1 Tendo, pois, entrado Festo na província, depois de três dias subiu de Cesaréia a Jerusalém,
2 e os principais sacerdotes e os mais eminentes judeus deram-lhe informações contra Paulo,
3 e em detrimento dele pediram a Festo como um favor, que o mandasse vir a Jerusalém, armando-lhe uma cilada para o matarem no caminho.
4 Festo porém, respondeu que Paulo se achava detido em Cesaréia;
5 portanto, disse ele, os que entre vós têm prestígio, desçam comigo e, se há naquele homem algum crime, acusem-no.
6 Tendo-se demorado entre eles cerca de oito ou dez dias, desceu a Cesaréia; e no dia seguinte sentando-se no tribunal mandou trazer a Paulo.
7 Comparecendo este, rodearam-no os judeus que tinham descido de Jerusalém, trazendo contra ele muitas e graves acusações, que não podiam provar.
8 Então Paulo, defendendo-se, disse: Não tenho pecado em coisa alguma, nem contra a Lei dos judeus, nem contra o templo, nem contra César.
9 Festo, querendo alcançar o favor dos judeus, perguntou a Paulo: Queres subir a Jerusalém e ser aí julgado destas coisas perante mim?
10 Mas Paulo respondeu: Estou perante o tribunal de César onde devo ser julgado. Não tenho feito mal algum aos judeus, como tu bem sabes.
11 Se, pois, sou malfeitor, e tenho praticado alguma coisa que mereça a morte, não recuso morrer; mas se não são verdadeiras as coisas de que me acusam, ninguém pode entregar-me a eles; apelo para César.
12 Então Festo, tendo conferenciado com o conselho, respondeu: Para César apelaste, a César irás.
13 Passados alguns dias, o rei Agripa e Berenice chegaram a Cesaréia, para saudar a Festo.
14 Como se demorassem ali muitos dias, Festo expôs ao rei o caso de Paulo, dizendo: Félix deixou aqui um homem preso,
15 a respeito do qual, quando estive em Jerusalém, os principais sacerdotes e os anciãos dos judeus deram-me informações, pedindo que o condenasse.
16 A eles respondi que não é costume dos romanos condenar homem algum antes de o acusado ter presentes os acusadores, e ter tido oportunidade de se defender do que lhe é imputado.
17 Portanto, tendo-se eles reunido aqui, sem me demorar, no dia seguinte sentei-me no tribunal e mandei trazer o homem;
18 e levantando-se os acusadores, não apresentaram contra ele alguma acusação dos crimes que eu supunha,
19 mas tinham com ele certas questões sobre a sua religião e sobre um Jesus defunto, que Paulo afirmava estar vivo.
20 Eu, perplexo, quanto ao modo de investigar estas coisas, perguntei-lhe se queria ir a Jerusalém e ser ali julgado sobre estas questões.
21 Mas havendo Paulo apelado para que o reservassem ao julgamento do imperador, mandei que fosse detido até que eu o enviasse a César.
22 Disse Agripa a Festo: Eu também desejava ouvir esse homem. Amanhã, respondeu ele, o ouvirás.
23 No dia seguinte vindo Agripa e Berenice, com grande pompa e, depois de entrarem na audiência com os tribunos e homens principais da cidade, foi Paulo ali trazido por ordem de Festo.
24 Então disse Festo: Rei Agripa e todos vós que estais presentes conosco, vedes este homem, por causa de quem toda a comunidade dos judeus recorreu a mim, tanto em Jerusalém como aqui, clamando que não convinha que ele vivesse mais.
25 Porém eu achei que ele nada havia praticado que merecesse a morte, mas tendo ele apelado para o imperador, determinei remeter-lho.
26 Dele nada tenho de positivo que escreva ao soberano; pelo que vo-lo tenho apresentado a vós, e mormente a ti, ó rei Agripa, para que, depois de feito o interrogatório, tenha eu alguma coisa que escrever;
27 porque não me parece razoável remeter um preso, sem mencionar também as acusações que há contra ele.
1 So Festus, having come into that part of the country which was under his rule, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 And the chief priests and the chief men of the Jews made statements against Paul,
3 Requesting Festus to give effect to their design against him, and send him to Jerusalem, when they would be waiting to put him to death on the way.
4 But Festus, in answer, said that Paul was being kept in prison at Caesarea, and that in a short time he himself was going there.
5 So, he said, let those who have authority among you go with me, and if there is any wrong in the man, let them make a statement against him.
6 And when he had been with them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the day after, he took his place on the judge's seat, and sent for Paul.
7 And when he came, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem came round him, and made all sorts of serious statements against him, which were not supported by the facts.
8 Then Paul, in his answer to them, said, I have done no wrong against the law of the Jews, or against the Temple, or against Caesar.
9 But Festus, desiring to get the approval of the Jews, said to Paul, Will you go up to Jerusalem, and be judged before me there in connection with these things?
10 And Paul said, I am before the seat of Caesar's authority where it is right for me to be judged: I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you are well able to see.
11 If, then, I am a wrongdoer and there is a cause of death in me, I am ready for death: if it is not as they say against me, no man may give me up to them. Let my cause come before Caesar.
12 Then Festus, having had a discussion with the Jews, made answer, You have said, Let my cause come before Caesar; to Caesar you will go.
13 Now when some days had gone by, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea and went to see Festus.
14 And as they were there for some days, Festus gave them Paul's story, saying, There is a certain man here who was put in prison by Felix:
15 Against whom the chief priests and the rulers of the Jews made a statement when I was at Jerusalem, requesting me to give a decision against him.
16 To whom I gave answer that it is not the Roman way to give a man up, till he has been face to face with those who are attacking him, and has had a chance to give an answer to the statements made against him.
17 So, when they had come together here, straight away, on the day after, I took my place on the judge's seat and sent for the man.
18 But when they got up they said nothing about such crimes as I had in mind:
19 But had certain questions against him in connection with their religion, and about one Jesus, now dead, who, Paul said, was living.
20 And as I had not enough knowledge for the discussion of these things, I made the suggestion to him to go to Jerusalem and be judged there.
21 But when Paul made a request that he might be judged by Caesar, I gave orders for him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.
22 And Agrippa said to Festus, I have a desire to give the man a hearing myself. Tomorrow, he said, you may give him a hearing.
23 So on the day after, when Agrippa and Bernice in great glory had come into the public place of hearing, with the chief of the army and the chief men of the town, at the order of Festus, Paul was sent for.
24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all those who are present here with us, you see this man, about whom all the Jews have made protests to me, at Jerusalem and in this place, saying that it is not right for him to be living any longer.
25 But, in my opinion, there is no cause of death in him, and as he himself has made a request to be judged by Caesar, I have said that I would send him.
26 But I have no certain account of him to send to Caesar. So I have sent for him to come before you, and specially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the business has been gone into, I may have something to put in writing.
27 For it seems to me against reason to send a prisoner without making clear what there is against him.