Dɔwɔwɔwo 25
1 Esi Festus dze eƒe dɔ gɔme le Kaesarea ƒe ŋkeke etɔ̃a gbe tututu la, eɖi tsa yi Yerusalem.
Festus, [who was now the governor] of the province, arrived in Caesarea, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem.
2 Nunɔlagãwo kple Yudatɔwo ƒe dumegãwo wɔ mɔnukpɔkpɔ sia ŋuti dɔ heka Paulo ƒe nya la ta nɛ.
In Jerusalem, the chief priests and [other] Jewish leaders formally told [Festus] about [the things that they said] that Paul [had done that were wrong].
3 Wodze agbagba bia amenuveve tso Festus gbɔ be wòaɖo Paulo ɖe Yerusalem enumake kple susu be, yewoabe ɖe mɔa dzi awui.
They urgently asked Festus to do something for them. [They asked him to command soldiers] to bring Paul to Jerusalem, [so that Festus could put him on trial there]. But they were planning that some [of them] would hide [near the road] and wait [for Paul] and kill him when he was traveling [to Jerusalem].
4 Festus ɖo eŋu be, “Esi Paulo le gaxɔ me le Kaesarea, eye nye hã mele afi ma yi ge kpuie la,
But Festus replied, “Paul is in Caesarea, and is being guarded {[soldiers] are guarding him} [there]. I myself will go down to Caesarea in a few days.
5 mina miaƒe kplɔla aɖewo nadze yonyeme aɖatsɔ nya ɖe ŋutsu la ŋu le afi ma nenye be eda vo aɖe.”
Choose some of your leaders to go there with me. [While they are there], they can accuse Paul of the wrong things that you say that he has done.”
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 Festus had been [in Jerusalem] eight or ten days, he went back down to Caesarea. [Several of the Jewish leaders also went there]. The next day Festus [commanded] that Paul be brought {someone to bring Paul} to him [in the assembly hall] so that he could judge him.
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.
[After] Paul was brought to [the assembly hall], the Jewish [leaders] from Jerusalem gathered around him [to accuse him]. They told [Festus] that Paul had committed many crimes. But they could not prove [that Paul had done the things about which they accused him].
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.”
Then Paul [spoke] to defend himself. He said to Festus, “I have done nothing wrong against the laws of us [(exc)] Jews, and I have not disobeyed the rules concerning our Temple. I have also done nothing wrong against your government [MTY].”
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 wanted to please the Jewish [leaders, so] he asked Paul, “Are you [(sg)] willing to go up to Jerusalem so that I can listen as these men accuse you [there]?”
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.
But Paul [did not want to do that. So] he said [to Festus], “[No], I [am not willing to go to Jerusalem]! I am [now] standing before you, and you [(sg)] are the judge [whom the Roman] Emperor [MTY] [has authorized. This is the place] where I should be judged {where you should judge me}. I have not wronged the Jewish people [at all], as you know very well.
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 had done something bad [for which I] should be executed {[concerning which the law said that they] should execute me}, I would not plead [with them that they] not kill me. But none of these things about which they accuse me is [true, so] no one can [legally] surrender me to [these Jews]. So I formally request that the emperor [MTY] [should judge me at Rome].”
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 after Festus conferred with the [men who regularly] advised him, he replied to Paul, “You [(sg)] have formally requested [that I should send you] to the emperor [in Rome. So I will arrange for] you to go there [in order that he can judge you].”
13 Le ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo megbe la, Fia Agripa kple nɔvia nyɔnu, Benis ɖi tsa va Festus gbɔ le Kaesarea be yewoakpɔe ɖa.
After several days, King [Herod] Agrippa arrived at Caesarea, along with [his younger sister] Bernice. They had come to [formally] welcome Festus [as the new Governor of the province].
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.
King Agrippa and Bernice stayed many days in Caesarea. While [they were] there, Festus told Agrippa about Paul. He said to the king, “There is a man here whom Felix kept in prison [while he was governor]. He left him [there when his time as governor ended].
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.
When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and [the other] Jewish elders told me that this man had done many things [against their laws]. They asked me to condemn him [to be executed] {judge him [so that people could kill 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.
But I told them that when someone has been accused [of a crime, we] Romans do not immediately (condemn that person/declare that person to be guilty). First, we [command] him to stand before the people who are accusing him and to say whether or not he has done those things. [After that, the judge will decide what to do with] him.
17 “Esi Yudatɔwo tso Yerusalem va afi sia la, meyɔ ʋɔnua, eye mena wokplɔ Paulo va ʋɔnuae.
So those Jews came [here to Caesarea] when I came. I did not delay. The day after [we(exc) arrived], after I sat down at the place where I make decisions, I [commanded] that Paul be brought {[soldiers] to bring Paul} into [the courtroom].
18 Esi enutsolawo tsi tsitre be woaƒo nu la, wometsɔ nya sesẽ aɖeke ɖe eŋu, abe ale si mebui ene o,
The Jewish leaders did accuse him, but the things about which they accused him were not any of the [evil] crimes about which I thought [they would accuse him].
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.
Instead, what they argued about with him were some teachings that [some] Jews believe [and others do not believe. They argued] about a man whose name was Jesus who had died, [but the man they were accusing, whose name is] Paul, kept saying, ‘Jesus is alive again.’
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 did not know what questions to ask [them, and I did not know how to judge] concerning their dispute. So I asked Paul, ‘Are you [(sg)] willing to go [back] to Jerusalem and have the dispute [between you and these Jews] judged there {and [let me] judge there the dispute [between you and these Jews]}?’
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 Paul answered, ‘[No]. I [am not willing to go to Jerusalem]!
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.”
Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.”
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.
The next day Agrippa and Bernice came very ceremoniously to the assembly hall. Some [Roman] commanders and prominent men in [Caesarea] came with them. Then, Festus told an officer to bring Paul. So after the officer [went to the prison and] brought him,
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.
Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all [the rest of you] who are here, you see this man. Many [HYP] Jews in Jerusalem and also those here [in Caesarea] appealed to me, screaming that we [(exc)] should not let him 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.
But [when I asked them to tell me what he had done, and they told me], I found out that he had not done anything for which he should be executed {[anyone should] execute him}. However, he has asked that our emperor [should judge his case], so I have decided to send him to Rome.
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.
But I do not know what specifically I should write to the emperor concerning him. That is why I have brought him here. I [want] you all [to hear him speak], and I especially want you [(sg)], King Agrippa, to hear him. Then, after we [(inc)] have questioned him, I may know what I should write [to the emperor about him].
27 Elabena susu mele eme be woaɖo gamenɔla aɖe ɖe Kaisaro be wòadrɔ̃ ʋɔnue le esime wometɔ asi nutsotso aɖeke dzi tso eŋu o.”
It seems to me [that it would be] unreasonable to send a prisoner [to the emperor in Rome without my] specifying the [things about which people] are accusing him.”
