Dɔwɔwɔwo 25
1 Esi Festus dze eƒe dɔ gɔme le Kaesarea ƒe ŋkeke etɔ̃a gbe tututu la, eɖi tsa yi Yerusalem.
Three days after Festus entered his province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 Nunɔlagãwo kple Yudatɔwo ƒe dumegãwo wɔ mɔnukpɔkpɔ sia ŋuti dɔ heka Paulo ƒe nya la ta nɛ.
The high priest and the Jewish leaders laid charges against Paul before him.
3 Wodze agbagba bia amenuveve tso Festus gbɔ be wòaɖo Paulo ɖe Yerusalem enumake kple susu be, yewoabe ɖe mɔa dzi awui.
They urged him, asking it as a favor, to send for him to Jerusalem. They meant to lay in wait for him and kill him on the way.
4 Festus ɖo eŋu be, “Esi Paulo le gaxɔ me le Kaesarea, eye nye hã mele afi ma yi ge kpuie la,
But Festus answered that Paul was in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there soon.
5 mina miaƒe kplɔla aɖewo nadze yonyeme aɖatsɔ nya ɖe ŋutsu la ŋu le afi ma nenye be eda vo aɖe.”
"Let those then," he said, "who are in authority among you, go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him."
6 Le ŋkeke enyi alo ewo megbe la, Festus trɔ yi Kaesarea, eye le ŋkeke evea gbe tututu la, eyɔ Paulo ƒe nya la le ʋɔnu.
After staying not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day, after taking his seat upon the tribunal, he ordered Paul to be brought.
7 Esi Paulo va ɖo ʋɔnua ko la, Yudatɔ siwo tso Yerusalem va la le tsitre ƒo xlãe, eye wotsɔ nutsotso vevi geɖewo vɛ ɖe Paul ŋu, esiwo ŋu womete ŋu fia kpɔɖeŋu aɖeke le o.
When he came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought a number of serious charges against him, which they could not prove.
8 Ke Paulo ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Nyemedze agɔ le ame aɖeke dzi o. Nyemeda Yudatɔwo ƒe se aɖeke dzi o, eye nyemedo vlo gbedoxɔ la hã o. Gawu la, nyemetsi tsitre ɖe Roma dziɖuɖu alo Kaisaro ŋu o.”
Paul said in his defense, "I have committed no crime against the Law of the Jews, against the Temple, or against Caesar."
9 Ke Festus di vevie be yeave Yudatɔwo nu, eya ta ebia Paulo be, “Èlɔ̃ be yeayi Yerusalem be madrɔ̃ ʋɔnu ye le afi ma?”
But Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, answered Paul and said, "Will you go up to Jerusalem and be tried there by me upon these charges?"
10 Paulo ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Kaisaro ƒe ʋɔnudrɔ̃zikpui la ŋgɔe nye esi mele tsitre ɖo, afi si wòle be wòadrɔ̃ ʋɔnum le sea nu le. Nyemewɔ vɔ̃ aɖeke Yudatɔwo o, abe ale si wò ŋutɔ nènya nyuie ene.
"I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal," answered Paul, "where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know.
11 Ne mewɔ nane si dze na ku la, nyemele ku vɔ̃m o. Ke ne vodada aɖeke mele ŋunye o la, medze be wò alo ame bubu aɖeke nakɔm ade asi na ame siawo be woawum o. Metsɔ nye nya de asi na Fia Kaisaro ŋutɔ!”
"If I am a criminal and have done anything for which I ought to die, I do not object to die. But if none of their charges is true, no man can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar."
12 Nya sia na be Festus trɔ ɖe eŋumewo ŋu eye wodo dalĩ vie. Emegbe la, etrɔ ɖe Paulo gbɔ, gblɔ nɛ be, “Enyo; Paulo, esi nètsɔ wò nya de asi na Kaisaro ta la, míaɖo wo ɖe Kaisaro gbɔ.”
Then Festus, after conferring with the council, answered. "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go."
13 Le ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo megbe la, Fia Agripa kple nɔvia nyɔnu, Benis ɖi tsa va Festus gbɔ le Kaesarea be yewoakpɔe ɖa.
A short time after this King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
14 Le woƒe afi ma nɔnɔ me la, Festus gblɔ Paulo ƒe nya na fia la be, “Felix gblẽ ame aɖe ɖe gaxɔ me le afi sia hafi meva xɔ eteƒe.
And while they tarried many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king. "There is a man here," he said, "whom Felix left a prisoner.
15 Eye esi meɖi tsa de Yerusalem la, nunɔlagãwo kple Yudatɔwo ƒe tatɔwo va gbɔnye hewɔ nutsotso geɖe ɖe ame sia ŋu, eye wobia tso asinye be matso kufia nɛ.
