1 N ow when Festus had entered into his own province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

وَبَعدَ ثَلاثَةِ أيّامٍ مِنْ وُصُولِ فِستُوسَ إلَى الوِلايَةِ، جاءَ مِنْ مَدِينَةِ قَيصَرِيَّةَ إلَى القُدسِ.

2 A nd the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid charges before him against Paul, and they kept begging and urging him,

وَعَرَضَ كِبارُ الكَهَنَةِ وَقادَةُ اليَهُودِ أمامَ فِستُوسَ اتِّهاماتِهِمْ ضِدَّ بُولُسَ،

3 A sking as a favor that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; they were planning an ambush to slay him on the way.

وَطَلَبُوا مِنهُ أنْ يَصنَعَ مَعَهُمْ مَعرُوفاً بِأنْ يُرسِلَ بُولُسَ إلَى القُدسِ. إذْ كانُوا يَتَآمَرُونَ لِقَتلِهِ فِي الطَّرِيقِ.

4 F estus answered that Paul was in custody in Caesarea and that he himself planned to leave for there soon.

فَأجابَ فِسْتُوسُ بِأنَّ بُولُسَ مُحتَجَزٌ فِي قَيصَرِيَّةَ. وَقالَ إنَّهُ سَيَذهَبُ هُوَ نَفسُهُ إلَى قَيصَرِيَّةَ قَرِيباً.

5 S o, said he, let those who are in a position of authority and are influential among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss or criminal about the man, let them so charge him.

وَقالَ: «لِيَأتِ بَعضُ قادَتِكُمْ مَعِي، وَلْيَعرِضُوا تُهَمَهُمْ ضِدَّ بُولُسَ إنْ كانَ قَدْ أساءَ.»

6 S o when Festus had remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, took his seat the next day on the judgment bench, and ordered Paul to be brought before him.

وَبَعدَ أنْ قَضَى فِستُوسُ ثَمانِيَةَ أوْ عَشْرَةَ أيّامٍ مَعَهُمْ، عادَ إلَى قَيصَرِيَّةَ. وَفِي اليَومِ التّالِي جَلَسَ عَلَى كُرسِيِّهِ فِي المَحكَمَةِ، وَأمَرَ بِإحضارِ بُولُسَ.

7 A nd when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood all around him, bringing many grave accusations against him which they were not able to prove.

فَلَمّا جاءَ بُولُسُ، وَقَفَ حَولَهُ اليَهُودُ الَّذِينَ جاءُوا مِنَ القُدسِ، وَاشتَكُوا عَلَيهِ بِتُهَمٍ كَثِيرَةٍ خَطِيرَةٍ عَجِزُوا عَنْ إثباتِها.

8 P aul declared in defense, Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in any way.

أمّا بُولُسُ فَدافَعَ عَنْ نَفسِهِ وَقالَ: «ما أسَأتُ بِشَيءٍ إلَى شَرِيعَةِ اليَهُودِ أوِ الهَيكَلِ أوِ القَيصَرِ.»

9 B ut Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, answered Paul, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be put on trial '> before the Jewish Sanhedrin] in my presence concerning these charges?

لَكِنَّ فِستُوسَ أرادَ أنْ يُرضِيَ اليَهودَ، فَقالَ لِبُولُسَ: «أتُرِيدُ أنْ تَذهَبَ إلَى القدسِ لِتُحاكَمَ عَلَى هَذِهِ التُّهَمِ هُناكَ أمامِي؟»

10 B ut Paul replied, I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you know better.

فَقالَ بُولُسُ: «يَنبَغي أنْ أمثُلَ أمامَ مَحكَمَةِ القَيصَرِ، فَهُناكَ يَنْبَغي أنْ أُحاكَمَ. وَأنا لَمْ أُسِئْ إلَى اليَهُودِ بِشَيءٍ، كَما تَعرِفُ أنتَ جَيِّداً.

11 I f then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me '> give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar.

