Paul’s Trial Before Festus
1Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. 4Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”
6After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. 7When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.
8Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”
9Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”
10Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
Festus Consults King Agrippa
13A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.
16“I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. 17When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. 18When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. 20I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. 21But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”
22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”
He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”
Paul Before Agrippa
23The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”
Festo Di Paulo Asɛm
1Festo besii Felike anan mu sɛ amrado wɔ Kaesarea no, ne nnansa so no ɔkɔɔ Yerusalem. 2Asɔfo mpanyin ne Yudafo mpanyin no de nsɛm a wɔwɔ tia Paulo no bɛtoo nʼanim. 3Esiane sɛ na wɔabɔ Paulo ho pɔw sɛ wɔbɛtɛw no wɔ ɔkwan so akum no nti, wɔsrɛɛ no sɛ wɔmma wɔmfa no mmra Yerusalem. 4Nanso Festo buaa wɔn se, esiane sɛ Paulo da afiase wɔ Kaesarea na ɛrenkyɛ biara ɔno ankasa bɛkɔ hɔ nti, 5wɔn a wodi asɛm no anim no ne no nkɔ nkodi asɛm no wɔ hɔ.
6Festo dii bɛyɛ nnaawɔtwe anaa nnafua du ansa na ɔresan aba Kaesarea. Obeduu adekyee no, ɔtenaa agua mu dii Paulo asɛm. 7Bere a Paulo beduu asennii hɔ no, Yudafo a wofi Yerusalem no twaa ne ho hyiae fii ase kekaa nsɛm a ɛnyɛ nokware too no so.
8Paulo yii ne ho ano se, “Minni biribiara ho fɔ, efisɛ menkasa ntiaa Yudafo mmara; minguu asɔredan ho fi, na menkasa ntiaa Roma aban nso.”
9Esiane sɛ na Festo pɛ sɛ ɔsɔ Yudafo no ani nti obisaa Paulo se, “Wopɛ sɛ mede wo kɔ Yerusalem kodi wʼasɛm wɔ hɔ ana?”
10Paulo buae se, “Esiane sɛ Ɔhempɔn Kaesare asennii na migyina nti, ɛha ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wodi mʼasɛm, bu me atɛn efisɛ menyɛɛ Yudafo bɔne biara sɛnea wo ara wunim no. 11Sɛ mabu mmara so anaa mayɛ biribiara a ɛno nti ɛsɛ sɛ wobu me kumfɔ a, minsuro. Nanso sɛ nsɛm a saa Yudafo yi ka tia me no nyɛ nokware a, obiara rentumi mfa me mma wɔn. Miguan toa Ɔhempɔn Kaesare.”
12Festo ne ne mpanyimfo tuu agyina wiei no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Paulo se, “Esiane sɛ woaguan atoa Ɔhempɔn Kaesare no nti yɛde wo bɛkɔ nʼanim.”
Paulo Ho Nkɔmmɔdi
13Nna bi akyi no, Ɔhene Agripa ne Berenike baa Kaesarea bɛmaa Festo akwaaba. 14Wɔwɔ hɔ no, Festo ne Ɔhene Agripa dii Paulo asɛm no ho nkɔmmɔ. Festo ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no se, “Ɔbarima bi wɔ ha a Felike gyaw no sɛ odeduani; 15na mekɔɔ Yerusalem no, Yudafo asɔfo mpanyimfo ne mpanyin kaa nsɛm bi tiaa no sɛ minnyina so mmu no kumfɔ.
16“Nanso meka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, Roma mmara mma ho kwan sɛ wobu obi fɔ wɔ bere a wonnii nʼasɛm ɛ, enti wɔmma no kwan na onyi ne ho ano wɔ asɛm a wɔka tia no no ho. 17Wɔbae no mansɛe bere koraa na ade kyee no, mehyɛɛ sɛ wɔmfa no mmra na minni nʼasɛm. 18Nanso wɔanka nsɛm a misusuwii no mu biara anto no so. 19Nsɛm a wɔkaa no fa wɔn nyamesom ne ɔbarima bi a wɔfrɛ no Yesu a owui nanso Paulo ka se ɔte ase no ho. 20Esiane sɛ na asɛm no kyere mʼadwene nti, mibisaa Paulo sɛ ɔpɛ sɛ mikodi nʼasɛm wɔ Yerusalem ana? 21Nanso Paulo guan toaa Ɔhempɔn Kaesare. Enti mesan ma wɔde no kɔtoo afiase kosi bere a metumi de no akɔ Ɔhempɔn Kaesare anim.”
22Ɔhene Agripa ka kyerɛɛ Festo se, “Mepɛ sɛ mʼankasa mitie nʼanom asɛm.”
Festo ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ɔkyena mede no bɛba na woatie nʼanom asɛm.”
Paulo Gyina Ɔhene Agripa Anim
23Ade kyee no Ɔhene Agripa ne Berenike hyehyɛɛ wɔn ho de ahokeka ne asraafo mpanyimfo ne kurow no mu mpanyin kɔɔ asennii hɔ. Festo hyɛ ma wɔde Paulo baa asennii hɔ. 24Festo kae se, “Ɔhene Agripa ne mo a moahyia ha nyinaa, saa ɔbarima yi na Yudafo a wɔwɔ ha ne Yerusalemfo aka nsɛm atia no, de no abrɛ me sɛ mimmu no kumfɔ no, 25nanso mannya asɛm biara annyina so a mede bebu no kumfɔ. Esiane sɛ ɔno ankasa guan toaa Ɔhempɔn Kaesare no nti, mayɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede no bɛkɔ nʼanim. 26Esiane sɛ minni asɛm pɔtee bi a mɛkyerɛw akɔma Ɔhempɔn Kaesare nti, na mede no aba wo, Ɔhene Agripa anim se sɛ wuwie wo nhwehwɛmuyɛ a manya biribi agyina so de akyerɛw ne ho asɛm. 27Minnye nni sɛ ntease wɔ mu sɛ mede odeduani bɛkɔ nʼanim a menkyerɛw biribi pɔtee bi a etia no!”
