book 25
1
非斯都到了任,过了三天,就从该撒利亚上耶路撒冷去。

Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,

2
祭司长,和犹太人的首领,向他控告保罗,

where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.

3
又央告他,求他的情,将保罗提到耶路撒冷来。他们要在路上埋伏杀害他。

They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

4
非斯都却回答说,保罗押在该撒利亚,我自己快要往那里去。

Festus answered, "Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

5
又说,你们中间有权势的人,与我一同下去,那人若有什么不是,就可以告他。

Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong."

6
非斯都在他们那里,住了不过十天八天,就下该撒利亚去。第二天坐堂,吩咐将保罗提上来。

After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him.

7
保罗来了,那些从耶路撒冷下来的犹太人,周围站着,将许多重大的事控告他,都是不能证实的。

When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.

8
保罗分诉说,无论犹太人的律法,或是圣殿,或是该撒,我都没有干犯。

Then Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."

9
但非斯都要讨犹太人的喜欢,就问保罗说,你愿意上耶路撒冷去,在那里听我审断这事吗?

Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?"

10
保罗说,我站在该撒的堂前,这就是我应当受审的地方。我向犹太人并没有行过什么不义的事,这也是你明明知道的。

Paul answered: "I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

11
我若行了不义的事,犯了什么该死的罪,就是死,我也不辞。他们所告我的事若都不实,就没有人可以把我交给他们。我要上告于该撒。

If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

12
非斯都和议会商量了,就说,你既上告于该撒,可以往该撒那里去。

After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"

13
过了些日子,亚基帕王,和百尼基氏,来到该撒利亚,问非斯都安。

A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

14
在那里住了多日,非斯都将保罗的事告诉王,说,这里有一个人,是腓力斯留在监里的。

Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.

15
我在耶路撒冷的时候,祭司长和犹太的长老,将他的事禀报了我,求我定他的罪。

When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.

16
我对他们说,无论什么人,被告还没有和原告对质,未得机会分诉所告他的事,就先定他的罪,这不是罗马人的条例。

"I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges.

17
及至他们都来到这里,我就不耽延,第二天便坐堂,吩咐把那人提上来。

When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.

18
告他的人站着告他。所告的,并没有我所逆料的那等恶事。

When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

19
不过是有几样辩论,为他们自己敬鬼神的事,又为一个人名叫耶稣,是已经死了,保罗却说他是活着的。

Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.

20
这些事当怎样究问,我心里作难。所以问他说,你愿意上耶路撒冷去,在那里为这些事听审吗?

I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.

21
但保罗求我留下,他要听皇上审断,我就吩咐把他留下,等我解他到该撒那里去。

When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."

22
亚基帕对非斯都说,我自己也愿听这人辩论。非斯都说,明天你可以听。

Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man myself." He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him."

23
第二天,亚基帕和百尼基大张威势而来,同着众千夫长,和城里的尊贵人,进了公厅。非斯都吩咐一声,就有人将保罗带进来。

The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

24
非斯都说,亚基帕王,和在这里的诸位阿,你们看这人,就是一切犹太人在耶路撒冷,和这里,曾向我恳求,呼叫说,不可容他再活着。

Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

25
但我查明他没有犯什么该死的罪。并且他自己上告于皇帝,所以我定意把他解去

I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome.

26
论到这人,我没有确实的事,可以奏明主上。因此我带他到你们面前,也特意带他到你亚基帕王面前,为要在查问之后,有所陈奏。

But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write.

27
据我看来,解送囚犯,不指明他的罪案,是不合理的。

For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him."