| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. | 1Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. |
| 2Then the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed, | 2The high priests and Jewish leaders informed him of their charges against Paul, urging |
| 3asking him to do them a favor against Paul, that he might summon him to Jerusalem. They were preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. | 3and asking Festus to have Paul brought to Jerusalem as a favor. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the road. |
| 4However, Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly." | 4Festus replied that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there soon. |
| 5Therefore," he said, "let the men of authority among you go down with me and accuse him, if there is any wrong in this man." | 5"Therefore," he said, "have your authorities come down with me and present their charges against him there, if there is anything wrong with the man." |
| 6When he had spent not more than eight or 10 days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the judge's bench, he commanded Paul to be brought in. | 6Festus stayed with them no more than eight or ten days and then went down to Caesarea. The next day, he sat on the judge's seat and ordered Paul brought in. |
| 7When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove, | 7When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and began bringing a number of serious charges against him that they couldn't prove. |
| 8while Paul made the defense that, "Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all." | 8Paul said in his defense, "I have done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews, or of the Temple, or of the emperor." |
| 9Then Festus, wanting to do a favor for the Jews, replied to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be tried before me on these charges?" | 9Then Festus, wanting to do the Jewish leaders a favor, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried there before me on these charges?" |
| 10But Paul said: "I am standing at Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you can see very well. | 10But Paul said, "I am standing before the emperor's judgment seat where I ought to be tried. I haven't done anything wrong to the Jewish leaders, as you know very well. |
| 11If then I am doing wrong, or have done anything deserving of death, I do not refuse to die, but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!" | 11If I'm guilty and have done something that deserves death, I'm willing to die. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal to the emperor!" |
| 12After Festus conferred with his council, he replied, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!" | 12Festus talked it over with the council and then answered, "To the emperor you have appealed; to the emperor you will go!" |
| 13After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. | 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to welcome Festus. |
| 14Since they stayed there many days, Festus presented Paul's case to the king, saying, "There's a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. | 14Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. He said, "There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix. |
| 15When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked for a judgment against him. | 15When I went to Jerusalem, the high priests and the Jewish elders informed me about him and asked me to condemn him. |
| 16I answered them that it's not the Romans' custom to give any man up before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to give a defense concerning the charges. | 16I answered them that it was not the Roman custom to sentence a man to be punished until the accused met his accusers face to face and had an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. |
| 17Therefore, when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I sat at the judge's bench and ordered the man to be brought in. | 17So they came here with me, and the next day without any delay I sat down in the judge's seat and ordered the man to be brought in. |
| 18Concerning him, the accusers stood up and brought no charge of the sort I was expecting. | 18When his accusers stood up, they didn't accuse him of any of the crimes I was expecting. |
| 19Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive. | 19Instead, they had several arguments with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died—but Paul kept asserting he was alive. |
| 20Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there concerning these matters. | 20I was puzzled how I should investigate such matters, so I asked if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried there for these things. |
| 21But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar." | 21But Paul appealed his case and asked to be held in prison until the decision of his Majesty. So I ordered him to be held in custody until I could send him to the emperor." |
| 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself."" Tomorrow you will hear him," he replied. | 22Agrippa told Festus, "I would like to hear the man." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him." |
| 23So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. | 23The next day, Agrippa and Bernice arrived with much fanfare and went into the auditorium along with the tribunes and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. |
| 24Then Festus said: "King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer. | 24Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you men who are present with us! You see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. |
| 25Now I realized that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. | 25I find that he has not done anything deserving of death. But since he has appealed to his Majesty, I have decided to send him. |
| 26I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write. | 26I have nothing reliable to write our Sovereign about him, so I have brought him to all of you, and especially to you, King Agrippa, so that I will have something to write after he is cross-examined. |
| 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not to indicate the charges against him." | 27For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him." |
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