Acts 25:13–27

King Agrippa and Bernice Visit Festus

¹³After some days had passed, King Agrippa ⁱand Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. ¹⁴Since they stayed there many days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. ¹⁵When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked for a judgment against him. ^j16I answered them that it’s not the Romans’ custom to give any man up ^kbefore the accused confronts the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to give a defense concerning the charges. ^l17Therefore, when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I sat at the judge’s bench and ordered the man to be brought in. ¹⁸Concerning him, the accusers stood up and brought no charge of the sort I was expecting. ¹⁹Instead they had some disagreements ^mwith him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive. ²⁰Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there concerning these matters. ²¹But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”

²²Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.”

“Tomorrow you will hear him,” he replied. ⁿ

Paul before Agrippa

²³So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice ^ocame with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. ²⁴Then Festus said: “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer. ^p25Now I realized that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. ^q26I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write. ²⁷For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not to indicate the charges against him.”