| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. | 1Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. |
| 2Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, | 2The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed, |
| 3asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. | 3asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. |
| 4But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. | 4Festus, however, answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly. |
| 5“Therefore,” he said, “let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.” | 5"Therefore," he said, "let those of you who have authority go down with me and accuse him, if he has done anything wrong." |
| 6And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. | 6When he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought in. |
| 7When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, | 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. |
| 8while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.” | 8Then Paul made his defense: "Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any way." |
| 9But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?” | 9But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there on these charges?" |
| 10So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. | 10Paul replied: "I am standing at Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you yourself know very well. |
| 11For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” | 11If then I did anything wrong and am deserving of death, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!" |
| 12Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!” | 12Then after Festus conferred with his council, he replied, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go." |
| 13And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. | 13Several days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. |
| 14When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying: “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, | 14Since they were staying there several days, Festus presented Paul's case to the king, saying, "There's a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. |
| 15about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. | 15When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked that he be condemned. |
| 16To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’ | 16I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defense against the charges. |
| 17Therefore when they had come together, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. | 17So when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat at the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. |
| 18When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, | 18The accusers stood up but brought no charge against him of the evils I was expecting. |
| 19but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. | 19Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive. |
| 20And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. | 20Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. |
| 21But when Paul appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar.” | 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." |
| 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.” | 22Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow you will hear him," he replied. |
| 23So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought in. | 23So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. |
| 24And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. | 24Then Festus said: "King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer. |
| 25But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. | 25I found that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. |
| 26I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. | 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. |
| 27For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.” | 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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