Acts

¹⁷“So when these Jews came here for the trial, I did not waste time. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought in. ¹⁸The Jews stood up and accused him. But they did not accuse him of the kind of crimes I thought they would. ¹⁹Their charges were all about their own religion and about a man named Jesus. Jesus died, but Paul said that he is still alive. ²⁰I did not have any idea about how to judge these matters. So I asked Paul, ‘Do you want to go to Jerusalem and be judged there?’ ²¹But Paul asked to be kept in Caesarea. He wants a decision from the emperor. So I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar in Rome.” ²²Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man too.” Festus said, “Tomorrow you can hear him.” ²³The next day Agrippa and Bernice came to the meeting with great show, acting like very important people. They entered the room with military leaders and important men of the city. Festus ordered the soldiers to bring Paul in.