1 P aul looked straight at the court and said, “Brother Jews, I have lived for God with a heart that has said I am not guilty to this day.”

فَتَفَرَّسَ بُولُسُ فِي وُجُوهِ أعضاءِ المَجلِسِ وَقالَ: «يا إخْوَتِي، لَقَدْ عِشتُ حَياتِي أمامَ اللهِ بِراحَةِ ضَمِيرٍ حَتَّى هَذا اليَومِ.»

2 T hen Ananias, the head religious leader, told those standing near him to hit him on the mouth.

فَأمَرَ حَنانِيّا رَئِيسُ الكَهَنَةِ الواقِفِينَ إلَى جانِبِ بُولُسَ بِضَربِهِ عَلَى فَمِهِ.

3 P aul said, “God will hit you, you white-washed wall! Do you sit there and say I am guilty by the Law when you break the Law by having me hit?”

فَقالَ بُولُسُ لِحَنانِيّا: «سَيَضرِبُكَ اللهُ أيُّها المُرائِي! أتَجلِسُ هُناكَ وَتَحكُمُ عَلَيَّ حَسَبَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، وَأنتَ تَأْمُرُ بِضَربِي مُخالِفاً لِلشَّرِيعَةِ؟»

4 T hose standing near said, “Do you talk like that to God’s head religious leader?”

فَقالَ الواقِفُونَ إلَى جانِبِ بُولُسَ: «أتَجرُؤُ عَلَى إهانَةِ رَئيسِ الكَهَنَةِ؟»

5 P aul said, “Brother Jews, I did not know that he was God’s head religious leader. I know the Holy Writings say, ‘You must not speak against the leader of your people.’”

فَقالَ بُولُسُ: «يا إخْوَتِي، لَمْ أكُنْ أعرِفُ أنَّهُ رَئيسُ الكَهَنَةِ. مَكتُوبٌ: ‹لا تَتَكَلَّمْ بِالسُّوءِ عَلَى قائِدٍ لِشَعبِكَ.›»

6 P aul saw that part of the court was made up of the religious group who believe no one is raised from the dead. The other part were proud religious law-keepers. Then he cried out, “Brother Jews, I am a proud religious law-keeper and from a family of proud religious law-keepers. I have been brought in front of this court because of the hope of being raised from the dead.”

وَعِندَما أدرَكَ بُولُسُ أنَّ بَعْضَ أعْضاءِ المَجلِسِ مِنَ الصَّدُوقِيِّينَ وَبَعضَهُمْ مِنَ الفِرِّيسِيِّينَ، صَرَخَ وَقالَ: «يا إخْوَتِي، أنا فِرِّيسِيُّ وَابنُ فِرِّيسِيٍّ! وَأنا أُحاكَمُ هُنا لِأنَّ قِيامَةَ الأمواتِ هِيَ رَجائِي.»

7 W hen they heard this, both religious groups started to argue and the people of the court were divided in what they thought.

فَلَمّا قالَ هَذا، قامَ نِزاعٌ بَينَ الفِرِّيسِيِّينَ وَالصَّدُوقِيِّينَ. وَانقَسَمَ المُجتَمِعُونَ.

8 T he one religious group believes that no one is raised from the dead. Also, they do not believe in angels or spirits. But the other religious group, the proud religious law-keepers, believe that people are raised from the dead and that there are angels and spirits.

إذْ يَقُولُ الصَّدُوقِيُّونَ إنَّهُ لا تُوجَدُ قِيامَةٌ وَلا مَلائِكَةٌ وَلا أرواحٌ. أمّا الفِرِّيسِيُّونَ فَيُؤمِنُونَ بِهَذِهِ الأُمُورِ كُلِّها.

9 T he courtroom was filled with noise. Some of the teachers of the Law working with the proud religious law-keepers stood up and said, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if an angel or spirit has spoken to him?”

