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.”
Pawulo Ajulira ewa Kayisaali
125:1 Bik 8:40Fesuto yamala ennaku ssatu mu Kayisaliya ng’azze okutandika emirimu gye emiggya, n’asitula okugenda e Yerusaalemi. 225:2 nny 15; Bik 24:1Bwe yali ali eyo, bakabona abakulu n’abakulembeze b’Abayudaaya ne bamutegeeza bye baali bavunaana Pawulo. 3Ne bamwegayirira abayambe atumye Pawulo aleetebwe mu Yerusaalemi, kubanga baali bategeka bamuttire mu kkubo. 425:4 Bik 24:23Naye Fesuto n’abaddamu nti, “Nga Pawulo bw’ali mu Kayisaliya, ate nga nange nzija kuddayo mu nnaku ntono, 5abakulembeze mu nsonga ezo tugende nabo nga nzirayo.” Obanga waliwo omusango Pawulo gw’azizza baguleete mu mbuga z’amateeka awozesebwe.
625:6 nny 17Oluvannyuma lw’ennaku nga munaana oba kkumi, Fesuto n’aserengeta mu Kayisaliya, era bwe yatuuka, enkeera n’alagira Pawulo aleetebwe mu mbuga z’amateeka. 725:7 a Mak 15:3; Luk 23:2, 10; Bik 24:5, 6 b Bik 24:13Awo Pawulo bwe yaleetebwa, Abayudaaya abaava e Yerusaalemi ne baleeta emisango mingi egy’amaanyi bamuvunaane kyokka nga tebayinza kulaga bukakafu bwagyo. 825:8 Bik 6:13; 24:12; 28:17Pawulo n’awoza ng’agamba nti, “Simenyanga mateeka ga Kiyudaaya n’akamu, era siyonoonanga Yeekaalu, so sijeemeranga Kayisaali.” 925:9 a Bik 24:27 b nny 20Fesuto, olw’okwagala okusanyusa Abayudaaya, n’abuuza Pawulo nti, “Oyagala okugenda e Yerusaalemi gy’oba owoleza emisango gino mu maaso gange?”
10Awo Pawulo n’addamu nti, “Kaakano nyimiridde mu maaso g’embuga ya Kayisaali era we nteekwa okuwozesebwa. Naawe omanyidde ddala bulungi nga bwe sirina musango gwonna gwe nazza ku Bayudaaya. 11Naye obanga waliwo omusango gwe nazza, ne gunsaanyiza okufa, nange sigaana kufa! Naye obanga siriiko musango, ng’emisango gyonna Abayudaaya bano gye bankakaatikako gya bulimba bwereere, ggwe tolina kw’osinziira wadde omuntu omulala yenna, okumpaayo gye bali okunzita. Njulidde eri Kayisaali.” 12Fesuto, bwe yamala okuteesaamu n’abamuwa amagezi, n’addamu nti, “Nga bw’ojulidde ewa Kayisaali, kale, onootwalibwa ewa Kayisaali.”
Fesuto Yeebuuza ku Kabaka Agulipa
1325:13 Bik 8:40Awo bwe waayitawo ennaku Kabaka Agulipa ne Berenike ne batuuka mu Kayisaliya okukyalira Fesuto. 1425:14 Bik 24:27Ku bugenyi baamalako ennaku nnyingi, era mu bbanga eryo Fesuto n’ategeeza kabaka eby’omusango gwa Pawulo. N’amugamba nti, “Waliwo omusajja wano Ferikisi gwe yaleka mu kkomera nga musibe. 1525:15 nny 2; Bik 24:1Bwe nnali mu Yerusaalemi, bakabona ne bantegeeza emisango gye baali bamuvunaana, ne bansaba musalire omusango gumusinge era abonerezebwe.
1625:16 nny 4, 5; Bik 23:30“Ne mbannyonnyola nti mu mateeka g’Ekiruumi, omuntu tasalirwa musango kumusinga nga tamaze kuwozesebwa n’aweebwa omukisa okuwoza n’abamuwawaabira. 1725:17 nny 6, 10Bwe bajja wano okuwoza omusango ogwo, enkeera ne mpita Pawulo n’ajja mu mbuga z’amateeka. 18Naye emisango gye baamuwawaabira si gye gyo gye nnali nsuubira. 1925:19 a Bik 18:15; 23:29 b Bik 17:22Gyali gikwata ku bya ddiini yaabwe, ne ku muntu ayitibwa Yesu eyafa, naye Pawulo gw’ategeeza abantu nti mulamu! 2025:20 nny 9Ebyo ne binnemesa. Kwe ku mubuuza obanga yandyagadde emisango egyo okugiwoleza mu Yerusaalemi. 2125:21 nny 11, 12Naye Pawulo n’ajulira eri Kayisaali! Bwe ntyo ne mmuzzaayo mu kkomera, nteeketeeke okumuweereza eri Kayisaali.”
2225:22 Bik 9:15Agulipa n’agamba nti, “Nange nandiyagadde okuwulira ku musajja ono by’agamba.” Fesuto n’addamu nti, “Enkya onoomuwulira.”
Pawulo mu maaso ga Agulipa
2325:23 nny 13; Bik 26:30Awo ku lunaku olwaddirira Agulipa ne Berenike ne bayingira n’ekitiibwa kinene nnyo mu kisenge ekinene we batuukira, nga bawerekerwako abaserikale n’abantu abatutumufu mu kibuga. Fesuto n’alagira ne baleeta Pawulo. 2425:24 a nny 2, 3, 7 b Bik 22:22Fesuto n’alyoka agamba nti, “Kabaka Agulipa, nammwe mwenna abali wano ono ye musajja, Abayudaaya aba kuno n’abo ab’omu Yerusaalemi, gwe bansabye attibwe! 2525:25 a Bik 23:9 b nny 11Nze nga bwe ndaba, talina ky’akoze kimusaanyiza kufa. Naye bwe yajulira eri Kayisaali, nange kwe kusalawo okumuweereza e Ruumi. 26Naye bye nnassa mu bbaluwa emutwala eri Kayisaali nange bimbuze, kubanga taliiko musango gwennyini gwe yazza! Kyenvudde muleeta mu maaso gammwe mwenna, n’okusingira ddala gy’oli, Kabaka Agulipa, nga neesiga ng’okuva mu ebyo bye munaamubuuza, naye by’anaddamu, nzija kufunamu bye nnassa mu bbaluwa ya Kayisaali. 27Kubanga sirowooza nti kirungi okuweereza omusibe eri Kayisaali ng’omusango gw’azizza tegunnyonnyose.”
