¹Festus therefore, being come into the eparchy, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

¹Siku tatu baada ya kufika mkoani, Festo alitoka Kaisarea, akaenda Yerusalemu.

²And the chief priests and the chief of the Jews laid informations before him against Paul, and besought him,

²Makuhani wakuu pamoja na viongozi wa Wayahudi walimpa habari kuhusu mashtaka yaliyokuwa yanamkabili Paulo. Walimsihi Festo

³asking as a grace against him that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying people in wait to kill him on the way.

³awafanyie fadhili kwa kumleta Paulo Yerusalemu; walikuwa wamekula njama wamuue akiwa njiani.

⁴Festus therefore answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to set out shortly.

⁴Lakini Festo alijibu, "Paulo atabaki kizuizini kule Kaisarea na mimi nitakwenda huko karibuni.

⁵Let therefore the persons of authority among you, says he, going down too, if there be anything in this man, accuse him.

⁵Waacheni viongozi wenu waende huko pamoja nami wakatoe mashtaka yao juu yake kama amefanya chochote kiovu."

⁶And having remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the next day, having sat down on the judgment-seat, commanded Paul to be brought.

⁶Festo alikaa nao kwa muda wa siku nane au kumi hivi, kisha akarudi Kaisarea. Kesho yake alikwenda barazani, akaamuru Paulo aletwe ndani.

⁷And when he was come, the Jews who were come down from Jerusalem stood round, bringing many and grievous charges which they were not able to prove:

⁷Wakati Paulo alipofika, Wayahudi waliokuwa wametoka Yerusalemu walimzunguka wakaanza kutoa mashtaka mengi mazitomazito ambayo hawakuweza kuthibitisha.

⁸Paul answering for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended [in] anything.

⁸Kwa kujitetea, Paulo alisema, "Mimi sikufanya kosa lolote kuhusu Sheria ya Wayahudi, wala kuhusu Hekalu, wala kumhusu Kaisari."

⁹But Festus, desirous of obliging the Jews, to acquire their favour, answering Paul, said, Art thou willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be judged before me concerning these things?

⁹Festo alitaka kujipendekeza kwa Wayahudi na hivyo akamwuliza Paulo, "Je, ungependa kwenda Yerusalemu na huko ukahukumiwe mbele yangu kuhusu mashtaka haya?"

¹⁰But Paul said, I am standing before the judgment-seat of Caesar, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as *thou* also very well knowest.

¹⁰Paulo akajibu, "Nasimama mbele ya mahakama ya Kaisari na papa hapa ndipo ninapopaswa kupewa hukumu. Kama unavyojua vizuri, sikuwatendea Wayahudi ubaya wowote.

¹¹If then I have done any wrong and committed anything worthy of death, I do not deprecate dying; but if there is nothing of those things of which they accuse me, no man can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.

¹¹Basi, ikiwa nimepatikana na kosa linalostahili adhabu ya kifo, siombi kusamehewa adhabu hiyo. Lakini kama hakuna ukweli katika mashtaka waliyotoa watu hawa, hakuna awezaye kunikabidhi kwao. Nakata rufani kwa Kaisari!"

¹²Then Festus, having conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed to Caesar. To Caesar shalt thou go.

¹²Basi, baada ya Festo kuzungumza na washauri wake, akamwambia Paulo, "Umekata rufani kwa Kaisari, basi, utakwenda kwa Kaisari."

¹³And when certain days had elapsed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to salute Festus.

¹³Siku chache baadaye, mfalme Agripa na Bernike walifika Kaisarea ili kutoa heshima zao kwa Festo.

¹⁴And when they had spent many days there, Festus laid before the king the matters relating to Paul, saying, There is a certain man left prisoner by Felix,

¹⁴Walikuwa huko siku kadhaa naye Festo akamweleza mfalme kesi ya Paulo: "Kuna mtu mmoja hapa ambaye Felisi alimwacha kizuizini.

¹⁵concerning whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid informations, requiring judgment against him:

¹⁵Nilipokwenda Yerusalemu makuhani wakuu na wazee wa Wayahudi walimshtaki na kuniomba nimhukumu.

