1Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
1非斯都到了任，過了三天，就從該撒利亞上耶路撒冷去。
2And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him,
2祭司長和猶太人的首領向他控告保羅，
3requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem ([at the same time], setting an ambush to kill him on the way).
3又央告他，求他的情，將保羅提到耶路撒冷來，他們要在路上埋伏殺害他。
4Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly.
4非斯都卻回答說：保羅押在該撒利亞，我自己快要往那裡去；
5'Therefore,' he said, 'let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him.'
5又說：你們中間有權勢的人與我一同下去，那人若有甚麼不是，就可以告他。
6After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.
6非斯都在他們那裡住了不過十天八天，就下該撒利亞去；第二天坐堂，吩咐將保羅提上來。
7After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove,
7保羅來了，那些從耶路撒冷下來的猶太人周圍站著，將許多重大的事控告他，都是不能證實的。
8while Paul said in his own defense, 'I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.'
8保羅分訴說：無論猶太人的律法，或是聖殿，或是該撒，我都沒有干犯。
9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, 'Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these [charges]?'
9但非斯都要討猶太人的喜歡，就問保羅說：你願意上耶路撒冷去，在那裡聽我審斷這事麼？
10But Paul said, 'I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to [the] Jews, as you also very well know.
10保羅說：我站在該撒的堂前，這就是我應當受審的地方。我向猶太人並沒有行過甚麼不義的事，這也是你明明知道的。
11'If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is [true] of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.'
11我若行了不義的事，犯了甚麼該死的罪，就是死，我也不辭。他們所告我的事若都不實，就沒有人可以把我交給他們。我要上告於該撒。
12Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, 'You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.'
12非斯都和議會商量了，就說：你既上告於該撒，可以往該撒那裡去。
13Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus.
13過了些日子，亞基帕王和百尼基氏來到該撒利亞，問非斯都安。
14While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, 'There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix;
14在那裡住了多日，非斯都將保羅的事告訴王，說：這裡有一個人，是腓力斯留在監裡的。
15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.
15我在耶路撒冷的時候，祭司長和猶太的長老將他的事稟報了我，求我定他的罪。
16'I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges.
16我對他們說，無論甚麼人，被告還沒有和原告對質，未得機會分訴所告他的事，就先定他的罪，這不是羅馬人的條例。
17'So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me.
17及至他們都來到這裡，我就不耽延，第二天便坐堂，吩咐把那人提上來。
18'When the accusers stood up, they [began] bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting,
18告他的人站著告他；所告的，並沒有我所逆料的那等惡事。
19but they [simply] had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.
19不過是有幾樣辯論，為他們自己敬鬼神的事，又為一個人名叫耶穌，是已經死了，保羅卻說他是活著的。
20'Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters.
20這些事當怎樣究問，我心裡作難，所以問他說：你願意上耶路撒冷去，在那裡為這些事聽審麼？
21'But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.'
21但保羅求我留下他，要聽皇上審斷，我就吩咐把他留下，等我解他到該撒那裡去。
22Then Agrippa [said] to Festus, 'I also would like to hear the man myself.' 'Tomorrow,' he said, 'you shall hear him.'
22亞基帕對非斯都說：我自己也願聽這人辯論。非斯都說：明天你可以聽。
23So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
23第二天，亞基帕和百尼基大張威勢而來，同著眾千夫長和城裡的尊貴人進了公廳。非斯都吩咐一聲，就有人將保羅帶進來。
24Festus said, 'King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer.
24非斯都說：亞基帕王和在這裡的諸位阿，你們看這人，就是一切猶太人，在耶路撒冷和這裡，曾向我懇求、呼叫說：不可容他再活著。
25'But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
25但我查明他沒有犯甚麼該死的罪，並且他自己上告於皇帝，所以我定意把他解去。
26'Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you [all] and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write.
26論到這人，我沒有確實的事可以奏明主上。因此，我帶他到你們面前，也特意帶他到你亞基帕王面前，為要在查問之後有所陳奏。
27'For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.'
27據我看來，解送囚犯，不指明他的罪案是不合理的。