A reading from the acts of the apostles. King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid Festus a courtesy call. Since they were to spend several days there, Festus referred Paul's case to the king. There is a prisoner here, he said, whom Felix left behind in custody. While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priest and the elders of the Jews presented their case against this man and demanded his condemnation.
I replied that it was not the Roman practice to hand accused man over before he had been confronted with his accusers and given a chance to defend himself against their charges. When they came here with me, I did not delay in the matter. The very next day, I took my seat on the bench and ordered the man brought in. His accusers surrounded him, but they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead, they deferred with him over issues in their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died, but who Paul claimed is alive.
Not knowing how to decide the case, I asked whether the prisoner was willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. Paul appealed to be kept here until there would be an imperial investigation of his case. So I issued orders that he be kept in custody until I could send him to the emperor. This is a word of the Lord.