| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. | 1Now three 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, | 2So the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul to 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 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. |
| 4But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. | 4Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself intended 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"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." |
| 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 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. |
| 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, bringing 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.” | 8Paul said in his defense, "I have committed no offense against the Jewish law 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, 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?" |
| 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 before Caesar's judgment seat, where I should be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also 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 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!" |
| 12Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!” | 12Then, after conferring with his council, Festus 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. | 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay 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 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. |
| 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 informed me about 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.’ | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 18When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, | 18When his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. |
| 19but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 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." |
| 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 also like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he replied, "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. | 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 clearly indicating the charges against him." |
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