Paul Asks To Be Tried by the Roman Emperor
1 Three days after Festus had become governor, he went from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 There the chief priests and some Jewish leaders told him about their charges against Paul. They also asked Festus 3 if he would be willing to bring Paul to Jerusalem. They begged him to do this because they were planning to attack and kill Paul on the way. 4 But Festus told them, “Paul will be kept in Caesarea, and I am soon going there myself. 5 If he has done anything wrong, let your leaders go with me and bring charges against him there.”
6 Festus stayed in Jerusalem for eight or ten more days before going to Caesarea. Then the next day he took his place as judge and had Paul brought into court. 7 As soon as Paul came in, the leaders from Jerusalem crowded around him and said he was guilty of many serious crimes. But they could not prove anything. 8 Then Paul spoke in his own defense, “I have not broken the Law of my people. And I have not done anything against either the temple or the Emperor.”
9 Festus wanted to please the leaders. So he asked Paul, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried by me on these charges?”
10 Paul replied, “I am on trial in the Emperor's court, and that's where I should be tried. You know very well I have not done anything to harm the Jewish nation. 11 If I had done something deserving death, I would not ask to escape the death penalty. But I am not guilty of any of these crimes, and no one has the right to hand me over to these people. I now ask to be tried by the Emperor himself.”
12 After Festus had talked this over with members of his council, he told Paul, “You have asked to be tried by the Emperor, and to the Emperor you will go!”
Paul Speaks to Agrippa and Bernice
13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to visit Festus. 14 They had been there for several days, when Festus told the king about the charges against Paul. He said:
Felix left a man here in jail, 15 and when I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish leaders came and asked me to find him guilty. 16 I told them it isn't the Roman custom to hand a man over to people who are bringing charges against him. He must first have the chance to meet them face to face and to defend himself against their charges.
17 So when they came here with me, I wasted no time. On the very next day I took my place on the judge's bench and ordered him to be brought in. 18 But when the men stood up to make their charges against him, they did not accuse him of any of the crimes that I thought they would. 19 Instead, they argued with him about some of their beliefs and about a dead man named Jesus, who Paul said was alive.
20 Since I did not know how to find out the truth about all this, I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be put on trial there. 21 But Paul asked to be kept in jail until the Emperor could decide his case. So I ordered him to be kept here until I could send him to the Emperor.
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would also like to hear what this man has to say.”
Festus answered, “You can hear him tomorrow.”
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice made a big show as they came into the meeting room. High ranking army officers and leading citizens of the town were also there. Festus then ordered Paul to be brought in 24 and said:
King Agrippa and other guests, look at this man! Every Jew from Jerusalem and Caesarea has come to me, demanding for him to be put to death. 25 I have not found him guilty of any crime deserving death. But because he has asked to be judged by the Emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.
26 I have to write some facts about this man to the Emperor. So I have brought him before all of you, but especially before you, King Agrippa. After we have talked about his case, I will then have something to write. 27 It makes no sense to send a prisoner to the Emperor without stating the charges against him.
1 Uzņēmies zemes pārvaldīšanu, Fēsts pēc trim dienām devās no Cezarejas uz Jeruzālemi.
2 Augstie priesteri un ievērojamākie jūdi apsūdzēja viņam Pāvilu un griezās pie viņa,
3 Izlūgdamies viņa labvēlību pret Pāvilu, lai viņš sūtītu to uz Jeruzālemi, jo tiem bija slepens nodoms viņu ceļā nonāvēt.
4 Tad Fēsts atbildēja, ka Pāvils atrodoties apsardzībā Cezarejā un ka viņš pats gribot drīz doties turp.
5 „Kas no jums var,“ viņš sacīja, „lai nāk līdz un, ja šim vīram ir kāds pārkāpums, lai apsūdz to.“
6 Palicis viņu vidū ne vairāk kā astoņas vai desmit dienas, viņš devās atpakaļ uz Cezareju un nākošajā dienā, nosēdies tiesneša krēslā, pavēlēja atvest Pāvilu.
7 Kad tas bija ieradies, no Jeruzālemes atnākušie jūdi nostājās ap viņu, celdami daudz un smagas apsūdzības, ko tie nevarēja pierādīt.
