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.
بولس يرفع دعواه إلى القيصر
1 ولمّا وصَلَ فَسْتوسُ بَعدَ ثلاثةِ أيّامٍ إلى الوِلايةِ، صَعِدَ مِنْ قيصرِيّةَ إلى أُورُشليمَ. 2 فعَرَضَ لَه رُؤساءُ الكَهنَةِ وزُعماءُ اليَهودِ دَعواهُم على بولُسَ، واَلتَمَسوا مِنهُ 3 أنْ يَمُنّ علَيهِم، فيَنقُلَ بولُسَ إلى أُورُشليمَ. وأقاموا لَه كَمينًا في الطّريقِ ليَقتُلوهُ. 4 فأجابَ فَسْتُوسُ أنّ بولُسَ يَبقى مُعتَقلاً في قيصرِيّةَ، وأمّا هوَ فسَيَرجِـعُ إلَيها عاجِلاً. 5 وقالَ: «ليَنزِلْ مَعي زُعماؤُكُم إلى قيصرِيّةَ فإذا كانَ هذا الرّجُلُ مُذْنِبًا، فلْيتّهِموهُ».
6 وأقامَ فَسْتوسُ عِندَهُم أيّامًا لا تَزيدُ على الثمانيةِ أو العَشَرةِ، ثُمّ نَزَلَ إلى قَيصرِيّةَ. وفي الغَدِ جلَسَ لِلقَضاءِ، وأمَرَ بإحضارِ بولُسَ، 7 فلمّا حضَرَ أحاطَ بِه اليَهودُ القادِمونَ مِنْ أُورُشليمَ واَتّهَموهُ بِجرائِمَ كَثيرةٍ عَجِزوا عَنْ إثباتِها. 8 فدافَعَ بولُسُ عَنْ نَفسِهِ قالَ: «ما أذنَبْتُ بِشيءٍ لا إلى شريعةِ اليَهودِ ولا إلى الهَيكَلِ ولا إلى القَيصرِ».
9 وأرادَ فَسْتوسُ أنْ يُرضِيَ اليَهودَ، فقالَ لِبولُسَ: «أتُريدُ أنْ تَصعَدَ إلى أُورُشليمَ، فتُحاكَمَ هُناكَ لديّ على هذِهِ الأُمورِ؟» 10 فأجابَ بولُسُ: «أنا لدى مَحكمةِ القَيصرِ، ولدى مَحكَمةِ القَيصرِ يَجبُ أنْ أُحاكَمَ. أنتَ تَعرِفُ حَقّ المَعرِفَةِ أنّي ما أسأتُ إلى اليَهودِ بِشيءٍ. 11 فإذا ثــبَتَ أنّي أذنَبْتُ، أوِ اَرتكَبْتُ ما أستَوجِبُ بِه الموتَ، فأنا لا أتهَرّبُ مِنَ الموتِ. أمّا إذا كانَ ما يتّهِموني بِه باطِلاً، فلا يَجوزُ لأحدٍ أنْ يُسَلّمَني إلَيهِم. وإلى القَيصرِ أرفَعُ دَعوايَ».
12 فتَشاورَ فَسْتوسُ ومُعاوِنوهُ ثُمّ أجابَ: «رَفَعْتَ إلى القَيصرِ دَعواكَ، فإلى القَيصرِ تَذهَبُ».
بولس والملك أغريباس
13 وبَعدَ بِضعَةِ أيّامٍ، جاءَ المَلِكُ أغريبّاسُ وبَرنيكَةُ إلى قيصرِيّةَ ليُسلّما على فَسْتوسَ. 14 فلمّا مَضى على إقامتِهِما مُدّةٌ مِنَ الزّمَنِ، عرَضَ فَسْتوسُ على المَلِكِ قَضيّةَ بولُسَ قالَ: «هُنا رَجُلٌ تَرَكَهُ فيلِكْسُ في السّجنِ. 15 وعِندَما كُنتُ في أُورُشليمَ شَكاهُ إليّ رُؤساءُ الكَهنَةِ وشُيوخُ اليَهودِ وطَلَبوا الحُكْمَ علَيهِ. 16 فقُلتُ لهُم: مِنْ عادَةِ الرّومانِ أنْ لا يُسَلّموا أحدًا لِلموتِ، قَبلَ أنْ يُواجِهَ مُتّهِميهِ ويُسمَحَ لَه بالرّدّ على دَعواهُم. 17 فلمّا جاؤُوا إلى هُنا، جَلَستُ في الغَدِ لِلقَضاءِ مِنْ دونِ تأخيرٍ، وأمَرْتُ بإحضارِ الرّجُلِ. 18 فعرَضَ مُتّهمُوهُ دَعواهُم، فما ذَكَروا جَريمَةً واحدةً مِن النّوعِ الذي كُنتُ أتَوقّعُهُ، 19 وإنّما كانَ بَينَهُم وبَينَهُ جِدالٌ في مسائِلَ تَتعلّقُ بِدِيانَتِهِم، وبرَجُلٍ ماتَ اسمُهُ يَسوعُ، وبولُسُ يَزعُمُ أنّهُ حَيّ. 20 فحِرْتُ في الأمرِ، فسألتُ بولُسَ أَيُريدُ أنْ يَصعَدَ إلى أُورُشليمَ ليُحاكَمَ فيها. 21 ولكِنّ بولُسَ رفَعَ دَعواهُ إلى جلالَةِ القَيصرِ، تارِكًا لَه النّظَرَ فيها. فأمرتُ أنْ يَبقى مَسجونًا إلى أنْ أُرسِلَهُ لِلقيصرِ». 22 فقالَ أغريبّاسُ لِفَسْتوسَ: «ليتَني أسمَعُ أنا هذا الرّجُلَ». فأجابَهُ فَسْتوسُ: «غدًا تَسمَعُهُ».
23 وفي الغدِ، جاءَ أغريبّاسُ وبَرنيكَةُ في أُبّهةٍ عَظيمةٍ ودَخَلا قاعَةَ المُستَمِعينَ يُحيطُ بِهِما القادَةُ ووُجَهاءُ المدينةِ. فأمَرَ فَسْتوسُ بِأنْ يَحضُرَ بولُسُ، فحَضَرَ. 24 فقالَ فَسْتوسُ: «أيّها المَلِكُ أغِريبّاسُ، ويا جَميعَ الحاضِرينَ مَعَنا، هذا الرّجُلُ الذي تَرَونَهُ شَكاهُ إليّ الشّعبُ اليَهودِيّ كُلّهُ في أُورُشليمَ وهُنا، وكانوا يَصرُخونَ: يَجبُ أنْ لا يُترَكَ حيّا. 25 وأمّا أنا، فما وجَدْتُ أنّهُ فعَلَ شيئًا يَستوجِبُ بِه الموتَ، ولكِنّهُ رفَعَ دَعواهُ إلى جَلالَةِ القَيصَرِ، فعَزَمتُ أنْ أُرسِلَهُ إلَيهِ، 26 وأنا لا أملِكُ شيئًا أكيدًا أكتُبُ بِه إلى جلالَتِهِ. فأحضَرتُهُ لَدَيكُم، ولَديكَ خُصوصًا أيّها المَلِكُ أغريبّاسُ، حتى إذا سألتُموهُ عَنْ قَضيّتِهِ حَصَلْتُ على شيءٍ أكتُبُهُ. 27 فمِنَ الحَماقَةِ في نَظَري أنْ أُرسِلَ سَجينًا مِنْ غَيرِ أنْ أوضِحَ التّهَمَ التي علَيهِ».
