Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
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Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem
2 The chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. Appealing to him,
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where the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews gave him a report against Paul. They appealed to him
3 they asked as a favor from Festus that he summon Paul to Jerusalem. They were planning to ambush and kill him along the way.
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and requested, as a favor to them against Paul, to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, planning an ambush to kill him along the way.
4 But Festus responded by keeping Paul in Caesarea, since he was to return there very soon himself.
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Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself intended to go there shortly.
5 "Some of your leaders can come down with me," he said. "If he's done anything wrong, they can bring charges against him."
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"So," he said, "let those of you who have the authority come down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him."
6 He stayed with them for no more than eight or ten days, then went down to Caesarea. The following day he took his seat in the court and ordered that Paul be brought in.
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After he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.
7 When he arrived, many Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him. They brought serious charges against him, but they couldn't prove them.
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When he arrived, the Jews who had gone down from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.
8 In his own defense, Paul said, "I've done nothing wrong against the Jewish Law, against the temple, or against Caesar."
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Paul said in his defense, "I have in no way committed an offense against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against the emperor."
9 Festus, wanting to put the Jews in his debt, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me concerning these things?"
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But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, "Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?"
10 Paul replied, "I'm standing before Caesar's court. I ought to be tried here. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you well know.
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Paul said, "I am appealing to the emperor's tribunal; this is where I should be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know.
11 If I'm guilty and have done something that deserves death, then I won't try to avoid death. But if there is nothing to their accusations against me, no one has the authority to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!"
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Now if I am in the wrong and have committed something for which I deserve to die, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to the emperor."
12 After Festus conferred with his advisors, he responded, "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go."
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Then Festus, after he had conferred with his council, replied, "You have appealed to the emperor; to the emperor you will go."
13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to welcome Festus.
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After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus.
14 Since they were staying there for many days, Festus discussed the case against Paul with the king. He said, "There is a man whom Felix left in prison.
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Since they were staying there several days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix.
15 When I was in Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests and elders brought charges against him and requested a guilty verdict in his case.
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When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him and asked for a sentence against him.
16 I told them it is contrary to Roman practice to hand someone over before they have faced their accusers and had opportunity to offer a defense against the charges.
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I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met the accusers face to face and had been given an opportunity to make a defense against the charge.
17 When they came here, I didn't put them off. The very next day I took my seat in the court and ordered that the man be brought before me.
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So when they met here, I lost no time, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought.
18 When the accusers took the floor, they didn't charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.
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When the accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the crimes that I was expecting.
19 Instead, they quibbled with him about their own religion and about some dead man named Jesus, who Paul claimed was alive.
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Instead they had certain points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
20 Since I had no idea how to investigate these matters, I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial there on these issues.
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Since I was at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.
21 However, Paul appealed that he be held in custody pending a decision from His Majesty the emperor, so I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar."
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But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of his Imperial Majesty, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to the emperor."
22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I want to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," Festus replied, "you will hear him."
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Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him."
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great fanfare. They entered the auditorium with the military commanders and the city's most prominent men. Festus then ordered that Paul be brought in.
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So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then Festus gave the order and Paul was brought in.
24 Festus said, "King Agrippa and everyone present with us: You see this man! The entire Jewish community, both here and in Jerusalem, has appealed to me concerning him. They've been calling for his immediate death.
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And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
25 I've found that he has done nothing deserving death. When he appealed to His Majesty, I decided to send him to Rome.
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But I found that he had done nothing deserving death; and when he appealed to his Imperial Majesty, I decided to send him.
26 I have nothing definite to write to our lord emperor. Therefore, I've brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this investigation, I might have something to write.
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But I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write—
27 After all, it would be foolish to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him."
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for it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him."
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.