6
Festus stayed in Jerusalem for eight or ten days at the most and then returned to Caesarea. The next day Festus took his place in court and summoned Paul.
7
When Paul entered the room, the Jews who had come from Jerusalem surrounded him. They made a lot of serious accusations that they couldn't prove.
8
Paul defended himself by saying, "I haven't broken any Jewish law or done anything against the temple or the emperor."
9
But Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor. So he asked Paul, "Are you willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on these charges with me as your judge?"
10
Paul said, "I am standing in the emperor's court where I must be tried. I haven't done anything wrong to the Jews, as you know very well.
11
If I am guilty and have done something wrong for which I deserve the death penalty, I don't reject the idea of dying. But if their accusations are untrue, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal my case to the emperor!"
12
Festus discussed the appeal with his advisers and then replied to Paul, "You have appealed your case to the emperor, so you'll go to the emperor!"
13
Later King Agrippa and Bernice came to the city of Caesarea to welcome Festus.
14
Since they were staying there for a number of days, Festus told the king about Paul's case. Festus said, "Felix left a man here in prison.
15
When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish leaders brought me some information about him and asked me to condemn him.
16
"I replied to them, 'That's not the Roman way of doing things. A person can't be sentenced as a favor. Before he is sentenced, he must face his accusers and have a chance to defend himself against their accusation.'