Paul’s Trial before Festus

25 Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 [where] the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged [Festus] 3 to grant them a concession against [Paul] by summoning him to Jerusalem, [ because ] they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

4 But Festus replied, Paul is being held in Caesarea, and [I myself] am going there soon. 5 So if [this] man has done anything wrong, {let} some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him [there].”

6 [After] spending no more than eight or ten days with them, [Festus] went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat [and] ordered that Paul be brought in. 7 [When] [Paul] arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.

8 [Then] Paul made his defense “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews [or] against the temple [or] against Caesar.”

9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these [charges]?”