We reached Caesarea. After a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. Some Jews saw Paul at the temple. They seized him, shouting, “Men of Israel, help us! This man teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place.” The whole city was aroused. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops. He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd.
The commander arrested him. Paul asked the commander, “Please let me speak to the people.”
Paul said to them, “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense. When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I saw the Lord speaking. ‘Quick!’ he said to me. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” He sent for him frequently and talked with him. When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus.
Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial?”
Paul answered: “I appeal to Caesar!”
Festus declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”
Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
So Paul began his defense: “I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”
Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.
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