Paul Asks To Be Tried by the Roman Emperor
1 Three days after Festus had become governor, he went from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 There the chief priests and some Jewish leaders told him about their charges against Paul. They also asked Festus 3 if he would be willing to bring Paul to Jerusalem. They begged him to do this because they were planning to attack and kill Paul on the way. 4 But Festus told them, “Paul will be kept in Caesarea, and I am soon going there myself. 5 If he has done anything wrong, let your leaders go with me and bring charges against him there.”
6 Festus stayed in Jerusalem for eight or ten more days before going to Caesarea. Then the next day he took his place as judge and had Paul brought into court. 7 As soon as Paul came in, the leaders from Jerusalem crowded around him and said he was guilty of many serious crimes. But they could not prove anything. 8 Then Paul spoke in his own defense, “I have not broken the Law of my people. And I have not done anything against either the temple or the Emperor.”
9 Festus wanted to please the leaders. So he asked Paul, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried by me on these charges?”
10 Paul replied, “I am on trial in the Emperor's court, and that's where I should be tried. You know very well I have not done anything to harm the Jewish nation. 11 If I had done something deserving death, I would not ask to escape the death penalty. But I am not guilty of any of these crimes, and no one has the right to hand me over to these people. I now ask to be tried by the Emperor himself.”
12 After Festus had talked this over with members of his council, he told Paul, “You have asked to be tried by the Emperor, and to the Emperor you will go!”
Paul Speaks to Agrippa and Bernice
13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to visit Festus. 14 They had been there for several days, when Festus told the king about the charges against Paul. He said:
Felix left a man here in jail, 15 and when I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish leaders came and asked me to find him guilty. 16 I told them it isn't the Roman custom to hand a man over to people who are bringing charges against him. He must first have the chance to meet them face to face and to defend himself against their charges.
17 So when they came here with me, I wasted no time. On the very next day I took my place on the judge's bench and ordered him to be brought in. 18 But when the men stood up to make their charges against him, they did not accuse him of any of the crimes that I thought they would. 19 Instead, they argued with him about some of their beliefs and about a dead man named Jesus, who Paul said was alive.
20 Since I did not know how to find out the truth about all this, I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be put on trial there. 21 But Paul asked to be kept in jail until the Emperor could decide his case. So I ordered him to be kept here until I could send him to the Emperor.
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would also like to hear what this man has to say.”
Festus answered, “You can hear him tomorrow.”
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice made a big show as they came into the meeting room. High ranking army officers and leading citizens of the town were also there. Festus then ordered Paul to be brought in 24 and said:
King Agrippa and other guests, look at this man! Every Jew from Jerusalem and Caesarea has come to me, demanding for him to be put to death. 25 I have not found him guilty of any crime deserving death. But because he has asked to be judged by the Emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.
26 I have to write some facts about this man to the Emperor. So I have brought him before all of you, but especially before you, King Agrippa. After we have talked about his case, I will then have something to write. 27 It makes no sense to send a prisoner to the Emperor without stating the charges against him.
Bɔɔlɔs mɔŋgwɔ naŋni ethi rilli kiyǝnǝ yǝthi Imbraaṯɔɔr.
1 Mǝ Fasṯuus iila ki-muḏiiriiyyǝ-nǝ kwuuŋwun, mindaŋ mɔŋw naani ŋwaamin ṯoɽol, nɔŋw ruuthǝ Gaysariiyya nɔŋw ṯaaŋi Urshaliim, 2 nǝ rɔ-asɔ rǝthi kahana-ŋǝ lijǝwuṯ-li lir Yahuuḏ iila naanɔ-ŋgwɔ shǝkwǝ-gi kwallisar Bɔɔlɔs-ŋwɔ naana. Nǝr ṯuurǝcci Fasṯuus-ŋwɔlɔ 3 ethisi iiɽinǝ mindaŋ ethisi ṯiŋacca Bɔɔlɔs-ŋwɔ ethiila Urshaliim, kaka nuɽuthur-gwu araaya ethi ɽeenye ki-thaay-la. 4 Nǝsi Fasṯuus ǝccǝŋw, “Bɔɔlɔs ŋgwana kwɔnaanɔ ki-sijin-nǝ Gaysariiyya, na nǝnyii naŋni ethaaɽitha kinanaŋw fittak. 5 Ethi lijǝwuṯ laalɔ ele nyii-gi Gaysariiyya ethi kettice kwɔɔrɔ shǝkwǝ mɔŋwsi ǝrri ŋeere ŋigii.”
