1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.3 They 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.4 Festus answered, "Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there."6 After 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.7 When 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.8 Then Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar."9 Festus, 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?"10 Paul 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.11 If, 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!"12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.14 Since 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.15 When 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.17 When 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.18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.20 I 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.21 But 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."22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man myself." He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him."23 The 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.24 Festus 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.25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome.26 But 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.27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him."

1 فلما قدم فستوس الى الولاية صعد بعد ثلاثة ايام من قيصرية الى اورشليم‎.2 ‎فعرض له رئيس الكهنة ووجوه اليهود ضد بولس والتمسوا منه3 طالبين عليه منّة ان يستحضره الى اورشليم وهم صانعون كمينا ليقتلوه في الطريق‎.4 ‎فاجاب فستوس ان يحرس بولس في قيصرية وانه هو مزمع ان ينطلق عاجلا‎.5 ‎وقال فلينزل معي الذين هم بينكم مقتدرون. وان كان في هذا الرجل شيء فليشتكوا عليه6 وبعد ما صرف عندهم اكثر من عشرة ايام انحدر الى قيصرية. وفي الغد جلس على كرسي الولاية وامر ان يؤتى ببولس‎.7 ‎فلما حضر وقف حوله اليهود الذين كانوا قد انحدروا من اورشليم وقدموا على بولس دعاوي كثيرة وثقيلة لم يقدروا ان يبرهنوها‎.8 ‎اذ كان هو يحتج اني ما اخطأت بشيء لا الى ناموس اليهود ولا الى الهيكل ولا الى قيصر‎.9 ‎ولكن فستوس اذ كان يريد ان يودع اليهود منّة اجاب بولس قائلا أتشاء ان تصعد الى اورشليم لتحاكم هناك لديّ من جهة هذه الامور‎.10 ‎فقال بولس انا واقف لدى كرسي ولاية قيصر حيث ينبغي ان أحاكم‎. ‎انا لم اظلم اليهود بشيء كما تعلم انت ايضا جيدا‎.11 ‎لاني ان كنت آثما او صنعت شيئا يستحق الموت فلست استعفي من الموت. ولكن ان لم يكن شيء مما يشتكي عليّ به هؤلاء فليس احد يستطيع ان يسلمني لهم. الى قيصر انا رافع دعواي‎.12 ‎حينئذ تكلم فستوس مع ارباب المشورة فاجاب الى قيصر رفعت دعواك. الى قيصر تذهب13 وبعدما مضت ايام اقبل اغريباس الملك وبرنيكي الى قيصرية ليسلما على فستوس‎.14 ‎ولما كانا يصرفان هناك اياما كثيرة عرض فستوس على الملك امر بولس قائلا يوجد رجل تركه فيلكس اسيرا15 وعرض لي عنه رؤساء الكهنة ومشايخ اليهود لما كنت في اورشليم طالبين حكما عليه‎.16 ‎فاجبتهم ان ليس للرومانيين عادة ان يسلموا احدا للموت قبل ان‏ يكون المشكو عليه مواجهة مع المشتكين فيحصل على فرصة للاحتجاج عن الشكوى‎.17 ‎فلما اجتمعوا الى هنا جلست من دون امهال في الغد على كرسي الولاية وامرت ان يؤتى بالرجل‎.18 ‎فلما وقف المشتكون حوله لم يأتوا بعلّة واحدة مما كنت اظن‎.19 ‎لكن كان لهم عليه مسائل من جهة ديانتهم وعن واحد اسمه يسوع قد مات وكان بولس يقول انه حيّ‎.20 ‎واذ كنت مرتابا في المسئلة عن هذا قلت ألعله يشاء ان يذهب الى اورشليم ويحاكم هناك من جهة هذه الامور‎.21 ‎ولكن لما رفع بولس دعواه لكي يحفظ لفحص اوغسطس امرت بحفظه الى ان ارسله الى قيصر‎.22 ‎فقال اغريباس لفستوس كنت اريد انا ايضا ان اسمع الرجل. فقال غدا تسمعه23 ففي الغد لما جاء اغريباس وبرنيكي في احتفال عظيم ودخلا الى دار الاستماع مع الامراء ورجال المدينة المقدمين امر فستوس فأتي ببولس‎.24 ‎فقال فستوس ايها الملك اغريباس والرجال الحاضرون معنا اجمعون انتم تنظرون هذا الذي توسل اليّ من جهته كل جمهور اليهود في اورشليم وهنا صارخين انه لا ينبغي ان يعيش بعد‎.25 ‎واما انا فلما وجدت انه لم يفعل شيئا يستحق الموت وهو قد رفع دعواه الى اوغسطس عزمت ان ارسله‎.26 ‎وليس لي شيء يقين من جهته لاكتب الى السيد. لذلك أتيت به لديكم ولا سيما لديك ايها الملك اغريباس حتى اذا صار الفحص يكون لي شيء لاكتب‎.27 ‎لاني ارى حماقة ان ارسل اسيرا ولا اشير الى الدعاوي التي عليه