| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. | 1Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. |
| 2Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, | 2The high priests and Jewish leaders informed him of their charges against Paul, urging |
| 3asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. | 3and asking Festus to have Paul brought to Jerusalem as a favor. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the road. |
| 4But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. | 4Festus replied that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there soon. |
| 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, "have your authorities come down with me and present their charges against him there, if there is anything wrong with the man." |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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.” | 8Paul said in his defense, "I have done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews, or of the Temple, or of the emperor." |
| 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?” | 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?" |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 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!" |
| 12Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!” | 12Festus talked it over with the council and then answered, "To the emperor you have appealed; to the emperor you will go!" |
| 13And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. | 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to welcome 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 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. |
| 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 went to Jerusalem, the high priests and the Jewish elders informed me about him and asked me to condemn him. |
| 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 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 18When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, | 18When his accusers stood up, they didn't accuse him of any of the crimes 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 several arguments with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died—but Paul kept asserting he was 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. | 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. |
| 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 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." |
| 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.” | 22Agrippa told Festus, "I would like to hear the man." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him." |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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 find that he has not done anything deserving of death. But since he has appealed to his Majesty, I have 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 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. |
| 27For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.” | 27For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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