| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. | 1Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, |
| 2Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, | 2where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. |
| 3And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. | 3They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. |
| 4But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. | 4Festus answered, "Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. |
| 5Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. | 5Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there." |
| 6And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. | 6After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. |
| 7And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. | 7When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them. |
| 8While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. | 8Then Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar." |
| 9But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? | 9Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?" |
| 10Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. | 10Paul answered: "I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. |
| 11For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. | 11If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!" |
| 12Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go. | 12After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!" |
| 13And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. | 13A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. |
| 14And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: | 14Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. |
| 15About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. | 15When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. |
| 16To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. | 16"I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. |
| 17Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. | 17When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. |
| 18Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: | 18When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. |
| 19But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. | 19Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. |
| 20And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. | 20I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. |
| 21But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. | 21But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar." |
| 22Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. | 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man myself." He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him." |
| 23And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. | 23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. |
| 24And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. | 24Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. |
| 25But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. | 25I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. |
| 26Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. | 26But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. |
| 27For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him. | 27For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him." |
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