Festo, entonces, tres días después de haber llegado a la provincia^a, subió a Jerusalén desde Cesarea^b. 2 Y los principales sacerdotes y los judíos más influyentes le presentaron acusaciones contra Pablo^a, e instaban a Festo¹, 3 pidiéndole, contra Pablo¹, el favor² de que lo hiciera traer a Jerusalén³ (preparando ellos, al mismo tiempo, una emboscada para matarlo^a en el camino). 4 Pero Festo respondió^a que Pablo estaba bajo custodia^b en Cesarea^c, y que en breve él mismo partiría para allá. 5 Por tanto, dijo*, que los más influyentes de vosotros vayan allá¹ conmigo, y si hay algo malo en el hombre, que lo acusen.

6 Después de haberse quedado no más de ocho o diez días entre ellos, descendió a Cesarea^a, y al día siguiente se sentó en el tribunal^b y ordenó que trajeran a Pablo. 7 Cuandoeste llegó, lo rodearon los judíos que habían descendido de Jerusalén, presentando contra él muchas y graves acusaciones^a que no podían probar^b, 8 mientras Pablo decía en defensa propia: No he cometido ningún delito, ni contra la ley de los judíos, ni contra el templo^a, ni contra el César. 9 Pero Festo, queriendo hacer un favor a los judíos^a, respondió a Pablo, y dijo: ¿Estás dispuesto a subir a Jerusalén y a ser juzgado delante de mí por estas acusaciones^b? 10 Entonces Pablo respondió: Ante el tribunal^a del César estoy, que es donde debo ser juzgado. Ningún agravio he hecho a los judíos, como también tú muy bien sabes. 11 Si soy, pues, un malhechor y he hecho algo digno de muerte, no rehúso morir; pero si ninguna de esas cosas de queestos me acusan es verdad, nadie puede entregarme a ellos. Apelo al César^a. 12 Entonces Festo, habiendo deliberado con el consejo¹, respondió: Al César has apelado, al César irás.

13 Pasados varios días, el rey Agripa y Berenice llegaron a Cesarea^a y fueron a saludar a Festo¹. 14 Como estuvieron allí muchos días, Festo presentó el caso de Pablo ante el rey, diciendo: Hay un hombre que Félix dejó preso^a, 15 acerca del cual, estando yo en Jerusalén, los principales sacerdotes y los ancianos de los judíos presentaron acusaciones contra él^a, pidiendo sentencia condenatoria contra él. 16 Yo les respondí^a que no es costumbre de los romanos entregar a un hombre sin que antes el acusado confronte a sus acusadores^b, y tenga la oportunidad de defenderse de los cargos. 17 Así que cuando¹ se reunieron aquí, sin ninguna demora, al día siguiente me senté en el tribunal^a y ordené traer al hombre. 18 Y levantándose los acusadores, presentaban acusaciones contra él, pero no de la clase de crímenes que yo suponía, 19 sino que simplemente tenían contra él ciertas cuestiones^a sobre su propia religión^1b, y sobre cierto Jesús, ya muerto, de quien Pablo afirmaba que estaba vivo. 20 Pero estando yo perplejo cómo investigar estas cuestiones, le pregunté si estaba dispuesto a ir a Jerusalén y ser juzgado de estas cosas allá^a. 21 Pero como Pablo apeló^a que se lo tuviera bajo custodia para que el emperador¹ diera el fallo, ordené que continuase bajo custodia hasta que yo lo enviara al César. 22 Entonces Agripa^a dijo a Festo: A mí también me gustaría oír al hombre. Mañana—dijo* Festo—lo oirás.

23 Así que al día siguiente, cuando Agripa y Berenice^a entraron al auditorio en medio de gran pompa, acompañados por¹ los comandantes² y los hombres importantes de la ciudad, por orden de Festo, fue traído Pablo. 24 Y Festo dijo*: Rey Agripa y todos los demás¹ aquí presentes con nosotros; aquí veis a este hombre acerca de quien toda la multitud de los judíos^a, tanto en Jerusalén como aquí, me hizo una petición declarando a gritos que no debe vivir más^b. 25 Pero yo encontré que no había hecho nada digno de muerte^a; y como él mismo apeló al emperador¹, he decidido enviarlo^b. 26 Pero no tengo nada definido sobre él¹ para escribirle a mi señor. Por eso lo he traído ante vosotros, y especialmente ante ti, rey Agripa, para que después de que se le interrogue², yo tenga algo que escribir. 27 Porque me parece absurdo, al enviar un preso, no informar también de los cargos en su contra.

