| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. | 1Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, |
| 2So the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul to him. | 2where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations 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 asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way). |
| 4Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself intended to go there shortly. | 4But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning 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." | 5So he said, “Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.” |
| 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. | 6About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in. |
| 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 arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove. |
| 8Paul said in his defense, "I have committed no offense against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar." | 8Paul denied the charges. “I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government,” he said. |
| 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?" | 9Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?” |
| 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. | 10But Paul replied, “No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews. |
| 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 I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!” |
| 12Then, after conferring with his council, Festus replied, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!" | 12Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and 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 arrived with his sister, Bernice, 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. | 14During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. “There is a prisoner here,” he told him, “whose case was left for me by Felix. |
| 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 was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. |
| 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. | 16I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves. |
| 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. | 17“When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn’t delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. |
| 18When his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. | 18But the accusations made against him weren’t any of the crimes I 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, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is 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 to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. |
| 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 Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor. So I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar.” |
| 22Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he replied, "you will hear him." | 22“I’d like to hear the man myself,” Agrippa said. And Festus replied, “You will—tomorrow!” Paul Speaks to Agrippa |
| 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. | 23So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be 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. | 24Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem. |
| 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. | 25But in my opinion he has done nothing deserving death. However, since he appealed his case to the emperor, I have 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. | 26“But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no clear charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write. |
| 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating the charges against him." | 27For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!” |
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