فَحَدَثَ اضطِرابٌ شَدِيدٌ. وَوَقَفَ بَعضُ مُعَلِّمِي الشَّرِيعَةِ الَّذِينَ يَنتَمُونَ إلَى جَماعَةِ الفِرِّيسِيِّينَ، وَجادَلُوا بِقُوَّةٍ فَقالوا: «لا نَجِدُ عَيباً فِي هَذا الرَّجُلِ، فَرُبَّما كَلَّمَهُ رُوحٌ أوْ مَلاكٌ.»

10 T hey argued all the more. Then the captain was afraid they would pull Paul to pieces. He told his men to get Paul out of there and take him back to the soldiers’ building.

وَصارَ النِّزاعُ عَنِيفاً جِدّاً. فَخَشِيَ الآمِرُ أنْ يُمَزِّقُوا بُولُسَ تَمزِيقاً، فَأمَرَ الجُنُودَ بِأنْ يَأتُوا وَيَأخُذُوهُ بِالقُوَّةِ إلَى الثُّكْنَةِ.

11 T he next night the Lord came to Paul and said, “Paul, do not be afraid! You will tell about Me in the city of Rome the same as you have told about Me in Jerusalem.” The Plan to Kill Paul

وَفِي اللَّيلَةِ التّالِيَةِ، وَقَفَ الرَّبُّ إلَى جانِبِ بُولُسَ وَقالَ لَهُ: «تَشَجَّعْ، فَكَما شَهِدتَ عَنِّي فِي القُدسِ، سَتَشهَدُ فِي رُوما أيضاً.» اليَهُودُ يُخَطِّطُونَ لِقَتلِ بُولُس

12 I n the morning some of the Jews gathered together and made a plan to kill Paul. They promised each other that they would not eat or drink until they had killed him.

وَعِندَما طَلَعَ النَّهارُ، تَآمَرَ بَعضُ اليَهُودِ وَألزَمُوا أنفُسَهُمْ بِقَسَمٍ أنَّهُمْ لَنْ يَأْكُلُوا وَلَنْ يَشرَبُوا إلّا بَعدَ أنْ يَقتُلُوا بُولُسَ.

13 T here were more than forty of them who had made this promise.

وَكانَ عَدَدُ الَّذِينَ شارَكُوا فِي المُؤامَرَةِ يَزِيدُ عَلَى أربَعِيْنَ.

14 T hese people came to the head religious leader and to the leaders of the people and said, “We have made a promise not to eat any food until we have killed Paul.

وَذَهَبُوا إلَى كِبارِ الكَهَنَةِ وَالشُّيُوخِ وَقالُوا: «لَقَدْ ألزَمنا أنفُسَنا بِقَسَمٍ أنْ لا نَأْكُلَ شَيئاً إلَى أنْ نَقتُلَ بُولُسَ.

15 W e ask you and the court to have the captain bring Paul down to you tomorrow. It will look as if you want to ask him some things. Before he gets near you, we will be waiting to kill him.”

فَالآنَ، قَدِّمُوا أنتُمْ وَالمَجلِسُ التِماساً لِلآمِرِ بِأنْ يُنزِلَ بُولُسَ إلَيكُمْ. مُتَظاهِرِينَ بِأنَّكُمْ تُرِيدُونَ أنْ تَدرُسُوا قَضِيَّتَهُ بِدِقَّةٍ أكبَرَ. وَسَنَكُونُ مُستَعِدِّينَ لِقَتلِهِ قَبلَ أنْ يَصِلَ إلَى هُنا.»

16 P aul’s nephew heard about the plan. He went to the soldiers’ building and told Paul.

لَكِنَّ ابنَ أُختِ بُولُسَ، سَمِعَ بِالمٌؤامَرَةِ، فَذَهَبَ وَدَخَلَ الثُّكْنَةَ، وَأخبَرَ بُولُسَ بِها.›

17 P aul called one of the soldiers and said, “Take this young man to the captain. He has something to tell him.”

فَدَعا بُولُسُ أحَدَ الضُّبّاطِ وَقالَ لَهُ: «خُذْ هَذا الشّابَّ إلَى الآمِرِ، فَلَدَيهِ شَيءٌ يُرِيدُ أنْ يُخبِرَهُ بِهِ.

