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.
Ŋen Bulus gəfo isəria Fasṯus nëiñua
1 Na ndə eləŋ Fasṯus geṯo gəɽaŋa alo eŋələŋe ŋəlëɽəŋu, ndə ñoman ñəŋgaṯo ñiɽijin nəŋətwod̶e alo yi-Gaisariya nəgabəṯa alo yi-Ursalim. 2 Na nələŋ nəkana na led̶a ildi loɽra eŋen ig-Alyawuḏ ldəmaŋaici ŋen iŋi ləgiyacau Bulus, na ldəmalwaɽəṯi kaiñ ṯalmariṯu ŋabaiya, 3 ṯa aŋəlaməd̶aṯe, ldaṯa ŋgiṯu maje aŋəd̶weinia alo yi-Ursalim, ŋen ŋanṯa lënəŋulu lerṯo ŋen enare ṯa aləmaɽaŋəṯi ed̶ad̶ ṯa almaɽiñe. 4 Na Fasṯus nəŋəlwaɽəṯi ṯa Bulus aŋarəmujəni alo yi-Gaisariya, orn aten gid̶i aŋəɽe tu gënəŋu. 5 Nṯia nəŋaṯa, “Ŋgiṯr led̶a ildi loɽra eñaŋ ñirəwəlda, na ndə ŋen ŋənəŋ ŋəfo mənna emaje igi, ŋgiṯəlo almasəki.” 6 Ndə ləɽaŋəlda ñoman ñəmaṯan ñəməñaṯo d̶enəŋ nəñəməñe ñiɽijin walla red̶, nəŋirəwuṯi alo yi-Gaisariya, na eloman leṯeɽe nəŋəɽaŋe nalkurs eŋələŋe nəŋəlwaɽe ṯa Bulus aŋəyelnia. 7 Na ndə geṯod̶əge Alyawuḏ isi yafo yeṯo alo yi-Ursalim nimad̶iṯi ṯwaiñ nisəki Bulus ŋenŋa ŋwaiña ŋinia na nəyerṯe yeɽwad̶aṯa yibërrəŋaid̶ia ŋen ŋənəŋ ṯa ŋad̶eṯəm. 8 Orn ndə Bulus gopəṯo gënəŋu nəŋaṯa, “Egero egəgera ŋen ŋənəŋ ŋ-Alyawuḏ walla ŋ-Alekəl walla ŋeləŋ goɽra gə-Roma.”
9 Orn Fasṯus gwonaṯa Alyawuḏ yimaŋërṯia nano, nəŋeiṯi Bulus ṯa, “Agwonaṯa agabəṯa alo yi-Ursalim ṯa ŋinḏeini tu eŋen iŋi yilwaɽəṯəñi?”
10 Orn Bulus nəŋaṯa, “Igad̶əru kursi nëiñua yeləŋ goɽra gə-Roma alo isi ŋen ŋərəjad̶aṯo iwinḏeini, egero igəbiṯia Alyawuḏ ŋen ŋəfo mənna ŋənəŋ garno agələŋeṯo ŋopia com aganəŋa. 11 Ndə igid̶u mənna na igid̶u ŋen ŋənəŋ ŋeicia ŋəɽwad̶aṯa ŋəma ŋəɽiañ egaber egwonaṯa igëbərnia eŋəɽaiñ, orn ndə ŋen ŋero ŋənəŋ id̶əskid̶ia ed̶en ed̶a gero gənəŋ gəɽwad̶aṯa gaiñənaid̶ia iŋulu. Egwonaṯa eləŋ goɽra gə-Roma aŋinḏeici ŋen.” 12 Oro Fasṯus, ndə linḏeicu ŋen led̶ala ildi laməd̶aṯəma nəŋəmuɽəbiṯi eŋen ṯa, “Agwonaṯa eləŋ goɽra gə-Roma, egaŋad̶waṯa ŋaɽe eləŋ goɽra gə-Roma nano.”
