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¹ Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Yerushalayim from Caesarea. ² Then the Kohen Gadol and the principal men of the Yehudim informed him against Sha'ul, and they begged him, ³ asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Yerushalayim; plotting to kill him on the way. ⁴ However Festus answered that Sha'ul was kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly. ⁵ "Let them therefore," said he, "that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him." ⁶ When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Sha'ul to be brought. ⁷ When he had come, the Yehudim who had come down from Yerushalayim stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove, ⁸ while he said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Yehudim, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all." ⁹ But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Yehudim, answered Sha'ul and said, "Will you go up to Yerushalayim, and there be judged of these things before me?" ¹⁰ But Sha'ul said, "I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Yehudim, as you also know very well. ¹¹ For if I have done wrong, and have committed anything worthy of death, I don't refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that these accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!" ¹² Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go."

¹³ Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and greeted Festus. ¹⁴ As they stayed there many days, Festus laid Sha'ul's case before the King, saying, "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix; ¹⁵ about whom, when I was at Yerushalayim, the chief Kohanim and the Zakenim of the Yehudim informed me, asking for a sentence against him. ¹⁶ To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction, before the accused have met the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him. ¹⁷ When therefore they had come together here, I didn't delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought. ¹⁸ Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed; ¹⁹ but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Yeshua, who was dead, whom Sha'ul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰ I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Yerushalayim and there be judged concerning these matters. ²¹ But when Sha'ul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar." ²² Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him." ²³ So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Sha'ul was brought in. ²⁴ Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Yehudim petitioned me, both at Yerushalayim and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him. ²⁶ Of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before you, king Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him."