Paul says he wants to go to Caesar in Rome
1Festus was the new governor and he came to the province of Judea. After 3 days he went from the city of Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2The chief_priests and the Jewish_leaders went to Festus and they said bad things about Paul. 3They asked Festus to do something for them. They asked him to send Paul from Caesarea to Jerusalem. But the chief_priests and some of the Jews had a secret plan to kill Paul on the way to Jerusalem. 4But Festus said that Paul must stay in Caesarea. Festus also said that he would go to Caesarea in a few days' time. 5He asked the Jewish_leaders to go with him to Caesarea and if Paul had done something wrong, they could accuse him.
6Festus stayed in Jerusalem for 8 or 10 days and then he went back to Caesarea. The next day he told the soldiers to bring Paul so that he could judge him. 7When Paul came in, the Jews from Jerusalem came and stood near him. They accused Paul of many bad things, but they could not show that these were true. 8Paul said he was innocent. He said: ‘I have done nothing against the laws of the Jews or against the temple in Jerusalem or against Caesar.’
9But Festus wanted to do something good for the Jews so he asked Paul if he would go to Jerusalem so that he could be judged there. 10Then Paul answered: ‘No. This is the Roman court. This is where you must judge me. I did nothing wrong to the Jews. You know it very well. 11If I have done something wrong and I must die, then Caesar can punish and kill me. But if these Jews accuse me of something that I did not do, then I am innocent. Then it is not right to give me to these Jews so that they can kill me. No, I want to stand before Caesar. He must judge me.’
12Festus talked to his advisors and then he said to Paul: ‘You have asked to stand before Caesar so that he can judge you. You will go to Caesar. He will judge you.’
King Agrippa and his wife Bernice visit Festus
13After a few days, King Agrippa and his wife Bernice came to the city of Caesarea to greet and welcome Festus. 14King Agrippa and Bernice stayed there for a few days and Festus told King Agrippa about Paul. He said: ‘When Felix went away, there was a man who had been in jail for a long time. 15I went to Jerusalem and the chief_priests and the elders told me about this man and they asked me to judge him and say he was guilty. 16But I told them: “That is not how the Romans judge people. The Romans first make sure that someone is guilty before they give him to people to punish him. When people say a person is guilty, then that person must first come and listen to what these people say so that he can then answer them himself.”
17When the Jews came to me here in Caesarea, I immediately told them to come to court the next day so that I could judge Paul. 18Then the Jews started to accuse Paul. I thought there were very bad things that Paul had done, but they did not accuse him of bad things. 19They argued with him about things of their own religion and about someone whose name is Jesus. Jesus had died but Paul says He is alive.
20I did not know how to answer their questions, so I asked Paul if he would go to Jerusalem so that I could judge him there. 21But Paul said I must keep him here in jail. He wants to go to Caesar, and Caesar must judge him. Then I said he must stay in jail until I send him to Caesar.’
22King Agrippa said to Festus: ‘I also want to listen to what this man says.’
Festus said: ‘You can talk to him tomorrow and listen to what he says.’
23The next day King Agrippa and Bernice went into the big room where all the people were. They were wearing expensive clothes and they looked very important. The commanders and important men from the city came with them. Festus told the soldiers to bring Paul to them. 24Festus said: ‘King Agrippa and all the people here, look at this man. The Jews in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea have accused him. They shouted and said he must die. 25But I did not find anything that he has done wrong. I can not punish and kill him. He said he wants to go to Caesar and Caesar must judge him. Then I decided to send him to Caesar.
26But I do not know what to write in the letter that I must send with him to Caesar. So I have brought him here before all of you, and also before you, King Agrippa. I want you to listen to him and to ask him questions, then I will know what I must write to Caesar, 27because I think it is wrong to send a prisoner to Caesar if I do not tell him why he is a prisoner and what he has done wrong.’
