| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, | 1Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. |
| 2where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus | 2Then the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed, |
| 3to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. | 3asking him to do them a favor against Paul, that he might summon him to Jerusalem. They were preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. |
| 4But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. | 4However, Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly." |
| 5So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.” | 5Therefore," he said, "let the men of authority among you go down with me and accuse him, if there is any wrong in this man." |
| 6After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in. | 6When he had spent not more than eight or 10 days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the judge's bench, he commanded Paul to be brought in. |
| 7When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that 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, |
| 8Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” | 8while Paul made the defense that, "Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all." |
| 9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?” | 9Then Festus, wanting to do a favor for the Jews, replied to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be tried before me on these charges?" |
| 10Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. | 10But Paul said: "I am standing at Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you can see very well. |
| 11If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” | 11If then I am doing wrong, or have done anything deserving of death, I do not refuse to die, 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 conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” | 12After Festus conferred with his council, he replied, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!" |
| 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. | 13After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. |
| 14Since they were staying several days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king: “There is a certain man whom Felix left in prison. | 14Since they stayed there many days, Festus presented Paul's case to the king, saying, "There's a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. |
| 15While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews presented their case and requested a judgment against him. | 15When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked for a judgment against him. |
| 16I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges. | 16I answered them that it's not the Romans' custom to give any man up before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to give a defense concerning the charges. |
| 17So when they came here with me, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered that the man be brought in. | 17Therefore, when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I sat at the judge's bench and ordered the man to be brought in. |
| 18But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. | 18Concerning him, the accusers stood up and brought no charge of the sort I was expecting. |
| 19They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but 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. |
| 20Since I was at a loss as to how to investigate these matters, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. | 20Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there concerning these matters. |
| 21But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until 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 would like to hear this man myself.” “Tomorrow you will hear him,” Festus declared. | 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself."" Tomorrow you will hear him," he replied. |
| 23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium, along with the commanders and leading men of the city. And Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. | 23So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. |
| 24Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer. | 24Then Festus said: "King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer. |
| 25But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. | 25Now I realized 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 definite to write to our sovereign one about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this inquiry 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 unreasonable to me to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.” | 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not to indicate the charges against him." |
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