| International Standard Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. | 1Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, |
| 2The high priests and Jewish leaders informed him of their charges against Paul, urging | 2where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus |
| 3and asking Festus to have Paul brought to Jerusalem as a favor. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the road. | 3to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. |
| 4Festus replied that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there soon. | 4But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. |
| 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." | 5So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.” |
| 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. | 6After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in. |
| 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. | 7When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove. |
| 8Paul said in his defense, "I have done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews, or of the Temple, or of the emperor." | 8Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” |
| 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?" | 9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?” |
| 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. | 10Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. |
| 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!" | 11If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” |
| 12Festus talked it over with the council and then answered, "To the emperor you have appealed; to the emperor you will go!" | 12Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” |
| 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to welcome Festus. | 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. |
| 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. | 14Since they were staying several days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king: “There is a certain man whom Felix left in prison. |
| 15When I went to Jerusalem, the high priests and the Jewish elders informed me about him and asked me to condemn him. | 15While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews presented their case and requested a judgment against him. |
| 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. | 16I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges. |
| 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. | 17So when they came here with me, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered that the man be brought in. |
| 18When his accusers stood up, they didn't accuse him of any of the crimes I was expecting. | 18But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. |
| 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. | 19They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive. |
| 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. | 20Since I was at a loss as to how to investigate these matters, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. |
| 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." | 21But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.” |
| 22Agrippa told Festus, "I would like to hear the man." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him." | 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” “Tomorrow you will hear him,” Festus declared. |
| 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. | 23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium, along with the commanders and leading men of the city. And Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. |
| 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. | 24Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer. |
| 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. | 25But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. |
| 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. | 26I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign one about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this inquiry I may have something to write. |
| 27For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him." | 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.” |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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