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.”
Paũlũ Kũrũgama Mbere ya Fesito
1Na rĩrĩ, mĩthenya ĩtatũ yathira thuutha wa Fesito gũkinya kũu bũrũri-inĩ, akiuma Kaisarea akĩambata agĩthiĩ Jerusalemu. 225:2 Atũm 25:15Nao athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene na atongoria a Ayahudi magĩũka harĩ we, makĩmwĩra maũndũ marĩa Paũlũ aathitangĩirwo. 3Nĩmahĩkire gũthaitha Fesito atĩ nĩ ũndũ wa wega wake kũrĩ o etĩkĩre Paũlũ atwarwo Jerusalemu, nĩgũkorwo nĩmahaaragĩria kũmuoheria njĩra-inĩ mamũũrage. 425:4 Atũm 20:3; Atũm 24:23Nake Fesito akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Paũlũ ahingĩirwo Kaisarea, na niĩ nĩngũcooka kuo o narua. 5Tondũ ũcio no tũthiĩ na atongoria amwe anyu nĩgeetha mathiĩ magathitangĩre mũndũ ũcio kuo, angĩkorwo nĩ harĩ ũndũ mũũru ekĩte.”
6Thuutha wa gũikarania nao kũu ihinda ta rĩa mĩthenya ĩnana kana ikũmi, agĩikũrũka, agĩthiĩ Kaisarea, na mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ akĩgomithania igooti, na agĩathana Paũlũ areehwo mbere yake. 725:7 Atũm 24:5, 6; Atũm 24:13Rĩrĩa Paũlũ aakinyire, Ayahudi arĩa maikũrũkĩte kuuma Jerusalemu makĩmũrigiicĩria, na makĩmũthitangĩra maũndũ maingĩ mooru, marĩa matangĩahotire kuonania atĩ nĩ ma ma.
825:8 Atũm 6:13; 28:17Nake Paũlũ akĩĩyarĩrĩria, akiuga atĩrĩ: “Niĩ ndirĩ ũndũ njĩkĩte ũreganĩte na watho wa Ayahudi, o na kana wa hekarũ o na kana wa Kaisari.”
925:9 Atũm 24:27; Atũm 25:20Nake Fesito, akĩenda gũkenia Ayahudi akĩũria Paũlũ atĩrĩ, “Wee nĩ ũkwenda kwambata ũthiĩ Jerusalemu ngagũciirithĩrie kuo nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ maya ũthitangĩirwo?”
10Nake Paũlũ agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ndũgamĩte igooti-inĩ rĩa Kaisari, harĩa njagĩrĩirwo nĩ gũciirithĩrio. Niĩ ndihĩtĩirie Ayahudi, o ta ũrĩa wee mwene ũmenyete o wega. 1125:11 Atũm 26:32; Atũm 28:19No rĩrĩ, angĩkorwo ndĩ na ihĩtia rĩa gwĩka ũndũ o wothe wa gũtũma njũragwo-rĩ, ndingĩrega gũkua. No angĩkorwo maũndũ marĩa thitangĩirwo nĩ Ayahudi aya ti ma ma-rĩ, gũtikĩrĩ mũndũ ũrĩ na gĩtũmi gĩa kũũneana kũrĩ o. Ndacookia ciira riiko kũrĩ Kaisari!”
12Thuutha wa Fesito gũcookania ndundu na kĩama gĩake, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Wacookia ciira riiko kũrĩ Kaisari na kũrĩ Kaisari nĩkuo ũgũthiĩ!”
Fesito Kũmenyithia Mũthamaki Agiripa Ũhoro
13Mĩthenya mĩnini yathira Mũthamaki Agiripa na Berinike magĩũka kũu Kaisarea kũnyiita Fesito ũgeni. 1425:14 Atũm 24:27Na tondũ nĩmaikaraga kũu mĩthenya mĩingĩ-rĩ, Fesito akĩhe mũthamaki ũcio ũhoro wa ciira wa Paũlũ, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Gũkũ kũrĩ na mũndũ watigirwo nĩ Felike arĩ muohe. 1525:15 Atũm 24:1; 25:2Rĩrĩa ndaathiire Jerusalemu-rĩ, athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene na athuuri a Ayahudi nĩmamũthitangire, na makĩnjũũria ndĩmũtuĩre.
