Acts 25
1 Fesitusi bu kakota mu zunga, bilumbu bitatu kaviokisa ku Yelusalemi bu kaba ku Sezale.
Festus, [who was now the governor] of the province, arrived in Caesarea, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem.
2 Bapfumu banganga Nzambi ayi bapfumu bankaka zi Bayuda bayenda kumbata mu diambu di funda Polo.
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 Baleba Fesitusi mu diambu katumisa Polo ku Yelusalemi muingi banlekila mintambu mu nzila mu diambu bamvonda.
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 Vayi Fesitusi wuvutula: —Polo widi mu nloko ku Sezale bosi minu veka fioti fisiedi buna ndieka mvutuka kuna,
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 buna diawu batu badi minsua mu beno bika benda yama. Enati diambu di mbimbi didi mu mutu beni, buna bika bamfunda!
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 Bu kaviokisa nana voti dikumi di bilumbu kuidi bawu, wuyenda ku Sezale. Bosi mu lumbu kilanda, wuvuanda ku tilibinadu. Wuvana lutumu ti banata Polo.
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 Polo bu katumbu tula, Bayuda baba ku Yelusalemi bamana kunzungidila ayi bamfunda mu mambu mawombo ayi ma tsisi; momo bawu veka bankambu baka busudikisila.
[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 Polo wukivovila nkanu bu katuba: —Ndisi vanga kadi diambu dimbimbi ko, ndisi vanga kadi diambu di mbimbi mu diambu di Mina mi Bayuda ko voti mu diambu di Nzo Nzambi ko voti mu diambu di ntinu Sezali ko!
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 Fesitusi bu kazola monisa Bayuda khini, wuyuvula Polo ti: —Tidi kuenda ku Yelusalemi mu kuenda sambi va ntualꞌama mu diambu di mambu mama e?
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 Polo wuvutula: —Minu ndidi va ntuala ntiliminadu Sezali, ayi vawu mfueti sambusulu. Ndisi vanga diambu di mbimbi kuidi Bayuda ko; ngeyo veka zebi buawu bumboti.
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 Enati diambu di mbimbi ndivengi voti diambu ndivengi diodi ndilenda bakila thumbudulu yi lufua, buna ndikadi manga fua. Vayi enati mambu moso momo bamfundidi masi makiedika ko, buna kuisi ko mutu wulenda kundiekula mu mioko miawu. Diawu thidi kuenda sambi va ntuala Sezali.
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 Fesitusi bu kamana wizana ayi batu ba lukutukunu lu minyadi wuvutula ti: —Bu tidi kuenda kuidi Sezali, buna weka kuenda kuidi Sezali.
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 Ndambu bilumbu bu bivioka, ntinu Angilipa va kimosi ayi Belenisi bayiza ku Sezale mu kuiza vani Fesitusi mbote.
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 Bilumbu biwombo bakadila kuna. Fesitusi wubaka diluaku di sudikisila mambu ma Polo kuidi ntinu: —Mutu wumosi widi mu nloko, babika kuidi Felikisi.
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 Bu ndibedi ku Yelusalemi, bapfumu banganga Nzambi ayi bapfumu bankaka zi Bayuda bayiza kumfunda. Zilomba ti ndinzengila nkanu
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 Vayi ndiba vutudila ti mu kikhulu ki basi Loma ti mutu kalendi zengolo nkanu ko enati kasi samba va ntuala mimfundi miandi ko; ayi kafueti tuama baka diluaku di kukitabila mu diambu di mambu momo bamfundidi.
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 Buna bayiza vava, mu kambu viokisa thangu. Mu lumbu kilanda, ndivuanda ku ntiliminadu, buna ndituma batu batuala mutu beni.
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 Mimfundi bu mitelama, misia kumfundila mu diambu dimosi ko mu mambu mamo momo ndiyindula.
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 Vayi mambu ma dibundu diawu kuandi bamfundila ayi mambu beni madi mu mutu wumosi beta tedila Yesu, mutu wowo wufua vayi Polo keti tuba ti mutu widi moyo!
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 Bu ndikambu zaba mambu mavanga mu diambu di mambu momo, bunandiyuvula mutu beni keni tidi kuenda ku Yelusalemi mu diambu di sambusu mu mambu momo.
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 Vayi Polo wulomba mu kuenda sambi va ntuala ntinu wu Loma. Diawu ndivanina lutumu ti bantula mu nloko nate ndiela kumfidisa kuidi Sezali.
But Paul answered, ‘[No]. I [am not willing to go to Jerusalem]!
22 Angilipa wukamba Fesitusi: —Minu mamvama thidi wa mutu beni. Fesitusi wumvutudila: —Wela kunwa mbazi.
Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.”
23 Mu lumbu kilanda, Angilipa ayi Belinisi, mu nzitusu wunnenibayizila, bakota muna vinga kieti sambusulu mambu, va kimosi ayi bapfumu zi masodi ayi batu ba luvalu ba divula. Mu lutumunu lu Fesitusi, banata Polo.
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 Bosi Fesitusi wutuba: —A ntinu Angilipa ayi beno boso luidi vava mu lumbu kiaki va kimosi ayi beto, lulembo moni mutu wawu widi va ntualꞌeno, niandi bayiza nkangu woso wu Bayuda wuyiza funda kuidi minu; buba ku Yelusalemi voti vava, baba yamikinanga ti fueni vondo.
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 Vayi minu, ndimona ti, kasia vanga diambu di kafueti vondoloko. Vayi niandi veka mutu wawu wulomba mu kuenda kuidi ntinu wu Loma, diawu ndieka kumfidisila ku Loma.
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 Vayi kadi diambu ndikadi mona disonikina ntinu mu diambu diandi. Diawu ndinnatini va ntualꞌeno ayi ndutu va ntualꞌaku, ngeyo ntinu Angilipa mu diambu ndibaka diambu disonika bu kameni sambusu.
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 Bila ndimmona ti disi diambu dimboti ko mu fidisa muisi nloko mu kambu zabikisa mambu momo bamfundidi.
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.”
