In Greek, this sentence begins with a participle “having spent,” which is rendered by the Good News Translation as Festus spent. Inasmuch as this is the beginning of a new paragraph, it is felt important for the needs of the English reader to qualify the participant (Festus) and to make this into a coordinate, rather than a subordinate, clause.

Another eight or ten days is a negative expression in the Greek (literally “not more than eight or ten days”). There is a potential ambiguity in the expression Festus spent another eight or ten days with them. Translated literally in some languages, this might imply that Festus was the guest of the chief priests and Jewish leaders and therefore would be prejudiced against Paul as a result of this hospitality. In reality, it only means that Festus spent another eight or ten days in Jerusalem.

In some languages, he sat down in the judgment court must be rendered as “he took his place as judge” or “he sat down as judge.” The final clause, ordered Paul to be brought in, is rendered in some languages as direct discourse: “ordered the soldiers, Cause Paul to come in” or “… Bring Paul in.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .