1. Three days after Festus became governor, he went from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2. There the leading priests and the important Jewish leaders made charges against Paul before Festus.
3. They asked Festus to do something for them; they wanted him to send Paul back to Jerusalem. (They had a plan to kill Paul on the way.)
4. But Festus answered, “No! Paul will be kept in Caesarea. I will return there soon myself.
5. Some of your leaders should go with me. They can accuse the man there in Caesarea, if he has really done something wrong.”
6. Festus stayed in Jerusalem another eight or ten days. Then he went back to Caesarea. The next day he told the soldiers to bring Paul before him. Festus was seated on the judge’s seat
7. when Paul came into the room. The Jews who had come from Jerusalem stood around him. They started making serious charges against Paul. But they could not prove any of them.
8. This is what Paul said to defend himself: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law, against the Temple, or against Caesar!”
9. But Festus wanted to please the Jews. So he asked Paul, “Do you want to go to Jerusalem? Do you want me to judge you there on these charges?”
10. Paul said, “I am standing at Caesar’s judgment seat now. This is where I should be judged! I have done nothing wrong to the Jews; you know this is true.
11. If I have done something wrong and the law says I must die, I do not ask to be saved from death. But if these charges are not true, then no one can give me to them. No! I want Caesar to hear my case!”
12. Festus talked about this with the people who advised him. Then he said, “You have asked to see Caesar; so you will go to Caesar!”