11. “For if indeed I do wrong, or have committed whatever deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is none at all in these matters of which these men accuse me, no one is able to give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
12. Then Festus, having talked with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!”
13. And certain days having passed, Sovereign Agrippa and Bernike came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
14. And when they had spent many days there, Festus laid Sha’ul’s case before the sovereign, saying, “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner,
15. about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Yehuḏim informed me, when I was in Yerushalayim, asking for a judgment against him.
16. “To them I answered, ‘It is not the Roman practice to give up any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has a chance to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’
17. “They, therefore, having come together, without any delay, I sat on the judgment seat the next day and commanded the man to be brought in.
18. “When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge against him such as I expected,
19. but had some questions against him about their own worship and about a certain יהושע, who had died, whom Sha’ul was claiming to be alive.
20. “And being uncertain how to investigate these matters, I asked whether he wished to go to Yerushalayim and there be judged concerning these matters.
21. “But when Sha’ul appealed to be kept for the decision of Augustus, I ordered him to be kept until I send him to Caesar.”
22. And Agrippa said to Festus, “I was wishing also to hear the man myself.” And he said, “Tomorrow, you shall hear him.”
23. Therefore, on the next day, Agrippa and Bernike having come with great show, and having entered the place of hearing with the commanders and the eminent men of the city, Sha’ul was brought in at the order of Festus.
24. And Festus said, “Sovereign Agrippa and all the men present here with us, you see this one about whom all the community of the Yehuḏim pleaded with me, both at Yerushalayim and here, shouting that he ought not to be living any longer.
25. “But I, having found that he had committed none at all deserving death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him.
26. “I have no definite matter to write to my master concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and most of all before you, Sovereign Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I might have somewhat to write.
27. “For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to signify the charges against him.”