18 T he soldiers brought the young man to the captain and said, “Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”

فَأخَذَهُ الضّابِطُ وَجاءَ بِهِ إلَى الآمِرِ وَقالَ لَهُ: «استَدعانِي السَّجِينُ بُولُسُ، وَطَلَبَ مِنِّي أنْ أُحضِرَ هَذا الشّابَّ إلَيكَ، لِأنَّ لَدَيهِ شَيئُاً يُرِيدُ أنْ يَقُولَهُ لَكَ.»

19 T he captain took him by the hand and they walked over where they could be alone. He said, “What is it that you have to tell me?”

فَأمسَكَ بِهِ الآمِرُ مِنْ يَدِهِ، وَأخَذَهُ جانِباً، وَسَألَهُ: «ما الَّذِي تُرِيدُ أنْ تُخبِرَنِي بِهِ؟»

20 T he young man said, “The Jews have made a plan to ask you to bring Paul to the courtroom tomorrow. It would look as if they were going to ask him some things.

فَقالَ: «اتَّفَقَ اليَهُودُ عَلَى أنْ يَطلُبُوا مِنكَ أنْ تُحضِرَ بُولُسَ إلَى المَجلِسِ غَداً، مُتَظاهِرِينَ بِأنَّهُمْ سَيُحَقِّقُونَ مَعَهُ بِشَكلٍ أكثَرَ تَفصِيلاً.

21 D o not let them talk you into it. More than forty men are waiting in secret to kill him. They have promised each other not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him. They are all waiting for you to say the word.”

فَلا تُوافِقهُمْ عَلَى طَلَبِهِمْ، لِأنَّ هُناكَ أكثَرَ مِنْ أربَعِينَ رَجُلاً يُعِدُّونَ لَهُ كَمِيناً. وَقَدْ ألزَمُوا أنفُسَهُمْ بِقَسَمٍ أنْ لا يَأْكُلُوا أوْ يَشرَبُوا إلَى أنْ يَقتُلُوهُ. وَها هُمِ الآنَ مُستَعِدُّونَ وَيَنتَظِرُونَ مُوافَقَتَكَ.»

22 T he captain told the young man to go. He said, “Do not tell anyone you have told me this.” Paul Is Sent to Felix in Caesarea

فَأمَرَ الآمِرُ الشّابَّ بِقَولِهِ: «لا تُخبِرْ أحَداً بِأنَّكَ أعلَمِتَنِي بِهَذا.» ثُمَّ صَرَفَهُ. إرساَلُ بُولُسَ إلَى قَيصَرِيَّة

23 T hen the captain called two soldiers and said, “Get 200 men ready to go to the city of Caesarea by nine o’clock tonight. Also have seventy men ride on horses and 200 men carry spears.

ثُمَّ استَدعَى الآمِرُ اثْنَينِ مِنْ ضُبّاطِهِ وَقالَ لَهُما: «جَهِّزا مِئَتَيْ جُندِيٍّ وَسَبعِينَ فارِساً وَمِئَتَيْ حامِلِ رُمحٍ لِلذَّهابِ إلَى مَدِينَةِ قَيصَرِيَّةَ. وَاستَعِدُّوا لِلانطِلاقِ فِي السّاعَةِ التّاسِعَةِ لَيلاً.

24 G et horses ready for Paul to ride. Take him to Felix, the leader of the people.”

وَأعطُوا بُولُسَ ما يَركَبُهُ، وَأوصِلُوهُ سالِماً إلَى الوالِي فِيلِكسَ.»