6 Mǝ Fasṯuus naani ŋundu-ŋǝli ŋwaamin ŋweere dɔvɔkwɔppa ya wrii, e-ta nɔŋw-mǝ aaɽitha Gaysariiyya. Mǝ ŋɔrpɔ-ŋgwɔ oro nɔŋw naanalɔ ki-mahkama-na, mindaŋ nɔŋw alla waamira ethi mɔltha Bɔɔlɔs-ŋwɔ. 7 Mɔŋw ɔppathǝ tǝ, nǝ Yahuuḏ kiya yɔɔɽɔ Urshaliim-ŋgi rikkatha ŋunduŋw-lɔ, mindɔŋ nǝr allasi ŋiɽaŋali naana ŋittǝzir ŋifirlli ŋiti ŋǝthicǝrsi ŋɔma-na mac ethisi ruusi rerrem. 8 Laakin nǝ Bɔɔlɔs rocce rogɽo ruuŋwun nɔŋwaarɔŋw, “Nyii kwende kwɔmǝ akkɔ Sherii@a kweere pir kwǝthi Yahuuḏ, wala ethisi ǝrrizǝsǝ Heikala naana ŋeere ŋigii, wala ŋeere ŋigii Imbraaṯɔɔra naanɔ wir Rɔɔmaani.” 9 Laakin kaka anaŋna-gwɔ Fasṯuus ethi ǝmi Yahuuḏǝ-nǝ, nɔŋw uṯici Bɔɔlɔs-ŋwɔlɔ nɔŋwɔccǝŋw, “A kwǝmmini etheele Urshaliim ethi-ŋwɔ aari haakima shakaawi-gi ŋgwɔ kiyǝnǝ yiinyi kinana-ŋwa?” 10 Nǝ Bɔɔlɔs aarɔŋw, “Nyii kwɔ-rilli kiyǝnǝ yǝthi mahkama kwǝthi Imbraaṯɔɔr, kǝzir wǝrnyii-gwɔ ǝccǝ haakima. Ŋende ŋeere ŋigii ŋǝrricǝ-nyji Yahuuḏǝ, kaka nilŋithi-ŋǝsi rac rogɽo-ri rɔɔŋwa wɔɽe-wɔɽeny. 11 Ǝŋgi-nyii kii Sherii@a-na kweere, mindaŋ ethisi-mǝ ǝrri ŋeere ŋigii ŋɔvthannica hɔkwɔma wǝthi ŋiɽany, nyii kwende kwǝdhi ŋɔma mac ethi kilatha ŋiɽany. Laakin mǝ ŋiɽaŋal ŋeeŋen ŋa ŋallisar-nyji naana ere oro rerrem mac tǝ, nǝ kwende kweere kwǝthi ŋɔma ethi inḏǝthǝ nyuŋwɔ ŋunduŋwsi. Nyii kwɔnaŋna etheele naanɔ-gwɔ Imbraaṯɔɔr.”
12 E-ta nǝ Fasṯuus mɔmri ŋiɽaŋali-la lizi-li luuŋwun lǝthi mahkama, mindaŋ nɔŋw ǝŋnici nɔŋwɔccǝŋw, “Kaka mǝŋwɔ naŋni etheele naanɔ-gwɔ Imbraaṯɔɔr, ŋwɔṯaŋw a kweele naanɔ-ŋgwɔ.”
Bɔɔlɔs kiyǝnǝ yǝthi mǝlik Aghriibaas.
13 Mǝ ŋwaamin ŋwokwo ṯamthɔ, nǝ mǝlik kwǝni Aghriibaas ŋunduŋǝ Barniika-gi iila Gaysariiyya ethi aaganni Fasṯuus-ŋwɔ 14 Mǝr naani kinaŋw ŋwaamin ŋwuuru, nǝ Fasṯuus ilŋithini mǝlik-ŋǝ ŋiɽaŋali ŋǝthi Bɔɔlɔs, nɔŋwɔccǝŋw, “Kwɔr ŋgwɔ kwette kɔnɔŋw kwɔṯayya Fiiliiks ki-sijin-nǝ; 15 mindaŋ minyeele Urshaliim, nǝ rɔ-asa rǝthi kahana kir Yahuuḏ, ŋunduŋǝ lishiyuukh-li, nǝr-nyii ǝvicǝ shǝkwǝ kwallisar naana, mindaŋ nǝr-nyii naŋni ethi ǝccǝ ŋunduŋw haakima. 16 Laakin nǝnyji andaci nǝnyji ǝccǝŋw, nyiiŋǝ lir Rɔɔmaaniiyyiin nyiiŋǝ liti lǝṯi ɽeenye kwizi kweere mac, minyeere iisacci mahkama kwuuŋwun kinnǝni mac, nǝ ethi inḏǝthǝ fɔrsa tok ethi-gi rocce rogɽo ruuŋwun ŋiɽaŋali naana ŋa ŋallisarsi naana. 