| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, | 1Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, |
| 2where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul. | 2where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus |
| 3They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way). | 3to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. |
| 4But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon. | 4But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. |
| 5So he said, “Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.” | 5So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 7When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove. | 7When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove. |
| 8Paul denied the charges. “I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government,” he said. | 8Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” |
| 9Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?” | 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?” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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!” | 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!” |
| 12Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!” | 12Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” |
| 13A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus. | 13After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 15When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. | 15While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews presented their case and requested a judgment 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 18But the accusations made against him weren’t any of the crimes I expected. | 18But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. |
| 19Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| 22“I’d like to hear the man myself,” Agrippa said. And Festus replied, “You will—tomorrow!” Paul Speaks to Agrippa | 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” “Tomorrow you will hear him,” Festus declared. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 25But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 27For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!” | 27For it seems unreasonable to me to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.” |
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