| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Now three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. | 1Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. |
| 2So the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul to him. | 2The high priests and Jewish leaders informed him of their charges against Paul, urging |
| 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. | 3and asking Festus to have Paul brought to Jerusalem as a favor. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the road. |
| 4Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself intended to go there shortly. | 4Festus replied that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there soon. |
| 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." | 5"Therefore," he said, "have your authorities come down with me and present their charges against him there, if there is anything wrong with the man." |
| 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. | 6Festus stayed with them no more than eight or ten days and then went down to Caesarea. The next day, he sat on the judge's seat and ordered Paul brought in. |
| 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. | 7When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and began bringing a number of serious charges against him that they couldn't prove. |
| 8Paul said in his defense, "I have committed no offense against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar." | 8Paul said in his defense, "I have done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews, or of the Temple, or of the emperor." |
| 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?" | 9Then Festus, wanting to do the Jewish leaders a favor, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried there before me on these charges?" |
| 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. | 10But Paul said, "I am standing before the emperor's judgment seat where I ought to be tried. I haven't done anything wrong to the Jewish leaders, as you know very well. |
| 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!" | 11If I'm guilty and have done something that deserves death, I'm willing to die. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal to the emperor!" |
| 12Then, after conferring with his council, Festus replied, "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!" | 12Festus talked it over with the council and then answered, "To the emperor you have appealed; to the emperor you will go!" |
| 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. | 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to welcome Festus. |
| 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. | 14Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. He said, "There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix. |
| 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. | 15When I went to Jerusalem, the high priests and the Jewish elders informed me about him and asked me to condemn 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. | 16I answered them that it was not the Roman custom to sentence a man to be punished until the accused met his accusers face to face and had an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. |
| 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. | 17So they came here with me, and the next day without any delay I sat down in the judge's seat and ordered the man to be brought in. |
| 18When his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. | 18When his accusers stood up, they didn't accuse him of any of the crimes I was expecting. |
| 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. | 19Instead, they had several arguments with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died—but Paul kept asserting he was alive. |
| 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. | 20I was puzzled how I should investigate such matters, so I asked if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried there for these things. |
| 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." | 21But Paul appealed his case and asked to be held in prison until the decision of his Majesty. So I ordered him to be held in custody until I could send him to the emperor." |
| 22Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he replied, "you will hear him." | 22Agrippa told Festus, "I would like to hear the man." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him." |
| 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. | 23The next day, Agrippa and Bernice arrived with much fanfare and went into the auditorium along with the tribunes and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. |
| 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. | 24Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you men who are present with us! You see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. |
| 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. | 25I find that he has not done anything deserving of death. But since he has appealed to his Majesty, I have decided to send him. |
| 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. | 26I have nothing reliable to write our Sovereign about him, so I have brought him to all of you, and especially to you, King Agrippa, so that I will have something to write after he is cross-examined. |
| 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating the charges against him." | 27For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him." |
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