Paul’s Trial Before Festus

25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festush went up from Caesareai to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.j 3 They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.k 4 Festus answered, “Paul is being heldl at Caesarea,m and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

6 After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the courtn and ordered that Paul be brought before him.o 7 When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,p but they could not prove them.q

8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the templer or against Caesar.”

9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,s said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”t

10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews,u as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”v

12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”