25 H e wrote a letter which said,

وَكَتَبَ رِسالَةً هَذا مَضمُونُها:

26 “ Claudius Lysias greets Felix, the best leader of the people.

مِنْ كلُوديُوسَ لِيسياسَ، إلَى صاحِبِ السَّعادَةِ الوالِي فِيلِيكسَ، تَحِيّاتِي،

27 T his man Paul was taken by the Jews. He was about to be killed by them. But I came along with my soldiers and kept him from being killed. I did this when I learned that he was a Roman citizen.

أمسَكَ اليَهُودُ بِهَذا الرَّجُلِ، وَكانُوا عَلَى وَشَكِ أنْ يَقتُلُوهُ. لَكِنِّي جِئتُ وَجُنُودِي وَأنقَذْتُهُ، بَعدَ أنْ عَلِمْتُ أًنَّهُ مُواطِنٌ رُومانِيٌّ.

28 I wanted to know what they had against him. So I took him to the religious leaders’ court.

وَبِما أنِّي أرَدتُ أنْ أعرِفَ ما يَتَّهِمُونَهُ بِهِ، أخَذتُهُ إلَى مَجلِسِهِمْ.

29 I learned they were holding him because of something about their Law. There was no reason for him to be killed or to be put in prison.

وَوَجَدتُ أنَّهُمْ يَتَّهِمُونَهُ بِمَسائِلَ تَتَعَلَّقُ بِشَرِيعَتِهِمْ. لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يُتَّهَمْ بِأيِّ شَيءٍ يَستَحِقُّ المَوْتَ أوِ الحَبسَ.

30 I was told that the Jews had a plan to kill this man. At once I sent him to you. I told the Jews who wanted to kill him to tell you what they have against him. Good-bye.”

وَلَمّا أُعلِمتُ أنَّ هُناكَ مُؤامَرَةٌ ضِدَّ هَذا الرَّجُلِ، أرسَلتُهُ فَوراً إلَيكَ. وَأمَرتُ المُشتَكِينَ عَلَيهِ بِأنْ يَرفَعُوا قَضِيَّتَهُمْ عَلَيهِ أمامَكَ.

31 T he soldiers took Paul as they were told. They brought him during the night to Antipatris.

فَنَفَّذَ الجُنُودُ الأوامِرَ وَأخَذُوا بُولُسَ وَأحضَرُوهُ لَيلاً إلَى أنْتِياتْرِيسَ.

32 T he next day they went back to their building in Jerusalem. The men riding horses went on with Paul.

وَفِي اليَومِ التّالِي تَرَكُوا الفُرسانَ يُواصِلُونَ السَّفَرَ مَعَهُ، أمّا هُمْ فَعادُوا إلَى المُعَسْكَرِ.

33 W hen they came to Caesarea, they gave the letter to the leader of the people. They also handed Paul over to him.

وَعِندَما وَصَلُوا إلَى قَيصَرِيَّةَ، سَلَّمُوا الرِّسالَةَ إلَى الوالِي، وَسَلَّمُوهُ بُولُسَ أيضاً.

34 A fter he read the letter, he asked what part of the country Paul was from. He was told that Paul was from the city of Cilicia.

فَقَرَأ الوالِي الرِّسالَةَ، وَسَألَ عَنِ المُقاطَعَةِ الَّتِي يَنتَمِي إلَيها بُولُسُ، فَأخبَرُوهُ أنَّهُ مِنْ كِيلِيكِيَّةَ.

35 H e said, “I will listen to all of this when the men come who want to kill you.” He had Paul kept in King Herod’s building.

حينَئِذٍ قالَ: «سَأسمَعُ مِنكَ حِينَ يَصِلُ المُشتَكُونَ عَلَيكَ.» وَأمَرَ بِأنْ يَظَلَّ بُولُسُ تَحتَ الحِراسَةِ فِي قَصرِ هِيرُودُسَ.