Atũmwo 25
1 Na rĩrĩ, mĩthenya ĩtatũ yathira thuutha wa Fesito gũkinya kũu bũrũri-inĩ, akiuma Kaisarea akĩambata agĩthiĩ Jerusalemu.
Three days after Festus had arrived in his province, he left Caesarea and went up to Jerusalem.
2 Nao athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene na atongoria a Ayahudi magĩũka harĩ we, makĩmwĩra maũndũ marĩa Paũlũ aathitangĩirwo.
There the chief priests and the leading men among the Jews laid an information before him against Paul,
3 Nĩmahĩkire gũthaitha Fesito atĩ nĩ ũndũ wa wega wake kũrĩ o etĩkĩre Paũlũ atwarwo Jerusalemu, nĩgũkorwo nĩmahaaragĩria kũmuoheria njĩra-inĩ mamũũrage.
and asked a favor of him, to Paul’s injury – to have Paul brought to Jerusalem. All the while they were plotting to make away with him on the road.
4 Nake Fesito akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Paũlũ ahingĩirwo Kaisarea, na niĩ nĩngũcooka kuo o narua.
But Festus answered that Paul was in prison at Caesarea, and that he himself would be leaving for that place shortly.
5 Tondũ ũcio no tũthiĩ na atongoria amwe anyu nĩgeetha mathiĩ magathitangĩre mũndũ ũcio kuo, angĩkorwo nĩ harĩ ũndũ mũũru ekĩte.”
“So let the influential men among you,” he said, “go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, charge him formally with it.”
6 Thuutha wa gũikarania nao kũu ihinda ta rĩa mĩthenya ĩnana kana ikũmi, agĩikũrũka, agĩthiĩ Kaisarea, na mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ akĩgomithania igooti, na agĩathana Paũlũ areehwo mbere yake.
After staying among them some eight or ten days, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he took his seat on the Bench, and ordered Paul to be brought before him.
7 Rĩrĩa Paũlũ aakinyire, Ayahudi arĩa maikũrũkĩte kuuma Jerusalemu makĩmũrigiicĩria, na makĩmũthitangĩra maũndũ maingĩ mooru, marĩa matangĩahotire kuonania atĩ nĩ ma ma.
On Paul’s appearance, the Jewish leaders who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him, and made many serious charges, which they failed to establish.
8 Nake Paũlũ akĩĩyarĩrĩria, akiuga atĩrĩ: “Niĩ ndirĩ ũndũ njĩkĩte ũreganĩte na watho wa Ayahudi, o na kana wa hekarũ o na kana wa Kaisari.”
Paul’s answer to the charge was – ‘I have not committed any offense against the Jewish Law, or the Temple, or the Emperor.’
9 Nake Fesito, akĩenda gũkenia Ayahudi akĩũria Paũlũ atĩrĩ, “Wee nĩ ũkwenda kwambata ũthiĩ Jerusalemu ngagũciirithĩrie kuo nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ maya ũthitangĩirwo?”
But, as Festus wished to gain popularity with the Jews, he interrupted Paul with the question, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried on these charges before me there?”
10 Nake Paũlũ agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ndũgamĩte igooti-inĩ rĩa Kaisari, harĩa njagĩrĩirwo nĩ gũciirithĩrio. Niĩ ndihĩtĩirie Ayahudi, o ta ũrĩa wee mwene ũmenyete o wega.
“No,” replied Paul, “I am standing at the Emperor’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not wronged the Jews, as you yourself are well aware.
11 No rĩrĩ, angĩkorwo ndĩ na ihĩtia rĩa gwĩka ũndũ o wothe wa gũtũma njũragwo-rĩ, ndingĩrega gũkua. No angĩkorwo maũndũ marĩa thitangĩirwo nĩ Ayahudi aya ti ma ma-rĩ, gũtikĩrĩ mũndũ ũrĩ na gĩtũmi gĩa kũũneana kũrĩ o. Ndacookia ciira riiko kũrĩ Kaisari!”
If, however, I am breaking the law and have committed any offense deserving death, I do not ask to escape the penalty; but, if there is nothing in the accusations of these people, no one has the power to give me up to them. I appeal to the Emperor.”
12 Thuutha wa Fesito gũcookania ndundu na kĩama gĩake, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Wacookia ciira riiko kũrĩ Kaisari na kũrĩ Kaisari nĩkuo ũgũthiĩ!”
Festus, after conferring with his Council, answered, “You have appealed to the Emperor; to the Emperor you will go.”
13 Mĩthenya mĩnini yathira Mũthamaki Agiripa na Berinike magĩũka kũu Kaisarea kũnyiita Fesito ũgeni.
Some days later King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea, and paid a visit of congratulation to Festus;
14 Na tondũ nĩmaikaraga kũu mĩthenya mĩingĩ-rĩ, Fesito akĩhe mũthamaki ũcio ũhoro wa ciira wa Paũlũ, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Gũkũ kũrĩ na mũndũ watigirwo nĩ Felike arĩ muohe.
and, as they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king. “There is a man here,” he said, “left a prisoner by Felix,
15 Rĩrĩa ndaathiire Jerusalemu-rĩ, athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene na athuuri a Ayahudi nĩmamũthitangire, na makĩnjũũria ndĩmũtuĩre.
about whom, when I came to Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priest and the elders laid an information, demanding judgment against him.
