people] are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"
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Then Festus, [after] discussing [this] with [his] council, replied, "You have appealed to Caesar--to Caesar you will go!"