Acts 25

1 Therfor whanne Festus cam in to the prouynce, aftir the thridde dai he wente vp to Jerusalem fro Cesarie.

Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

2 And the princis of prestis, and the worthieste of the Jewis wenten to hym ayens Poul, and preieden hym,

And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him,

3 and axiden grace ayens hym, that he schulde comaunde hym to be led to Jerusalem; and thei settiden aspies to sle hym in the weie.

asking favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying wait to kill him on the way.

4 But Festus answerde, that Poul schulde be kept in Cesarie; sotheli that he hym silf schulde procede more auisili. Therfor he seide, Thei that in you ben myyti,

Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart [thither] shortly.

5 come doun togidere; and if ony crime is in the man, accuse thei hym.

Let them therefore, saith he, which are of power among you, go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.

6 And he dwellede among hem no more than eiyte ether ten daies, and cam doun to Cesarie; and the tother dai he sat for domesman, and comaundide Poul to be brouyt.

And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.

7 And whanne he was brouyt forth, Jewis stoden aboute hym, whiche camen doun fro Jerusalem, puttynge ayens hym many and greuouse causis, whiche thei miyten not preue.

And when he was come, the Jews which had come down from Jerusalem stood round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges, which they could not prove;

8 For Poul yeldide resoun in alle thingis, That nether ayens the lawe of Jewis, nether ayens the temple, nether ayens the emperoure, Y synnede ony thing.

while Paul said in his defence, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.

9 But Festus wolde do grace to the Jewis, and answeride to Poul, and seide, Wolt thou gon vp to Jerusalem, and there be demyd of these thingis bifore me?

But Festus, desiring to gain favour with the Jews, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?

10 And Poul seide, At the domplace of the emperour Y stonde, where it bihoueth me to be demed. Y haue not noied the Jewis, as thou knowist wel.

But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar’s judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou also very well knowest.

11 For if Y haue noyed, ether don ony thing worthi deth, Y forsake not to die; but if no thing of tho is, that thei accusen me, no man may yyue me to hem. Y appele to the emperour.

If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if none of those things is [true], whereof these accuse me, no man can give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

12 Thanne Festus spak with the counsel, and answerde, To the emperoure thou hast appelid, to the emperoure thou schalt go.

Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.

13 And whanne summe daies weren passid, Agrippa kyng, and Beronyce camen doun to Cesarie, to welcome Festus.

Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and saluted Festus.

14 And whanne thei dwelliden there many daies, Festus schewide to the king of Poul, and seide, A man is left boundun of Felix,

And as they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix:

15 of which, whanne Y was at Jerusalem, princis of preestis and the eldre men of Jewis camen to me, and axiden dampnacioun ayens hym.

about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed [me], asking for sentence against him.

16 To whiche Y answeride, That it is not custom to Romayns, to dampne ony man, bifore that he that is accusid haue hise accuseris present, and take place of defending, to putte awei the crymes, that ben putte ayens hym.

To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defence concerning the matter laid against him.

17 Therfor whanne thei camen togidere hidir, withouten ony delaye, in the dai suynge Y sat for domesman, and comaundide the man to be brouyt.

When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat down on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought.

18 And whanne hise accuseris stoden, thei seiden no cause, of whiche thingis Y hadde suspicioun of yuel.

Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed;

19 But thei hadden ayens hym summe questiouns of her veyn worschiping, and of oon Jhesu deed, whom Poul affermyde to lyue.

but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

20 And Y doutide of siche maner questioun, and seide, Whether he wolde go to Jerusalem, and ther be demyd of these thingis?

And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.

21 But for Poul appelide, that he schulde be kept to the knowing of the emperoure, Y comaundide him to be kept, til Y sende hym to the emperoure.

But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept till I should send him to Caesar.

22 And Agrippa seide to Festus, Y my silf wolde here the man. And he seide, To morew thou schalt here hym.

And Agrippa [said] unto Festus, I also could wish to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, saith he, thou shalt hear him.

23 And on the tother day, whanne Agrippa and Beronyce camen with greet desire, and entriden in to the auditorie, with tribunes and the principal men of the citee, whanne Festus bad, Poul was brouyt.

So on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and they were entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in.

24 And Festus seide, King Agrippa, and alle men that ben with vs, ye seen this man, of which al the multitude of Jewis preyede me at Jerusalem, and axide, and criede, that he schulde lyue no lenger.

And Festus saith, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

25 But Y foond, that he hadde don no thing worthi of deth; and Y deme to sende hym to the emperoure, for he appelide this thing.

But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death: and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.

26 Of which man Y haue not certeyne, what thing Y schal write to the lord. For which thing Y brouyte hym to you, and moost to thee, thou king Agrippa, that whanne axing is maad, Y haue what Y schal write.

Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I may have somewhat to write.

27 For it is seyn to me with out resoun, to sende a boundun man, and not to signifie the cause of hym.

For it seemeth to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not withal to signify the charges against him.