16 “Na niĩ ngĩmeera atĩ ti mũtugo wa andũ a Roma kũneana mũndũ o wothe ataambĩte kũngʼethanĩra na andũ arĩa mamũthitangĩte na kũheo mweke wa kwĩyarĩrĩria ũhoro-inĩ ũrĩa athitangĩirwo.
My answer to them was, that it was not the practice of Romans to give up anyone to their accusers until the accused had met them face to face, and had also had an opportunity of answering the charges brought against them.
17 Rĩrĩa tuokire nao gũkũ, ndiaikaririe ciira ũcio, no ndaarookire kũgomithania igooti na ngĩathana mũndũ ũcio areehwo.
So they met here, and without loss of time I took my seat on the Bench the very next day, and ordered the man to be brought before me.
18 Rĩrĩa andũ arĩa maamũthitangĩte maarũgamire kwaria, matiamũthitangĩire ũndũ o na ũmwe mũũru ta ũrĩa nderĩgĩrĩire.
But, when his accusers came forward, they brought no charge of wrongdoing such as I had expected;
19 No handũ ha ũguo, o maarĩ na maũndũ mamwe maakararanagia nake makoniĩ ũhoro wa ndini yao na makoniĩ ũhoro wa mũndũ wakuĩte wetagwo Jesũ ũrĩa Paũlũ oigaga atĩ arĩ muoyo.
but I found that there were certain questions in dispute between them about their own religion, and about some dead man called Jesus, whom Paul declared to be alive.
20 Nĩndarigirwo nĩ ũrĩa ingĩtuĩria maũndũ ta macio; nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩmũũria kana no eende gũthiĩ Jerusalemu agaciirithĩrio maũndũ macio aathitangĩirwo kuo.
And, as I was at a loss how to enquire into questions of this kind, I asked Paul if he were willing to go up to Jerusalem, and be put on trial there.
21 Rĩrĩa Paũlũ aacookirie ciira riiko etererio itua rĩa Mũthamaki-rĩ, ngĩathana ahingĩrwo nginya rĩrĩa ingĩahotire kũmũtwarithia kũrĩ Kaisari.”
Paul, however, appealed to have his case reserved for the consideration of his August Majesty, so I ordered him to be detained in custody, until I could send him to the Emperor.”
22 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Agiripa akĩĩra Fesito atĩrĩ, “No nyende kwĩiguĩra mũndũ ũcio akĩaria.” Nake Fesito agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩũkamũigua rũciũ.”
“I should like to hear this man myself,” Agrippa said to Festus. “You will hear him tomorrow,” Festus answered.
23 Mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ, Agiripa na Berinike magĩũka marĩ na mwago mũnene na magĩtoonya nyũmba ya gũciirĩrwo marĩ hamwe na anene a thigari o na athuuri a itũũra arĩa maarĩ igweta. Nake Fesito agĩathana Paũlũ areehwo.
So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come in full state and had entered the Audience Chamber, with the superior officers and the principal people of the city, by the order of Festus Paul was brought before them.
24 Fesito akiuga atĩrĩ, “Mũthamaki Agiripa na andũ arĩa othe mũrĩ na ithuĩ haha, nĩmũkuona mũndũ ũyũ! Nĩwe mũingĩ wothe wa Ayahudi wanjũũririe, ndĩ kũu Jerusalemu na ndĩ gũkũ Kaisarea, ngaciire ũhoro wake, ũkĩanĩrĩra ũkiugaga atĩ ndagĩrĩirwo nĩgũtũũra muoyo rĩngĩ.
Then Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all here present, you see before you the man about whom the whole Jewish people have applied to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly asserting that he ought not to be allowed to live.
25 No niĩ nĩndonire atĩ ndarĩ ũndũ eekĩte wa gũtũma ooragwo, no tondũ nĩacookirie ciira riiko kũrĩ Mũthamaki, ngĩtua itua rĩa kũmũtũma Roma.
I found, however, that he had not done anything deserving death; so, as he had himself appealed to his August Majesty, I decided to send him.
26 No ndirĩ na ũndũ mũna ingĩandĩkĩra Mũthamaki Mũgaathe igũrũ rĩake. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, ndamũrehe mbere yanyu inyuothe, na makĩria mbere yaku wee Mũthamaki Agiripa, nĩgeetha ũhoro ũyũ warĩkia gũtuĩrio, ngĩe na ũndũ ingĩandĩka.
But I have nothing definite to write about him to my Imperial Master; and for that reason I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examining him, I may have something to write.
27 Nĩgũkorwo ndikuona kwagĩrĩire gũtũma mũndũ muohe itekuonania maũndũ marĩa athitangĩirwo.”
For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner, without at the same time stating the charges made against him.”
