025:013 A short time after this, Agrippa the king and Bernice came
to Caesarea to pay a complimentary visit to Festus;
025:014 and, during their rather long stay, Festus laid Paul's case
before the king. "There is a man here," he said, "whom Felix
left a prisoner,
025:015 about whom, when I went to Jerusalem, the High Priests
and the Elders of the Jews made representations to me,
begging that sentence might be pronounced against him.
025:016 My reply was that it is not the custom among the Romans to give up any one for punishment before the accused has had his accusers face to face, and has had an opportunity of defending himself against the charge which has been brought against him.
025:017 "When, therefore, a number of them came here, the next day I took my seat on the tribunal, without any loss of time, and ordered the man to be brought in.
025:018 But, when his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with the misdemeanours of which I had been suspecting him.
025:019 But they quarrelled with him about certain matters connected
with their own religion, and about one Jesus who had died, but—
so Paul persistently maintained—is now alive.
025:020 I was at a loss how to investigate such questions, and asked
Paul whether he would care to go to Jerusalem and there stand
his trial on these matters.
025:021 But when Paul appealed to have his case kept for the Emperor's
decision, I ordered him to be kept in prison until I could
send him up to Caesar."
025:022 "I should like to hear the man myself," said Agrippa.
"to-morrow," replied Festus, "you shall." Accordingly, the next day,
Agrippa and Bernice came in state