8 Bet Pāvils aizstāvējās: „Es neko neesmu grēkojis ne pret jūdu bauslību, ne pret svētnīcu, ne pret ķeizaru.“
9 Fēsts, gribēdams jūdiem pa prātam darit, atbildēja Pāvilam, sacīdams: „Vai tu gribi iet uz Jeruzālemi, lai tevi tur manā priekšā tiesā par šīm lietām?“
10 Bet Pāvils sacīja: „Es stāvu ķeizara tiesas priekšā, tur man pienākas tikt tiesātam. Jūdiem es nekādu netaisnību neesmu darījis, kā arī tu labi zini.
11 Ja es esmu darījis netaisnību vai kaut ko, par ko būtu nāvi pelnījis, tad es neliedzos mirt, bet, ja tam nav nekāda pamata, par ko tie mani apsūdz, tad neviens nevar mani viņiem nodot, es piesaucu ķeizaru.“
12 Tad Fēsts, sarunājies ar padomniekiem, atbildēja: „Tu esi piesaucis ķeizaru, pie ķeizara tev būs jāiet.“
13 Pēc dažām dienām ķēniņš Agripa un Bernike ieradās Cezarejā apsveikt Fēstu.
14 Kad tie vairāk dienu tur bija pavadījuši, Fēsts ķēniņam izstāstīja Pāvila lietu, sacīdams: „Še ir kāds vīrs, ko Fēliks atstājis cietumā.
15 Kad es biju Jeruzālemē, augstie priesteri un jūdu vecaji viņu apsūdzēja, lūgdami, lai viņu notiesā;
16 Tiem es atbildēju. Romiešiem nav parašas kādu cilvēku izdot, pirms apsūdzētais sūdzētājiem nav personīgi stājies pretim un nav dabūjis iespēju pret apvainojumu aizstāvēties.
17 Kad viņi te bija sanākuši, es nevilcinājos un nākošajā dienā, uz tiesneša krēsla sēdēdams, pavēlēju atvest šo vīru.
18 Sūdzētāji, apstājuši viņu, tomēr nepierādīja vainu nekādos pārkāpumos, kā es biju gaidījis.
19 Bet tie cēla viņam priekšā dažus jautājumus par viņu pašu reliģiju un par kādu Jēzu, kas esot nomiris un par ko Pāvils sacījis, ka viņš esot dzīvs.
20 Tā kā es šo strīdus lietu nepazinu, es sacīju, vai viņš negribētu iet uz Jeruzālemi un tur par šīm lietām tikt tiesāts,
21 Bet, kad Pāvils prasīja, lai viņu atstāj ķeizara spriedumam, es pavēlēju viņu apsargāt, tiekāms viņu sūtīšu pie ķeizara.“
22 Agripa sacīja Fēstam: „Es pats arī gribētu šo cilvēku dzirdēt.“ Fēsts atbildēja: „Rīt tu viņu dzirdēsi.“
23 Nākošajā dienā, kad Agripa un Bernike lielā greznībā bija ieradušies un līdz ar augstākajiem virsniekiem un pilsētas ievērojamākajiem vīriem bija iegājuši tiesas zālē, Fēsts pavēlēja Pāvilu atvest,
24 Un sacīja: „Ķēniņ Agripa un jūs visi, kas līdz ar mums še esat, redziet šo, pret ko uzstājies viss vairums jūdu Jeruzālemē un šeit, kliegdami, ka viņš nedrīkst ilgāk dzīvot.
25 Tā kā es zinu, ka viņš neko nav darījis, ar ko būtu nāvi pelnījis, un ka viņš pats piesaucis ķeizaru, es nolēmu viņu sūtīt turp.
26 Bet man nav nekā noteikta, ko valdniekam par viņu rakstīt; tādēļ es viņu esmu vedis jūsu priekšā un sevišķi tavā priekšā, ķēniņ Agripa, lai man pēc nopratināšanas būtu ko rakstīt.
27 Jo man šķiet aplam esam kādu sūtīt saistītu, neminot viņa vainu.“
