| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1Now three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. | 1Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, |
| 2So the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul to him. | 2where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. |
| 3Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul, they urged Festus to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush to kill him along the way. | 3They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. |
| 4Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself intended to go there shortly. | 4Festus answered, "Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. |
| 5"So," he said, "let your leaders go down there with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, they may bring charges against him." | 5Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there." |
| 6After Festus had stayed not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought. | 6After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. |
| 7When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they were not able to prove. | 7When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them. |
| 8Paul said in his defense, "I have committed no offense against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar." | 8Then Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar." |
| 9But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried before me there on these charges?" | 9Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?" |
| 10Paul replied, "I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I should be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. | 10Paul answered: "I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. |
| 11If then I am in the wrong and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, but if not one of their charges against me is true, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!" | 11If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!" |
| 12Then, after conferring with his council, Festus replied, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!" | 12After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!" |
| 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. | 13A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. |
| 14While they were staying there many days, Festus explained Paul's case to the king to get his opinion, saying, "There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. | 14Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. |
| 15When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. | 15When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. |
| 16I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met his accusers face to face and had been given an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. | 16"I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. |
| 17So after they came back here with me, I did not postpone the case, but the next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought. | 17When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. |
| 18When his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. | 18When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. |
| 19Rather they had several points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus who was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive. | 19Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. |
| 20Because I was at a loss how I could investigate these matters, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. | 20I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. |
| 21But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar." | 21But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar." |
| 22Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he replied, "you will hear him." | 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man myself." He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him." |
| 23So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall, along with the senior military officers and the prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in. | 23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. |
| 24Then Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace petitioned me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting loudly that he ought not to live any longer. | 24Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. |
| 25But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death, and when he appealed to His Majesty the Emperor, I decided to send him. | 25I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. |
| 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 this preliminary hearing I may have something to write. | 26But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. |
| 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating the charges against him." | 27For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him." |
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