Ŋen Bulus gəfo Agribas nëiñua na Barnika
13 Na ndə ñoman ñəŋgaṯo ñəmaṯan eləŋ Agribas na Barnika leṯo alo yi-Gaisariya ŋen ŋanṯa alne eləŋ Fasṯus ëiñua. 14 Na ŋen ləɽaŋa tu ñoman ñwaiña Fasṯus nəŋəlwaɽəṯi eləŋ Agribas ŋen ŋə-Bulus nəŋaṯa, “Maje gëni gənəŋ Filiks gəṯad̶əma gëndənu, 15 na ŋen egəfo alo yi-Ursalim nələŋ nəkana na led̶a loɽra eŋen ŋ-Alyawuḏ lalwaɽəṯiñi ŋen ŋəlëɽəŋu, ldəñeɽəde ṯa emakəme. 16 Orn iguɽəbiṯəlo eŋen ṯa gerṯe ŋen ŋə-Romaniyin ṯa yanaid̶ia ed̶a gənəŋ ndə gəmulu gəbinḏeinia led̶a nëiñua ildi ləmasəkia, na aŋerṯe liga ṯa aŋopəṯe eŋen iŋi ləsəkimau. 17 Na ndə lərraid̶o ëli niyerṯe igəṯurṯia liga lərto orn eloman leṯeɽe neɽaŋe nalkurs yeŋələŋe nilwaɽəṯi ṯa maje aŋəməni. 18 Na ndə led̶a ildi lasəkima latwod̶o, lderṯe ləmasəkia eŋen ŋeicia ŋənəŋ gid̶u garno egəbaṯa aŋgaica ŋëni, 19 orn lderṯe ŋen ɽetəɽeteo eŋen iŋi lëndu na eŋen ŋəmaje gənəŋ gəbërnia Yesu igi gaiyo orn Bulus ṯaŋaṯa gaməṯo. 20 Na egaijəba ŋen ṯa igəbinḏeicia ŋen iŋi ṯau, orn nemeɽəd̶e ndə gwonaṯa gabəṯa alo yi-Ursalim ṯa aŋinḏeini tu eŋen eŋen. 21 Orn Bulus gwonaṯa ṯa aŋəŋgid̶eini ëli ŋen ŋanṯa aŋinḏeini egələŋ goɽra gə-Roma, na nelwaɽe ṯa aŋəd̶ərneini ëli ŋen ŋanṯa yid̶i imad̶weiti eləŋ goɽra gə-Roma.” 22 Na Agribas nəŋeiṯi Fasṯus ṯa, “Igënəñi egwonaṯa enaṯe maje ŋen igi.” Na Fasṯus nəŋaṯa, “Eṯeɽe agid̶i ŋamanaṯe.”
23 Na eloman leṯeɽe Agribas na Barnika leṯo ldënṯi alo isi led̶a laurarraid̶ia ləṯiñia ŋen nano, nələŋəna naskari na led̶ala ildi loɽra eŋen lalo isi. Na Fasṯus nəŋəlwaɽe ṯa Bulus aŋəmənia. 24 Na Fasṯus nəŋaṯa, “Ya eləŋ Agribas na ñəŋgi pred̶ ləgafr, ñagaseicia maje igi Alyawuḏ pred̶ isi yalo yi-Ursalim na alo isi com, yarəjaico olia na yalwaɽəṯiñi ṯa maje aŋerṯe gəməṯia təŋ. 25 Orn igënəñi egero igəfid̶ia ŋen ŋənəŋ gid̶u ŋeicia ŋərəjad̶aṯo eŋen ŋəŋəɽaiñ, na ŋen ŋanṯa gënəŋu gwonaṯa gəbinḏeicia ŋen ŋəlëɽəŋu egeləŋ goɽra gə-Roma, egaṯa egamad̶waṯa. 26 Orn egero igəfid̶a ŋen ŋənəŋ d̶urri eŋen ŋəlëɽəŋu ṯa igawërd̶əṯia eləŋ goɽra gə-Roma ad̶am. Nṯia egeṯəmaiya ñaŋ nëiñua na ŋa d̶urri, na eləŋ Agribas, ṯa ndə ləgindeicəmar ifid̶i ŋen ŋənəŋ iwërd̶i. 27 Ŋen ŋanṯa igënəñi egaṯa ŋen ŋafo mənna egad̶waṯa ed̶a gëndənu eleŋ goɽra gə-Roma nëiñua na egero egalwaɽa ŋen ŋənəŋ ṯa gəsəkinu ed̶a.”