| International Standard Version | English Standard Version |
| 1Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. | 1Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. |
| 2The high priests and Jewish leaders informed him of their charges against Paul, urging | 2And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, |
| 3and asking Festus to have Paul brought to Jerusalem as a favor. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the road. | 3asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. |
| 4Festus replied that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there soon. | 4Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. |
| 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." | 5“So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.” |
| 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 he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. |
| 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 he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him 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." | 8Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” |
| 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, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” |
| 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. | 10But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, 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 then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up 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, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” |
| 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to welcome Festus. | 13Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted 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. | 14And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, |
| 15When I went to Jerusalem, the high priests and the Jewish elders informed me about him and asked me to condemn him. | 15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation 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 answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. |
| 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 together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. |
| 18When his accusers stood up, they didn't accuse him of any of the crimes I was expecting. | 18When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. |
| 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. | 19Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted 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. | 20Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. |
| 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 had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to 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 the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.” |
| 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. | 23So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was 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. | 24And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting 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 that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and 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. | 26But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, 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 to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.” |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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