| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. | 1Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, |
| 2Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, | 2where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul. |
| 3asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. | 3They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way). |
| 4But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. | 4But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning 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.” | 5So he said, “Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.” |
| 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. | 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 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 from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations 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 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, 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 please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?” |
| 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 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. |
| 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 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 Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!” | 12Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!” |
| 13And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. | 13A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, 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, | 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. |
| 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 leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against 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 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. |
| 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“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 the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, | 18But the accusations made against him weren’t any of the crimes I expected. |
| 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, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is 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 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 reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till 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.” |
| 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall 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, 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 arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be 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 who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem. |
| 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 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. |
| 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“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 to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.” | 27For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!” |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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