| New King James Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. | 1Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later 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, | 2And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, |
| 3asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. | 3requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way). |
| 4But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. | 4Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave 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 the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him." |
| 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. | 6After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. |
| 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, | 7After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not 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.” | 8while Paul said in his own defense, "I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar." |
| 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, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial 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 Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. |
| 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.” | 11"If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over 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 when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, "You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go." |
| 13And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. | 13Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to 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, | 14While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is 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. | 15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against 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.’ | 16"I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his 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. | 17"So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. |
| 18When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, | 18"When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as 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. | 19but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted 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. | 20"Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on 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.” | 21"But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I 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.” | 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall 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. | 23So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent 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. | 24Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring 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. | 25"But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since 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. | 26"Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. |
| 27For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.” | 27"For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him." |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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