Festus then, having arrived in ^athe province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from ^bCaesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews ^abrought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, 3 requesting a ¹concession against ²Paul, that he might ³have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, ^asetting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4 Festus then ^aanswered that Paul ^bwas being kept in custody at ^cCaesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he *said, “let the influential men among you ¹go there with me, and if there is anything wrong ²about the man, let them ³prosecute him.”

6 After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to ^aCaesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on ^bthe tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing ^amany and serious charges against him ^bwhich they could not prove, 8 while Paul said in his own defense, “^aI have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9 But Festus, ^awishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “^bAre you willing to go up to Jerusalem and ¹stand trial before me on these charges?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s ^atribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I ^aappeal to Caesar.” 12 Then when Festus had conferred with ¹his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”

13 Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at ^aCaesarea ¹and paid their respects to Festus. 14 While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was ^aleft as a prisoner by Felix; 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews ^abrought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I ^aanswered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before ^bthe accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17 So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on ^athe tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18 When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, 19 but they simply had some ^apoints of disagreement with him about their own ^1breligion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 ^aBeing at a loss how to investigate ¹such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. 21 But when Paul ^aappealed to be held in custody for ¹the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22 Then ^aAgrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he *said, “you shall hear him.”

23 So, on the next day when ^aAgrippa came ¹together with ^bBernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium ²accompanied by the ³commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus *said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom ^aall the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that ^bhe ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed ^anothing worthy of death; and since he himself ^bappealed to ¹the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 ¹Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.”

Now Festus arrived in ^athe province, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem from ^bCaesarea Maritima. 2 And there in Jerusalem the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews ^abrought charges against Paul before Festus, and they repeatedly pleaded with him, 3 asking as a concession against Paul, that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; (meanwhile ^aplanning an ambush to kill him on the way). 4 Festus ^aanswered that Paul ^bwas being held in custody in ^cCaesarea Maritima and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 “So,” he said, “let those who are in a position of authority among you go there with me, and if there is anything criminal about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

6 Now after Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to ^aCaesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on ^bthe tribunal (the judicial bench) , and ordered Paul to be brought before him. 7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing ^amany serious charges against him ^bwhich they were not able to prove, 8 while Paul declared in his own defense, “^aI have done no wrong and committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9 But Festus, ^awishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul, “^1bAre you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial there in my presence before the Jewish Sanhedrin on these charges?” 10 Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s ^atribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 Therefore, if I am guilty and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not try to escape death; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I ^1aappeal to Caesar (Emperor Nero) .” 12 Then Festus, after conferring with the men who formed his council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”

13 Now several days later, ¹Agrippa II the king and ²Bernice his sister arrived at ^aCaesarea and paid their respects to Festus the new governor. 14 While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man here who was ^aleft as a prisoner by Felix. 15 When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews told me about him and ^abrought charges against him, petitioning for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I ^atold them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man for punishment before ^bthe accused meets his accusers face to face and has the opportunity to defend himself against the charges. 17 So after they arrived together here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my place on ^athe tribunal and ordered that the man be brought before me. 18 When his accusers stood up, they brought no charges against him of crimes that I was expecting neither civil nor criminal actions, 19 instead they had some ^apoints of disagreement with him about their own ^b1religion and about one Jesus, a man who had died, but whom Paul kept asserting and insisting over and over to be alive. 20 And I, ^abeing at a loss as to how to investigate these things, asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. 21 But when Paul ^aappealed to be held in custody for a decision by the Emperor Nero, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then ^aAgrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” Festus replied, “you will hear him.”

23 So the next day ^aAgrippa and his sister ^bBernice came with great pageantry, and they went into the auditorium accompanied by the military commanders and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man Paul about whom ^aall the Jewish people appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly insisting that ^bhe ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done ^anothing worthy of death; however, since he ^bappealed to the Emperor Nero, I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing specific about him to write to my lord. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I will have something to put in writing. 27 For it seems absurd and unreasonable to me to send a prisoner to Rome without indicating the charges against him.”