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."
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.
16. I told them it is contrary to Roman practice to hand someone over before they have faced their accusers and had opportunity to offer a defense against the charges.
17. When they came here, I didn’t put them off. The very next day I took my seat in the court and ordered that the man be brought before me.
18. When the accusers took the floor, they didn’t charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.
19. Instead, they quibbled with him about their own religion and about some dead man named Jesus, who Paul claimed was alive.
20. Since I had no idea how to investigate these matters, I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial there on these issues.