"The chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him, when I was at Jerusalem, demanding a sentence against him.
16 Ke abe ale si wò ŋutɔ nènyae ene la, megblɔ na wo be míaƒe Roma se la meɖe mɔ be woabu fɔ ame ʋɔnumadrɔmadrɔ̃e o, ke boŋ ele be woana mɔe be wòaɖe eɖokui nu le ame siwo tsɔ nya ɖe eŋu la ŋkume.
I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give any man up for punishment, before the accused had his accusers face to face, and had opportunity of defending himself against the charges that had been brought against him.
17 “Esi Yudatɔwo tso Yerusalem va afi sia la, meyɔ ʋɔnua, eye mena wokplɔ Paulo va ʋɔnuae.
"So when a number of them came together here, I made no delay, but the next day took my seat in the tribunal, and commanded the man to be brought.
18 Esi enutsolawo tsi tsitre be woaƒo nu la, wometsɔ nya sesẽ aɖeke ɖe eŋu, abe ale si mebui ene o,
"But when his accusers stood up, they did not begin charging him with any of the crimes that I was expecting,
19 ke boŋ nyaʋiʋli aɖewo tso woƒe subɔsubɔ kple ame aɖe si woyɔna be Yesu, ame si ku, gake Paulo ya gale gbɔgblɔm be ele agbe kokoko la ŋu.
but they kept quarreling with him about certain matters connected with their own religion, and about one Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed over and over was alive.
20 Esi mese woƒe nyawo la, metɔtɔ ŋutɔ, elabena nyemenya ale si madrɔ̃ nya sia ƒomevie o. Mebia Paulo be alɔ̃ be woadrɔ̃ nya sia le Yerusalem hã?
I was perplexed how to investigate such questions, and asked Paul whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.
21 Gake Paulo gbe gblɔ be yedi be Kaisaro gã la ŋutɔ nadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu ye. Le esia ta la, megana be woagbugbɔe ayi gaxɔ me va se ɖe esime mate ŋu aɖoe ɖe Kaisaro gbɔ.”
But when Paul appealed to have his case reviewed for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered him to be detained until I could send him up to Caesar."
22 Agripa gblɔ na Festus be, “Nye ŋutɔ medi be mabia gbe Paulo ase eƒe numegbe.” Festus do ŋugbe nɛ be, “Etsɔ àse eƒe numegbe.”
"I should like to hear the man, myself," said Agrippa to Festus. Festus answered, "You shall hear him tomorrow."
23 Le ŋkeke evea gbe tututu la, Agripa kple Benis va do ɖe ʋɔnudrɔ̃ƒe la le bubu kple atsyɔ̃ɖoɖo gã me. Asrafowo kple dumegãwo hã nɔ wo ŋu. Esi woɖi anyi vɔ la, Festus na wokplɔ Paulo va wo ŋkumee.
So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and took their places in the hall of audience, accompanied by the tribunes and men of high rank in the city. At the command of Festus Paul was brought in.
24 Festus ƒo nu na ƒuƒoƒe la be, “Fia Agripa kple ame siwo katã ƒo ƒu ɖe afi sia, ame si le mia dome lae nye ame si Yudatɔ siwo le du sia me kple Yerusalem siaa la di be woatso kufia na.
"King Agrippa," said Festus, "and all men who are present with us, you see here the man about whom the entire body of the Jews at Jerusalem, and here also, sent to me, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
25 Ke le nye nukpɔkpɔ nu la, mewɔ naneke si dze na ku o. Ke esi eya ŋutɔ bia be Kaisaro ŋutɔ nadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu ye ta la, wɔna aɖeke megale ŋunye wu be maɖoe ɖe Kaisaro gbɔ le Roma o.
"I could not find that he had done anything for which he ought to die; but as he himself has appealed to the Emperor, I have determined to send him.
26 Gake hã la, nyemenya nya ka tututu maŋlɔ ɖo ɖe Fiagã la abe nutsotso le eŋu ene o, elabena wometsɔ nya gobii aɖeke ɖe eŋu o. Eya ta mekplɔe vɛ na mi katã, vevietɔ wò Fia Agripa, be nàbia gbee, eye to esia me makpɔ nane aŋlɔ tso eŋu.
"Now I have nothing very definite to tell our sovereign about him. So I have brought the man before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, in order that, after examination, I may have something to write.
27 Elabena susu mele eme be woaɖo gamenɔla aɖe ɖe Kaisaro be wòadrɔ̃ ʋɔnue le esime wometɔ asi nutsotso aɖeke dzi tso eŋu o.”
"For it does seem to me unreasonable to send a person without signifying the charges against him."
