14 While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was aleft as a prisoner by Felix;

15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews abrought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.

16 “I aanswered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before bthe accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges.

17 “So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on athe tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me.

18 “When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting,

19 but they simply had some apoints of disagreement with him about their own 1breligion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.

20 “aBeing at a loss how to investigate 1such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters.

21 “But when Paul aappealed to be held in custody for 1the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.”

22 Then aAgrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he * said, “you shall hear him.”