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.
Paulus me riheke kombara yopondomba
1 Kombunda yomayuva yetatu Festus tja za nokuya mehi, arire tja zu kOsesarea na i kOjerusalem. 2 Nu koṋa ngo ovapristeri oviuru novanane vOvajuda va raisa omarondororero wawo nga tjamene na Paulus. Owo ve riheka ku Festus 3 kutja e ve tjitire ondjingonekero yokueta Paulus kOjerusalem, owo tjinga ava tjita omerikutirokumwe wokuzepa Paulus mondjira. 4 Nungwari Festus wa zirire a tja: “Paulus u ri mondjeverero mOsesarea, nami omuini me yaruka ngo kombunda yomayuva omasupi. 5 Ovanane veṋu ngave ye tu yende pamwe kOsesarea ve karondore omurumendu ngwi ndoovazu eye u nouvi mbwa tjita.”
6 Festus wa kara omayuva hambondatu nga komurongo puna wo, okuzambo a i kOsesarea. Mependukirwa eye wa kahaama motjombanguriro na rakiza kutja Paulus a hitisiwe. 7 Nu Paulus tje ya, Ovajuda mba zire kOjerusalem va kuramene okumukondoroka nave utu okumukuminina oviṋa ovinene tjinene mbyaa ve ha yenene okuraisa. 8 Nungwari Paulus we riyeura omuini a tja: “Ami hi na tji mba tataiza mOmatwako wOvajuda na kondjuwo ya Muhona na kombara ya Roma.”
9 Nungwari Festus wa vangere okuritjatisa kOvajuda, nopa purira Paulus a tja: “Ove movanga okuyenda kOjerusalem okukapangurirwa omakuminino nga komurungu wandje?”
10 Paulus wa zirire a tja: “Ami nai mba kurama mba mombanguriro yombara oini mu mba sokupangurirwa. Hiya tjita ouhasemba kOvajuda otja ove omuini punga amo tjiwa. 11 Nu andakuzu mba tjita ouhasemba ku mesokupangurirwa konḓiro, ami hitje kondja okuupenga. Nungwari tji pe hi nouatjiri momarondororero ngu mave ndji rondora na wo, kape nomundu ngu ma sokundjiyandja ku wo. Ami opu me yarurire mo otjiposa tjandje kotjombanguriro tjombara.”
12 Nu Festus tja za nokuhungira novayandjandunge ve, arire tja ziri nai: “Ove wa yarura mo otjiposa tjoye kotjombanguriro tjombara, okutja mo i kombara ndji.”
Paulus komurungu wa Agripa na Bernise
13 Nomayuva tjiva tji ya kapita ombara Agripa na Bernise ve ere kOsesarea okuyekuvarura nokuminika Festus. 14 Nowo tji va kara omayuva omengi mo, Festus arire tja handjaurire ombara otjiposa tja Paulus a tja: “Muno mu nomurumendu Feliks ngwa sya momapando. 15 Nami tji mba ire kOjerusalem ovapristeri oviuru vOvajuda novanene otji ve mu rondora nave ndji ningire kutja mbi mu mune ondjo. 16 Nungwari ami mbe ve raera kutja eṱe Ovaroma katu notjikaro tjokukutura omundu ngwa kumininwa ouvi, ngunda e hiya hakaena novemukuminine omurungu nomurungu ne hiya pewa oruveze rwokuriyeura omuini komakuminino nga. 17 Nowo tji ve ya nguno, ami hi wombere ko, nungwari mependukirwa mba kahaama motjombanguriro ne ve rakiza kutja omurumendu ngo a hitisiwe. 18 Ovemukuminine va sekamene, nungwari owo kave na pu ve mu kuminina ouvi auhe ami mbu mba tjangovasi mave mu kuminine. 19 Nḓu va kara na zo na ye porwazo ozombata, nḓa tjama nongamburiro yawo oveni, na wina nḓa tjama nomurumendu wena Jesus ngwa ṱa, nungwari Paulus ngwa tja u nomuinyo. 20 Ami tjinga ee ripura pevari kutja ondjakaha ndji me ṱunu vi, otjinga amba pura Paulus kutja mape ya a i kOjerusalem okukapangurirwa omarondororero nga koṋa ngo. 21 Nungwari Paulus wa yarura mo otjiposa tje kotjombanguriro tjombara ya Roma, nokutja oyo i tye otjiposa tje. Ami opu mba rakizira kutja eye a tjeverwe nga ami tji mba yenene okumuhinda kombara yopondomba.”
22 Nu Agripa wa tja ku Festus: “Ami omuini etje vanga okuzuva omurumendu ngwi.”
Festus a ziri a tja: “Ove mo mu zuu muhuka.”
23 Mependukirwa Agripa na Bernise ve ya otja ovandu ovayozikwa tjinene nave hiti mondjuwo yombongarero puna ovanane wovita novanene votjihuro. Festus wa raya kutja Paulus a kaetwe neye arire tja hitisiwa. 24 Festus wa tja: “Mbara Agripa na eṋe amuhe mbu mu ri puna eṱe mba: Eṋe mamu munu omurumendu ngwi Ovajuda avehe muno na mOjerusalem ngu ve mu etera otjiposa ku ami. Owo mave ravaere kutja nga ṱe. 25 Nungwari ami hi mwine otjiṋa tja tjita puma pwire okupangurirwa onḓiro. Neye omuini tjinga a yarura mo otjiposa tje kombara yopondomba ami otjinga amba tya okumuhinda kOroma. 26 Ami hi notjiṋa tjouatjiri tji tja tjama na ye tji mba sokutjanga kombara yopondomba. Opu mba zu okumueta mba komurungu woye, nu tjinene kove, mbara Agripa, kokutja otjiposa tje tji tja konḓononwa ami mbi sore okukara nomambo ngu me tjanga. 27 Orondu me tjangovasi ouyova okuhinda omupandekwa kOroma nokuhinokuraisa noukahu imbi puma perwa ondjo.”