¹⁶to whom I answered, It is not [the] custom of the Romans to give up any man before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and he have got opportunity of defence touching the charge.

¹⁶Lakini mimi niliwajibu kwamba si desturi ya Waroma kumtoa mtu aadhibiwe kabla mshtakiwa hajakutana na washtaki wake ana kwa ana na kupewa fursa ya kujitetea kuhusu hayo mashtaka.

¹⁷When therefore they had come together here, without putting it off, I sat the next day on the judgment-seat and commanded the man to be brought:

¹⁷Basi, walipofika hapa sikukawia, ila nilifanya kikao mahakamani kesho yake, nikaamuru mtu huyo aletwe.

¹⁸concerning whom the accusers, standing up, brought no such accusation of guilt as *I* supposed;

¹⁸Washtaki wake walisimama lakini hawakutoa mashtaka maovu kama nilivyokuwa ninatazamia.

¹⁹but had against him certain questions of their own system of worship, and concerning a certain Jesus who is dead, whom Paul affirmed to be living.

¹⁹Ila tu walikuwa na mabishano kadhaa pamoja naye kuhusu dini yao na kuhusu mtu mmoja aitwaye Yesu ambaye alikufa, lakini Paulo anashikilia kwamba yu hai.

²⁰And as I myself was at a loss as to an inquiry into these things, I said, Was he willing to go to Jerusalem and there to be judged concerning these things?

²⁰Sikujua la kufanya kuhusu shauri hilo. Basi, nilimwuliza Paulo kama angependa kwenda mahakamani kule Yerusalemu kwa ajili ya mashtaka hayo.

²¹But Paul having appealed to be kept for the cognisance of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I shall send him to Caesar.

²¹Lakini Paulo alikata rufani, akaomba aachwe kizuizini mpaka uamuzi wa shauri hilo ufanywe na Kaisari. Kwa hiyo niliamua akae kizuizini mpaka nitakapoweza kumpeleka kwa Kaisari."

²²And Agrippa [said] to Festus, I myself also would desire to hear the man. To-morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

²²Basi Agripa akamwambia Festo, "Ningependa kumsikia mtu huyu mimi mwenyewe." Festo akamwambia, "Utamsikia kesho."

²³On the morrow therefore, Agrippa being come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and having entered into the hall of audience, with the chiliarchs and the men of distinction of the city, and Festus having given command, Paul was brought.

²³Hivyo, kesho yake, Agripa na Bernike walifika kwa shangwe katika ukumbi wa mkutano wakiwa wameandamana na wakuu wa majeshi na viongozi wa mji. Festo aliamuru Paulo aletwe ndani,

²⁴And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye see this person, concerning whom all the multitude of the Jews applied to me both in Jerusalem and here, crying out against [him] that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁴Kisha akasema, "Mfalme Agripa na wote mlioko hapa pamoja nasi! Hapa mbele yenu yuko mtu ambaye jumuiya yote ya Wayahudi hapa na kule Yerusalemu walinilalamikia wakipiga kelele kwamba hastahili kuishi tena.

²⁵But I, having found that he had done nothing worthy of death, and this [man] himself having appealed to Augustus, I have decided to send him;

²⁵Lakini mimi sikuona kuwa alikuwa ametenda chochote kibaya hata astahili kupewa adhabu ya kifo. Lakini, kwa vile Paulo mwenyewe alikata rufani kwa Kaisari, niliamua kumpeleka.

²⁶concerning whom I have nothing certain to write to my lord. Wherefore I have brought him before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, so that an examination having been gone into I may have something to write:

²⁶Kwa upande wangu sina habari kamili ambayo naweza kumwandikia Kaisari juu yake. Ndiyo maana nimemleta hapa mbele yenu na mbele yako mfalme Agripa, ili baada ya kumchunguza, niweze kuwa na la kuandika.

²⁷for it seems to me senseless, sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him.

²⁷Kwa maana nadhani itakuwa kichekesho kumpeleka mfungwa bila kutaja wazi mashtaka yanayomkabili."