17 Na mǝr ɔppatha kɔnɔŋw tǝ, ninyeere ollololɔ mac, laakin mǝ laamin lithaathɔ iila tǝ, nǝnyii naanalɔ ki-mahkɔma-na, mindaŋ nǝnyii alla waamira ethi ǝvicǝ nyuŋwɔ kwɔɔrɔ. 18 Nǝ kila lir kaasim kuuŋun diiɽǝlǝ, laakin nǝreere ǝthi ŋɔma mac ethi aava lɔɽɔjɔ leere lǝrrǝŋw ligii ligittathiny-gwɔ 19 Nǝ ŋa tatap ŋǝthirsi nǝroro ŋǝthi ṯɔppathalɔ ṯǝthi ḏiin ṯeeŋen, nǝ ŋǝthi kwɔr kwette kwǝni Yǝcu kwɔmǝ ai laakin Bɔɔlɔs-tǝ nɔŋwaarɔŋw ŋgwɔ-tǝ kwɔmiithɔ. 20 Nǝ kaka nurǝŋthiny-gwɔ ŋiɽaŋal ŋɔ wɔrǝŋ, nǝnyii uṯici Bɔɔlɔs-ŋwɔlɔ ǝŋgwɔŋw ǝmmini etheele Urshaliim ethi-gwɔ ǝccǝ haakima kinanaŋw. 21 Laakin nǝ Bɔɔlɔs ɔṯalɔ ethi naani ki-sijin-nǝ mindaŋ ethi Imbraaṯɔɔr iisacci ŋunduŋw gǝḏiiyyǝ kuuŋun, e-ta nǝnyii alla waamira ethi naani ki-sijin-nǝ mindaŋ minyǝthi ŋɔma ethi ṯiŋacci ŋunduŋw Imbraaṯɔɔra.” 22 Nǝ Aghriibaas ǝccǝ Fasṯuus-ŋwɔ, “Nyii kwɔnaŋna ethi niŋnaci kwɔɔrɔ-ŋgwɔ rogɽo-ri riinyi wɔɽeny.” Nǝ Fasṯuus ǝccǝŋw, “Mǝ ŋɔrpɔ oro tǝ ǝmǝ niŋnaci.”
23 Mǝ ŋɔrpɔ-ŋgwa oro tǝ, nǝ Aghriibaas-ŋǝ Barniika-gi iila surṯǝnnǝ-gi kwɔppa kwǝthi luuvǝ nǝr ǝnḏi kǝzir wǝṯi-gwɔ lizi aaɽathi dɔŋw rɔ-asa-ri rǝthi jesh, nǝ lijǝwuṯ lǝthi mǝḏiinǝ tok. Nǝ Fasṯuus alla waamira ethi mɔltha Bɔɔlɔs-ŋwɔ. 24 Mindaŋ nǝ Fasṯuus aarɔw, “Yaa mǝlik Aghriibaas nǝ ŋaaŋa kila tatap linaanɔ kɔnɔŋw nyii-ŋǝli; ŋaaŋa kɔlɔ liisa kwɔɔrɔ ŋgwɔ kwɔrɔɔthathi Yahuuḏ tatap ṯuwǝn naana yǝthi kɔnɔŋw nǝ yǝthi Urshaiiim-ŋwɔ tok, nǝrnyii ǝvicǝ shǝkwǝ naaniny-gwɔ, nǝr ɔppɔna nǝraarɔŋw kwende kwɔvthanna mac ethi naani kwɔmiithɔ. 25 Laakin ninyeere ǝthi ŋɔma mac ethi kaṯṯaci kwomne kweere kwigii kwǝthi-gi iɽanyatha ŋunduŋw. Nǝ kaka mɔŋgwɔ ɔṯalɔ ethi Imbraaṯɔɔr iisacci gǝḏiiyyǝ kuuŋun, ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝnyii kittatha ethi ɔɔsi. 26 Laakin ninyeere ǝthi lɔɽɔjɔ leere mac lǝthi locce Imbraaṯɔɔra. Ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝnyi-mǝ mɔltha kiyǝnǝ yaalɔ, nǝ kiyǝnǝ yɔɔŋwa tittir yaa mǝlik Aghriibaas, mǝ raaŋaci gǝḏiiyyǝ kuuŋun rac tǝ, nyii-mǝ kaṯṯasi lɔɽɔjɔ leere lǝthi lo. 27 Kaka ninḏir-gwɔ ethoro ŋǝɽiyǝŋ duŋgwu-nyii ethi ṯiŋatha mɔhbuuɔa kwiti kwilŋithina kaṯṯiya kuuŋun ŋǝmmǝŋ mɔc.”