فَإنْ كُنتُ مُذنِباً وَأستَحِقُّ عُقُوبَةَ المَوتِ، فَإنِّي لا أسعَى إلَى الهُروبِ مِنَ المَوتِ. لَكِنْ إنْ لَمْ تَكُنِ التُّهَمُ الَّتِي يُوَجِّهُها إلَيَّ هَؤُلاءِ صَحِيحَةً، فَلا يَقدِرُ أحَدٌ أنْ يُسَلِّمَنِي إلَيْهِمْ. فَأنا أرفَعُ قَضِيَّتِي إلَى القَيصَرِ.»

12 T hen Festus, when he had consulted with the '> men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.

وبَعدَ أنْ شاوَرَ فِسْتوسُ مَجلِسَهُ، قالَ: «رَفَعْتَ قَضِّيَتَكَ إلَى القَيصَرِ، فَإلَى القَيصَرِ تَذْهَبُ.» فِسْتُوسُ يَسألُ أغرِيباسَ عَنْ بُولُس

13 N ow after an interval of some days, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

وَبَعدَ مُرُورِ عِدَّةِ أيّامٍ وَصَلَ المَلِكُ أغرِيباسُ وَبَرْنِيكِي إلَى قَيصَرِيَّةَ لِلتَّرحِيبِ بِفِستُوسَ.

14 A nd while they remained there for many days, Festus acquainted the king with Paul’s case, telling him, There is a man left a prisoner in chains by Felix;

وَبَعدَ أنْ قَضَيا هُناكَ عِدَّةَ أيّامٍ، شَرَحَ فِسْتُوسُ قَضِيَّةَ بُولُسَ لِلمَلِكِ فَقالَ لَهُ: «هُنا رَجُلٌ تَرَكَهُ فِيلِكسُ سَجِيناً.

15 A nd when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him, petitioning for a judicial hearing and condemnation of him.

وَعِندَما كُنتُ فِي القُدسِ، عَرَضَ عَلَيَّ كِبارُ الكَهَنَةِ وَشُيُوخُ اليَهُودِ دَعواهُمْ عَلَيهِ. وَطَلَبُوا مِنِّي أنْ أُدِينَهُ.

16 B ut I replied to them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up freely any man for punishment before the accused had met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to defend himself concerning the charge brought against him.

فَقُلتُ لَهُمْ إنَّهُ لَيسَ مِنْ عادَةِ الرُّومانِ أنْ يُسَلِّمُوا شَخْصاً قَبلَ أنْ تَتِمَّ المُواجَهَةُ بَينَ المُشتَكَى عَلَيهِ وَالمُشتَكينَ. وَيَنبَغِي أنْ يُعطَى المُشتَكَى عَلَيهِ فُرصَةً لِلدِّفاعِ عَنْ نَفسِهِ ضِدَّ التُّهمَةِ المُوَجَّهَةِ إلَيهِ.

17 S o when they came here together, I did not delay, but on the morrow took my place on the judgment seat and ordered that the man be brought before me.

«فَلَمّا جاءُوا هُنا مَعِي، لَمْ أتَأخَّرْ فِي النَّظَرِ فِي القَضِيَّةِ. بَلْ جَلَستُ فِي اليَومِ التّالِي عَلَى كُرسِيِّ القَضاءِ، وَأمَرتُ بِإحضارِ الرَّجُلِ.

18 w hen the accusers stood up, they brought forward no accusation of any such misconduct as I was expecting.

«وَلَمّا وَقَفَ الَّذِينَ اتَّهَمُوهُ لِيَتَحَدَّثُوا ضِدَّهُ، لَمْ يَتَّهِمُوهُ بِأيٍّ مِنَ الجَرائِمِ الَّتِي تَوَقَّعتُها.

19 I nstead they had some points of controversy with him about their own religion or superstition and concerning one Jesus, Who had died but Whom Paul kept asserting to be alive.

بَلْ تَجادَلُوا مَعَهُ فِي مَسائِلَ تَتَعَلَّقُ بِدِيانَتِهِمْ، وَتَتَعَلَّقُ بِشَخصٍ ما اسْمُهُ يَسُوعُ. وَيَسُوعُ هَذا ماتَ، لَكِنَّ بُولُسَ يَزعُمُ أنَّهُ حَيٌّ.

