⁶ After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court^(A) and ordered that Paul be brought before him.^{(B) 7} When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,^(C) but they could not prove them.^(D)

⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple^(E) or against Caesar.”

⁹ Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,^(F) said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”^(G)

¹⁰ Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews,^(H) as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”^(I)

¹² After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”