Moffatt(i)
1 Three days after Festus entered his province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 The high priests and the Jewish leaders laid information before him against Paul, and begged him,
3 as a special favour, to send for him to Jerusalem, meaning to lay an ambush for him and murder him on the road.
4 Festus replied that Paul would be kept in custody at Caesarea, but that he himself meant to leave for Caesarea before long —
5 "when," he added, "your competent authorities can come down with me and charge the man with whatever crime he has committed."
6 After staying not more than eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea. Next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought before him.
7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and brought a number of serious charges against him, none of which they were able to prove.
8 Paul's defence was, "I have committed no offence against the Law of the Jews, against the temple, or against Caesar."
9 As Festus wanted to ingratiate himself with the Jews, he asked Paul, "Will you go up to Jerusalem and be tried there by me upon these charges?"
10 Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal; that is where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong whatever to the Jews — you know that perfectly well.