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

¹Festus, therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea,

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

²and the chief priest and the principal men of the Jews made manifest to him [the things] against Paul, and were calling on him,

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

³asking favour against him, that he may send for him to Jerusalem, making an ambush to put him to death in the way.

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

⁴Then, indeed, Festus answered that Paul is kept in Caesarea, and himself is about speedily to go on thither,

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

⁵`Therefore those able among you — saith he — having come down together, if there be anything in this man — let them accuse him;`

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

⁶and having tarried among them more than ten days, having gone down to Caesarea, on the morrow having sat upon the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought;

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

⁷and he having come, there stood round about the Jews who have come down from Jerusalem — many and weighty charges they are bringing against Paul, which they were not able to prove,

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

⁸he making defence — `Neither in regard to the law of the Jews, nor in regard to the temple, nor in regard to Caesar — did I commit any sin.`

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

⁹And Festus willing to lay on the Jews a favour, answering Paul, said, `Art thou willing, to Jerusalem having gone up, there concerning these things to be judged before me?`

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

¹⁰and Paul said, `At the tribunal of Caesar I am standing, where it behoveth me to be judged; to Jews I did no unrighteousness, as thou dost also very well know;

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!"

¹¹for if indeed I am unrighteous, and anything worthy of death have done, I deprecate not to die; and if there is none of the things of which these accuse me, no one is able to make a favour of me to them; to Caesar I appeal!`

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

¹²then Festus, having communed with the council, answered, `To Caesar thou hast appealed; to Caesar thou shalt go.`

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

¹³And certain days having passed, Agrippa the king, and Bernice, came down to Caesarea saluting Festus,

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

¹⁴and as they were continuing there more days, Festus submitted to the king the things concerning Paul, saying, `There is a certain man, left by Felix, a prisoner,

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

¹⁵about whom, in my being at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid information, asking a decision against him,

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.

¹⁶unto whom I answered, that it is not a custom of Romans to make a favour of any man to die, before that he who is accused may have the accusers face to face, and may receive place of defence in regard to the charge laid against [him].

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

¹⁷`They, therefore, having come together — I, making no delay, on the succeeding [day] having sat upon the tribunal, did command the man to be brought,

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

¹⁸concerning whom the accusers, having stood up, were bringing against [him] no accusation of the things I was thinking of,

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.

¹⁹but certain questions concerning their own religion they had against him, and concerning a certain Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive;

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

²⁰and I, doubting in regard to the question concerning this, said, If he would wish to go on to Jerusalem, and there to be judged concerning these things —

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."

²¹but Paul having appealed to be kept to the hearing of Sebastus, I did command him to be kept till I might send him unto Caesar.`

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

²²And Agrippa said unto Festus, `I was wishing also myself to hear the man;` and he said, `To-morrow thou shalt hear him;`

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,

²³on the morrow, therefore — on the coming of Agrippa and Bernice with much display, and they having entered into the audience chamber, with the chief captains also, and the principal men of the city, and Festus having ordered — Paul was brought forth.

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.

²⁴And Festus said, `King Agrippa, and all men who are present with us, ye see this one, about whom all the multitude of the Jews did deal with me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out, He ought not to live any longer;

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.

²⁵and I, having found him to have done nothing worthy of death, and he also himself having appealed to Sebastus, I decided to send him,

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.

²⁶concerning whom I have no certain thing to write to [my] lord, wherefore I brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that the examination having been made, I may have something to write;

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

²⁷for it doth seem to me irrational, sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him.`