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 Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.2 The high priests and Jewish leaders informed him of their charges against Paul, urging3 and begging him as a favor to have Paul brought to Jerusalem. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the way.4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there soon.5 "Therefore," he said, "have your authorities come down with me and present their charges against him, if there is anything wrong with the man."6 Festus stayed with them no more than eight or ten days and then went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judge's seat and ordered Paul brought in.7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and began bringing a number of serious charges against him that they couldn't prove.8 Paul said in his defense, "I have in no way sinned against the law of the Jews or the temple or the emperor."9 Then Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried there before me on these charges?"10 But Paul said, "I am standing before the emperor's judgment seat where I ought to be tried. I haven't done anything wrong to the Jews, as you know very well.11 If I am guilty and have done something that deserves death, I don't refuse to die. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal to the emperor!"12 Festus talked it over with the council and then answered, "To the emperor you have appealed; to the emperor you will go!"13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to welcome Festus.14 Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. He said, "There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix.15 When I went to Jerusalem, the high priests and the Jewish elders informed me about him and asked me to condemn him.16 I answered them that it was not the Roman custom to hand over a man for punishment until the accused met his accusers face to face and had an opportunity to defend himself against the charge.17 "So they came here with me, and the next day without any delay I sat down in the judge's seat and ordered the man to be brought in.18 When his accusers stood up, they didn't accuse him of any of the crimes I was expecting.19 Instead, they had several arguments with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but whom Paul kept claiming was alive.20 I was puzzled how I should investigate such matters and asked if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried there in regard to these things.21 But Paul appealed his case and asked to be held in prison until the decision of his Majesty. So I ordered him to be held in custody until I could send him to the emperor."22 Agrippa told Festus, "I would like to hear the man.""Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him."23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived with much fanfare and went into the auditorium along with the tribunes and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.24 Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you men who are present with us! You see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.25 I find that he has not done anything deserving of death. But since he has appealed to his Majesty, I have decided to send him.26 I have nothing reliable to write our Sovereign about him, so I have brought him to all of you, and especially to you, King Agrippa, so that I will have something to write after he is cross-examined.27 For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner without specifying the charges against him."