20 A nd I, being puzzled to know how to make inquiries into such questions, asked whether he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and there be tried regarding them.

فَاحْتَرتُ فِي كَيفِيَّةِ التَّحقِيقِ فِي هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ. فَسَألتُهُ إنْ كانَ يَوَدُّ أنْ يَذهَبَ إلَى القُدسِ وَيُحاكَمَ هُناكَ عَلَى هَذِهِ التُّهَمِ.

21 B ut when Paul had appealed to have his case retained for examination and decision by the emperor, I ordered that he be detained until I could send him to Caesar.

لَكِنْ عِندَما طَلَبَ بُولُسُ أنْ يَبقَى مَحجُوزاً فِي قَيصَرِيَّةَ فِي انتِظارِ قَرارِ الإمبراطُورِ، أمَرتُ بِأنْ يَبقَى مَحجُوزاً إلَى أنْ أتَمَكَّنَ مِنْ إرسالِهِ إلَى القَيصَرِ.»

22 T hen Agrippa said to Festus, I also desire to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, replied, you shall hear him.

فَقالَ أًغرِيباسُ لِفِستُوسَ: «أوَدُّ أنْ أستَمِعَ إلَى هَذا الرَّجُلِ بِنَفسِي.» فَقالَ فِستُوسُ: «سَتَستَمِعُ إلَيهِ غَداً.»

23 S o the next day Agrippa and Bernice approached with great display, and they went into the audience hall accompanied by the military commandants and the prominent citizens of the city. At the order of Festus Paul was brought in.

وَهَكَذا جاءَ أغرِيباسُ وَبَرنِيكِي فِي اليَومِ التّالِي فِي أُبَّهَةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، وَدَخَلا إلَى قاعَةِ المُقابَلاتِ مَعَ قادَةِ الجَيشِ وَوُجَهاءِ المَدِينَةِ. وَأصدَرَ فِستُوسُ أمرَهُ، فَأُحضِرَ بُولُسُ.

24 T hen Festus said, King Agrippa and all the men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people came to me and complained, both at Jerusalem and here, insisting and shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

ثُمَّ قالَ فِستُوسُ: «أيُّها المَلِكُ أغرِيباسُ، وَيا كُلَّ الحاضِرِينَ مَعَنا، أنتُمْ تَرَونَ هَذا الرَّجُلَ. لَقَدْ قَدَّمَ إلَيَّ كُلُّ اليَهُودِ فِي القُدسِ وَهُنا أيضاً طَلَباً بِشَأْنِهِ. وَهُمْ يَصرُخُونَ وَيَقولونَ إنَّهُ يَنبَغِي أنْ يَمُوتَ.

25 B ut I found nothing that he had done deserving of death. Still, as he himself appealed to the emperor, I determined to send him to Rome.

لَكِنِّي وَجَدتُ أنَّهُ لَمْ يَفعَلْ شَيئاً يَستَحِقُّ المَوتَ. وَبِما أنَّهُ رَفَعَ قَضِيَّتَهُ إلَى القَيصَرِ، فَقَدْ قَرَّرتُ أنْ أُرسِلَهُ إلَيهِ.

26 I have nothing in particular and definite to write to my lord concerning him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after examination has been made, I may have something to put in writing.

لَكِنْ لا يُوجَدُ عِندِي شَيءٌ مُحَدَّدٌ أكتُبُهُ لِلإمبراطُورِ بِشَأْنِهِ. وَلِهَذا أحضَرتُهُ أمامَكُمْ، وَأمامَكَ أنتَ أيُّها المَلِكُ أغرِيباسُ بِشَكلٍ خاصٍّ. وَأنا آمُلُ أنْ يَكُونَ لَدَيَّ بَعدَ هَذا التَّحقِيقِ ما أكتُبُهُ.

27 F or it seems to me senseless and absurd to send a prisoner and not state the accusations against him.

إذْ لا يَبدُو لِي أمراً مَعقُولاً أنْ أُرسِلَ سَجِيناً دُونَ تَحدِيدِ التُّهَمِ المُوَجَّهَةِ إلَيهِ.»