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.
Kumandaŋ Festus ye Pawulu kotobo
1 Kabiriŋ Festus futata a la maralibankoo kaŋ, tili saba koolaa, a bota Sisareya saatewo to, a taata Yerusalaamu. 2 Piriisi* ñaatonkoolu niŋ Yahuudi ñaatonkoolu ye Pawulu la kuwo fo a ye jee. 3 Ì ye a daani fo a si laa ì kaŋ ka Pawulu kii Yerusalaamu, kaatu ì ye feeroo le siti ka deleŋo laa a ye siloo kaŋ ka a faa. 4 Bari Festus ye ì jaabi ko, Pawulu be sorondiŋ Sisareya le, aduŋ a faŋo pareeta le ka taa jee, a te ke la kuu meeriŋ ti. 5 Wo to le a ko ì ye ko, “Ali la ñaatonkoolu niŋ n si taa ñoo la. Niŋ wo kewo ye kuu ke, meŋ maŋ beŋ, bituŋ ì si a tuumi.”
6 Kabiriŋ a sabatita ì fee fo tili seyi waraŋ tili taŋ na, a seyita Sisareya. Wo saamoo, a siita kiitiisiiraŋo kaŋ, a ye yaamaroo dii ko, ì ye Pawulu samba naŋ. 7 Kabiriŋ Pawulu naata, Yahuudoolu mennu bota Yerusalaamu, ì loota ka a tuumi kuu jawu jamaa la, bari ì maŋ ì la kumoolu tooñaayandi noo.
8 Bituŋ Pawulu diyaamuta ka a faŋ tankandi ko, “M maŋ feŋ ke, meŋ maŋ tiliŋ Yahuudoolu la Luwaa kono, Alla Batudulaa waraŋ Rooma bankoo la mansa*.” 9 Bari Festus lafita laa la Yahuudoolu le kaŋ. Wo kamma la a ye Pawulu ñininkaa ko, “Fo i lafita le baŋ, ŋà taa i kotobo Yerusalaamu ñiŋ kuwolu to, ì ye i tuumi mennu la?” 10 Wo to le Pawulu ko a ye ko, “M be looriŋ Rooma mansakewo le la kiitiyo ñaatiliŋo la, n ñanta kotobo la daameŋ. M maŋ kuu tilimbali ke Yahuudoolu la ko a be seneyaariŋ ali ma ñaameŋ. 11 Wo kamma la, niŋ ŋa kuu jawoo le ke, meŋ jarita saayaa la, m maŋ balaŋ ka faa. Bari niŋ ì la n tuumiroo maŋ ke tooñaa ti, moo te n duŋ noo la ì bulu. Wo kamma la, ŋa Rooma bankoo la mansa la n kiitindoo daani.”
12 Kabiriŋ Festus niŋ a la yaamarilaalu kacaata, a ye Pawulu jaabi ko, “I ye Rooma bankoo la mansa le la i kiitindoo daani. Wo kamma la, i be taa Rooma bankoo la mansa le yaa.”
Festus ye yaamaroo daani Mansa Akiripa bulu
13 Bituŋ tili dantaŋ koolaa, Mansa Akiripa niŋ Berinise futata Sisareya ka Festus kontoŋ. 14 Biriŋ ì sabatita jee fo tili jamaa la, Festus ye Pawulu la kuwo laa mansakewo koto. A ko a ye ko, “Felis ye kewo doo le tu bunjawoo kono jaŋ. 15 Kabiriŋ n taata Yerusalaamu, piriisi ñaatonkoolu niŋ Yahuudoolu la alifaalu ye a la kuwo fo n ye. Aduŋ ì ye n daani ka a kiitindi. 16 Bari ŋa ì jaabi ko, a maŋ ke Roomankoolu la aadoo ti ka moo-wo-moo duŋ a tuumilaalu bulu, niŋ a niŋ ì maŋ loo kiitiidulaa to ka a faŋo tankandi tuumiroolu to, ì ye mennu laa a kaŋ.
17 “Wo kamma la, kabiriŋ ì naata jaŋ, m maŋ kuwolu mendi. Wo saamoo faŋo le n siita kiitiisiiraŋo kaŋ, ŋa yaamaroo dii ko, ì ye kewo ñiŋ samba naŋ. 18 Bari kabiriŋ a tuumilaalu loota, ì maŋ a tuumi kuu jawoolu la, ŋa n yillaa mennu la. 19 Ñininkaaroolu, ì ye mennu soto, wolu be dendiŋ ì la diinoo la kuwo le la, aniŋ taalaa Yeesu, Pawulu ka meŋ na kuwo kankulaa ko, a be baluuriŋ ne. 20 Aduŋ m maŋ a loŋ, m be ñiŋ kuwolu kisikisi la ñaameŋ. Bituŋ ŋa a ñininkaa, fo a lafita le ka taa Yerusalaamu ka a kotobo kuwolu to, ì ye a tuumi mennu la. 21 Bari Pawulu ye Rooma bankoo la mansa la a kiitindoo daani, aduŋ a lafita tu la mutoo kono jaŋ tankoo kamma la. Wo to le ŋa yaamaroo dii ka a kanta fo janniŋ m be a kii la ǹ na mansa yaa.”
22 Bituŋ Akiripa ko Festus ye ko, “M faŋo be lafi la le ka ñiŋ kewo lamoyi.” Bituŋ Festus ye a jaabi ko, “Saama i be a moyi la le.”
Pawulu be Mansa Akiripa ñaatiliŋo la
23 Bituŋ wo saamoo, Mansa Akiripa niŋ Berinise niŋ kibiri baa naata bendulaa to, ì niŋ kelediŋ kuntiyolu niŋ saatewo la alifaalu. Wo to le ì ye Pawulu samba naŋ Festus la yaamaroo kaŋ. 24 Wo to le Festus ko, “Mansa Akiripa niŋ moolu mennu bee be ntolu fee jaŋ teŋ! Ali ye ñiŋ kewo je le, Yahuudoolu bee ye n daani meŋ na kuwo la Yerusalaamu, aniŋ jaŋ. Ì sarita ko, a maŋ ñaŋ na baluu la. 25 Bari ŋa a je le ko, a maŋ feŋ ke, meŋ jarita saayaa la. Baawo a faŋo le ye Rooma mansakewo la a kiitindoo daani, wo to ŋa kumoo kuntu le ka a kii jee. 26 Bari m maŋ daliila koyoo soto a la kuwo to, m be meŋ safee la m maarii mansakewo ye. Wo kamma la, ŋa ñiŋ kewo samba naŋ ali ñaatiliŋo la, sako ite, Mansa Akiripa. Fo niŋ ǹ na a kotoboroo bota a la, n si naa feŋ safee noo a la kuwo to. 27 Kaatu nte fee, a maŋ ke sila ti ka bunjawutonkoo kii, tuumiri koyoo maŋ soto meŋ ma.”
