Asomafo 25
1 Festo besii Felike anan mu sɛ amrado wɔ Kaesarea no, ne nnansa so no ɔkɔɔ Yerusalem.
Three days after Festus had arrived in his province, he left Caesarea and went up to Jerusalem.
2 Asɔfo mpanyin ne Yudafo mpanyin no de nsɛm a wɔwɔ tia Paulo no bɛtoo nʼanim.
There the chief priests and the leading men among the Jews laid an information before him against Paul,
3 Esiane sɛ na wɔabɔ Paulo ho pɔw sɛ wɔbɛtɛw no wɔ ɔkwan so akum no nti, wɔsrɛɛ no sɛ wɔmma wɔmfa no mmra Yerusalem.
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 Nanso Festo buaa wɔn se, esiane sɛ Paulo da afiase wɔ Kaesarea na ɛrenkyɛ biara ɔno ankasa bɛkɔ hɔ nti,
But Festus answered that Paul was in prison at Caesarea, and that he himself would be leaving for that place shortly.
5 wɔn a wodi asɛm no anim no ne no nkɔ nkodi asɛm no wɔ hɔ.
“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 Festo dii bɛyɛ nnaawɔtwe anaa nnafua du ansa na ɔresan aba Kaesarea. Obeduu adekyee no, ɔtenaa agua mu dii Paulo asɛm.
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 Bere a Paulo beduu asennii hɔ no, Yudafo a wofi Yerusalem no twaa ne ho hyiae fii ase kekaa nsɛm a ɛnyɛ nokware too no so.
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 Paulo yii ne ho ano se, “Minni biribiara ho fɔ, efisɛ menkasa ntiaa Yudafo mmara; minguu asɔredan ho fi, na menkasa ntiaa Roma aban nso.”
Paul’s answer to the charge was – ‘I have not committed any offense against the Jewish Law, or the Temple, or the Emperor.’
9 Esiane sɛ na Festo pɛ sɛ ɔsɔ Yudafo no ani nti obisaa Paulo se, “Wopɛ sɛ mede wo kɔ Yerusalem kodi wʼasɛm wɔ hɔ ana?”
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 Paulo buae se, “Esiane sɛ Ɔhempɔn Kaesare asennii na migyina nti, ɛha ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wodi mʼasɛm, bu me atɛn efisɛ menyɛɛ Yudafo bɔne biara sɛnea wo ara wunim no.
“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 Sɛ mabu mmara so anaa mayɛ biribiara a ɛno nti ɛsɛ sɛ wobu me kumfɔ a, minsuro. Nanso sɛ nsɛm a saa Yudafo yi ka tia me no nyɛ nokware a, obiara rentumi mfa me mma wɔn. Miguan toa Ɔhempɔn Kaesare.”
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 Festo ne ne mpanyimfo tuu agyina wiei no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Paulo se, “Esiane sɛ woaguan atoa Ɔhempɔn Kaesare no nti yɛde wo bɛkɔ nʼanim.”
Festus, after conferring with his Council, answered, “You have appealed to the Emperor; to the Emperor you will go.”
13 Nna bi akyi no, Ɔhene Agripa ne Berenike baa Kaesarea bɛmaa Festo akwaaba.
Some days later King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea, and paid a visit of congratulation to Festus;
14 Wɔwɔ hɔ no, Festo ne Ɔhene Agripa dii Paulo asɛm no ho nkɔmmɔ. Festo ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no se, “Ɔbarima bi wɔ ha a Felike gyaw no sɛ odeduani;
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 na mekɔɔ Yerusalem no, Yudafo asɔfo mpanyimfo ne mpanyin kaa nsɛm bi tiaa no sɛ minnyina so mmu no kumfɔ.
about whom, when I came to Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priest and the elders laid an information, demanding judgment against him.
16 “Nanso meka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, Roma mmara mma ho kwan sɛ wobu obi fɔ wɔ bere a wonnii nʼasɛm ɛ, enti wɔmma no kwan na onyi ne ho ano wɔ asɛm a wɔka tia no no ho.
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 Wɔbae no mansɛe bere koraa na ade kyee no, mehyɛɛ sɛ wɔmfa no mmra na minni nʼasɛm.
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 Nanso wɔanka nsɛm a misusuwii no mu biara anto no so.
But, when his accusers came forward, they brought no charge of wrongdoing such as I had expected;
19 Nsɛm a wɔkaa no fa wɔn nyamesom ne ɔbarima bi a wɔfrɛ no Yesu a owui nanso Paulo ka se ɔte ase no ho.
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 Esiane sɛ na asɛm no kyere mʼadwene nti, mibisaa Paulo sɛ ɔpɛ sɛ mikodi nʼasɛm wɔ Yerusalem ana?
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 Nanso Paulo guan toaa Ɔhempɔn Kaesare. Enti mesan ma wɔde no kɔtoo afiase kosi bere a metumi de no akɔ Ɔhempɔn Kaesare anim.”
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 Ɔhene Agripa ka kyerɛɛ Festo se, “Mepɛ sɛ mʼankasa mitie nʼanom asɛm.” Festo ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ɔkyena mede no bɛba na woatie nʼanom asɛm.”
“I should like to hear this man myself,” Agrippa said to Festus. “You will hear him tomorrow,” Festus answered.
23 Ade kyee no Ɔhene Agripa ne Berenike hyehyɛɛ wɔn ho de ahokeka ne asraafo mpanyimfo ne kurow no mu mpanyin kɔɔ asennii hɔ. Festo hyɛ ma wɔde Paulo baa asennii hɔ.
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 Festo kae se, “Ɔhene Agripa ne mo a moahyia ha nyinaa, saa ɔbarima yi na Yudafo a wɔwɔ ha ne Yerusalemfo aka nsɛm atia no, de no abrɛ me sɛ mimmu no kumfɔ no,
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 nanso mannya asɛm biara annyina so a mede bebu no kumfɔ. Esiane sɛ ɔno ankasa guan toaa Ɔhempɔn Kaesare no nti, mayɛ mʼadwene sɛ mede no bɛkɔ nʼanim.
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 Esiane sɛ minni asɛm pɔtee bi a mɛkyerɛw akɔma Ɔhempɔn Kaesare nti, na mede no aba wo, Ɔhene Agripa anim se sɛ wuwie wo nhwehwɛmuyɛ a manya biribi agyina so de akyerɛw ne ho asɛm.
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 Minnye nni sɛ ntease wɔ mu sɛ mede odeduani bɛkɔ nʼanim a menkyerɛw biribi pɔtee bi a etia no!”
For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner, without at the same time stating the charges made against him.”
