| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. | 1Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. |
| 2And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, | 2The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed, |
| 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). | 3asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. |
| 4Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. | 4Festus, however, answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly. |
| 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." | 5"Therefore," he said, "let those of you who have authority go down with me and accuse him, if he has done anything wrong." |
| 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. | 6When he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought in. |
| 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, | 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. |
| 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." | 8Then Paul made his defense: "Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any way." |
| 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?" | 9But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there on these charges?" |
| 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. | 10Paul replied: "I am standing at Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you yourself know very well. |
| 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." | 11If then I did anything wrong and am deserving of death, I am not trying to escape death; 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 when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, "You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go." | 12Then after Festus conferred with his council, he replied, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go." |
| 13Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. | 13Several days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. |
| 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; | 14Since they were staying there several days, Festus presented Paul's case to the king, saying, "There's a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. |
| 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. | 15When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked that he be condemned. |
| 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. | 16I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defense against the charges. |
| 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. | 17So when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat at the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. |
| 18"When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, | 18The accusers stood up but brought no charge against him of the evils I was expecting. |
| 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. | 19Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive. |
| 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. | 20Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. |
| 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." | 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 also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him." | 22Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow you will hear him," he replied. |
| 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. | 23So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. |
| 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. | 24Then Festus said: "King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer. |
| 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. | 25I found that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 27"For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him." | 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him." |
| 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 | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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