1625:16 Atũm 25:4, 5“Na niĩ ngĩmeera atĩ ti mũtugo wa andũ a Roma kũneana mũndũ o wothe ataambĩte kũngʼethanĩra na andũ arĩa mamũthitangĩte na kũheo mweke wa kwĩyarĩrĩria ũhoro-inĩ ũrĩa athitangĩirwo. 1725:17 Atũm 25:6, 10Rĩrĩa tuokire nao gũkũ, ndiaikaririe ciira ũcio, no ndaarookire kũgomithania igooti na ngĩathana mũndũ ũcio areehwo. 18Rĩrĩa andũ arĩa maamũthitangĩte maarũgamire kwaria, matiamũthitangĩire ũndũ o na ũmwe mũũru ta ũrĩa nderĩgĩrĩire. 1925:19 Atũm 18:15No handũ ha ũguo, o maarĩ na maũndũ mamwe maakararanagia nake makoniĩ ũhoro wa ndini yao na makoniĩ ũhoro wa mũndũ wakuĩte wetagwo Jesũ ũrĩa Paũlũ oigaga atĩ arĩ muoyo. 20Nĩndarigirwo nĩ ũrĩa ingĩtuĩria maũndũ ta macio; nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩmũũria kana no eende gũthiĩ Jerusalemu agaciirithĩrio maũndũ macio aathitangĩirwo kuo. 2125:21 Atũm 25:11, 12Rĩrĩa Paũlũ aacookirie ciira riiko etererio itua rĩa Mũthamaki-rĩ, ngĩathana ahingĩrwo nginya rĩrĩa ingĩahotire kũmũtwarithia kũrĩ Kaisari.”
22Hĩndĩ ĩyo Agiripa akĩĩra Fesito atĩrĩ, “No nyende kwĩiguĩra mũndũ ũcio akĩaria.”
Nake Fesito agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩũkamũigua rũciũ.”
Paũlũ Kũrũgama mbere ya Agiripa
2325:23 Atũm 26:30Mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ, Agiripa na Berinike magĩũka marĩ na mwago mũnene na magĩtoonya nyũmba ya gũciirĩrwo marĩ hamwe na anene a thigari o na athuuri a itũũra arĩa maarĩ igweta. Nake Fesito agĩathana Paũlũ areehwo. 2425:24 Atũm 25:2, 3, 7Fesito akiuga atĩrĩ, “Mũthamaki Agiripa na andũ arĩa othe mũrĩ na ithuĩ haha, nĩmũkuona mũndũ ũyũ! Nĩwe mũingĩ wothe wa Ayahudi wanjũũririe, ndĩ kũu Jerusalemu na ndĩ gũkũ Kaisarea, ngaciire ũhoro wake, ũkĩanĩrĩra ũkiugaga atĩ ndagĩrĩirwo nĩgũtũũra muoyo rĩngĩ. 2525:25 Atũm 23:9No niĩ nĩndonire atĩ ndarĩ ũndũ eekĩte wa gũtũma ooragwo, no tondũ nĩacookirie ciira riiko kũrĩ Mũthamaki, ngĩtua itua rĩa kũmũtũma Roma. 26No ndirĩ na ũndũ mũna ingĩandĩkĩra Mũthamaki Mũgaathe igũrũ rĩake. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, ndamũrehe mbere yanyu inyuothe, na makĩria mbere yaku wee Mũthamaki Agiripa, nĩgeetha ũhoro ũyũ warĩkia gũtuĩrio, ngĩe na ũndũ ingĩandĩka. 27Nĩgũkorwo ndikuona kwagĩrĩire gũtũma mũndũ muohe itekuonania maũndũ marĩa athitangĩirwo.”
