1 Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Cæsarea to Jerusalem. 2 Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, 3 And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. 4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Cæsarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither . 5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me , and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. 6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Cæsarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. 8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Cæsar, have I offended any thing at all. 9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? 10 Then said Paul, I stand at Cæsar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. 11 For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Cæsar. 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Cæsar? unto Cæsar shalt thou go.
13 And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Cæsarea to salute Festus. 14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: 15 About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me , desiring to have judgment against him. 16 To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. 17 Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. 18 Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: 19 But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20 And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Cæsar. 22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.
23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. 24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. 26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. 27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.
Paulo unozwimimila kuna Mambo we Roma
1 Kukati shule kwe mazhuba matatu Fesito aswika mu ntuthu uwe, katathila ku Jerusalema edwa ku Sizariya. 2 Bapirisiti bakulu ne batungamili be Bajuta bakambudza milandu yabanotilika Paulo. 3 Tjinyolotjo bakakumbila Fesito, kuti ababhatshe koga, kuti athame kuti Paulo ayisiwe ku Jerusalema, ngobe bakabe belulwamisila kuti alaligwe abulawe mu zila. 4 Fesito kadabila eti, “Paulo umu ng'umba ye busungwa ku Sizariya, ngono imi nge kwangu ndowoyendako tjinyolotjo. 5 Bamwe batungamili benyu ngabayende nami, ha kuli kuti kuna tjimwe tjibi nge kukwe, baswike bampe nlandu.”
6 Kukati agala mazhuba ali zhanakadzi kene gumi nabo kadelukila ku Sizariya, ngono tjimuka kadana lubazhe kalaya kuti Paulo azhisiwe mbeli kukwe. 7 Paulo kati ezha, Bajuta bakabe badeluka badwa ku Jerusalema bakama kumpoteleka beleba milandu yakabangalala nge kukwe, koga basingatubule kuitjenesa nge buzhalo. 8 Ipapo Paulo kazwilebelekegwa eti, “Andizothama tjimwe tjakabipa ku nlayo we Bajuta kene Ng'umba ye Ndzimu kene kuna Kaisara.”
9 Fesito kayemula kushathisa Bajuta kati kuna Paulo, “Unoshaka kuyenda ku Jerusalema kunosumikilisigwa milandu iyeyi mbeli kwangu kene?”
10 Paulo kadabila eti, “Ndimile mbeli kwe lubazhe gwa Kaisara, pandakafanila kusumikilisiwapo. Akuna tjandakatjinya ku Bajuta, sekwa munoziba zubuyanana. 11 Koga ha ili kuti ndi nlandu we kuthama tjimwe tjandakafanilo fila, anditolambo fa, ngono ha ili kuti milandu yandinobong'wa ne Bajuta ate ili malebeswa, akuna una simba le kundiyisa ku bali. Ndozwimimila kuna Kaisara!”
12 Kukati Fesito alebeleka ne Gulukota lile kati, “Iwe wazwimimila kuna Kaisara, yenda kuna Kaisara!”
Paulo mbeli kwa Agiripa na Bherinisi
13 Shule kwe mazhuba mashomanana mambo Agiripa na Bherinisi bakaswika ku Sizariya kuamutjila Fesito. 14 Se bakagala mazhuba manjinji ikoko, Fesito kalebeleka ndebo ya Paulo na mambo. Kati, “Kuna nlume ipapa wakasiyiwa ndi Felikisi ali nsungwa. 15 Ndakati ndili ku Jerusalema, bapirisiti bakulu ne bakulu be Bajuta bakazhisa milandu nge kukwe ngono bakakumbila kuti abong'we nlandu. 16 Ndakababudza kuti ate kuli mpanga we Tjiroma kusunga nthu kene ali ani asathu kalingisana ne banombona nlandu ngono kawana tjibaka tje kuzwilebelekegwa ngekwe milandu yabanompa. 17 Bakati bezha ngeno nami, andizotongo nonoka ngekwe ndebo koga ndakadana lubazhe tjimuka, alaya kuti nlume iwoyu azhisiwe. 18 Batjeti babe bakati bemilika kulebeleka, bakasintjete nge kutjinya kwandakabe ndakakumbula. 19 Koga, bakabe bana zwabasingadumane naye muzwili ngekwe kunamata kwabo, kakale ngekwe nlume wakafa unoyi Jesu wakabe Paulo esimisa eti unotjila. 20 Ndakabe ndakadzimila ndisingazibe kuti ndingashakisisa tjini zwithu zwakajali; ndizo ndakambhuzwa kuti kene ungada kuyenda ku Jerusalema kunosumikilisigwa milandu iyeyi ikoko. 21 Kukati Paulo ekumbila kuti atjengetegwe kuhwiwa ndi mambo, alaya kuti atjengetiwe kudzina ndintumila kuna Kaisara.”
22 Ipapo Agiripa kati kuna Fesito, “Ndoshaka kuzwihwigwa nlume iwoyu imi.”
Kadabila eti, “Unowonhwa mangwana.”
23 Tjimuka Agiripa na Bherinisi bakazha nge mazwikudzo ngono bakangina mu ng'umba ye bushanganilo bana bakulu be babhayani ne batungamili be nzi. Ndizo nge kulaya kwa Fesito Paulo kazhisiwa. 24 Fesito kati, “Mambo Agiripa na bose banaswi, mobona nlume iwoyu! Itjaba tjose tje Bajuta tjakandikumbila nge kukwe mu Jerusalema na muno mu Sizariya bemimila beti aazotjafanilo tjila. 25 Ndakawana kuli kuti aazotjinya tjimwe tjakalizana lufu, ngobe wakazwimimila kuna Kaisara, ndakabona kuti ndintumile ku Roma. 26 Koga akuna itjo tje malebeswa tjandingakwalila she wangu nge kukwe. Ndizo ndanzhisa mbeli kwenyu mose, kwazo kwazo mbeli kwenyu, imwi Mambo Agiripa, nditi pamwe shule kwe kumbhuzwisisa ndingawana tjandingakwala. 27 Ngobe ndobona kusakafanila kupitshila nsungwa mbeli kusingatjenesiwe milandu iye.”