Atti 25

1 Festo adunque, essendo entrato nella provincia, tre giorni appresso salì di Cesarea in Gerusalemme.

Festus, [who was now the governor] of the province, arrived in Caesarea, and three days later he went up to Jerusalem.

2 E il sommo sacerdote, ed i principali de' Giudei, comparvero dinanzi a lui, contro a Paolo.

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 E lo pregavano, chiedendo una grazia contro a lui, che egli lo facesse venire in Gerusalemme, ponendo insidie, per ucciderlo per lo cammino.

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 Ma Festo rispose, che Paolo era guardato in Cesarea; e che egli tosto [vi] andrebbe.

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 Quegli adunque di voi, disse egli, che potranno, scendano meco; e se vi è in quest'uomo alcun misfatto, accusinlo.

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 Ed essendo dimorato appresso di loro non più di otto o di dieci giorni discese in Cesarea; e il giorno seguente, postosi a sedere in sul tribunale, comandò che Paolo [gli] fosse menato [davanti].

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 E, quando egli fu giunto, i Giudei che erano discesi di Gerusalemme, [gli] furono d'intorno, portando contro a Paolo molte e gravi accuse, le quali però essi non potevano provare. Dicendo lui a sua difesa:

[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 Io non ho peccato nè contro alla legge de' Giudei, nè contro al tempio, nè contro a Cesare.

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 Ma Festo, volendo far cosa grata ai Giudei, rispose a Paolo, e disse: Vuoi tu salire in Gerusalemme, ed ivi esser giudicato davanti a me intorno a queste cose?

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 Ma Paolo disse: Io comparisco davanti al tribunal di Cesare, ove mi conviene esser giudicato; io non ho fatto torto alcuno a' Giudei, come tu stesso lo riconosci molto bene.

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 Perciocchè se pure ho misfatto, o commessa cosa alcuna degna di morte, non ricuso di morire; ma, se non è nulla di quelle cose, delle quali costoro mi accusano, niuno può donarmi loro nelle mani; io mi richiamo a Cesare.

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 Allora Festo, tenuto parlamento col consiglio, rispose: Tu ti sei richiamato a Cesare? a Cesare andrai.

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 E DOPO alquanti giorni, il re Agrippa, e Bernice, arrivarono in Cesarea, per salutar Festo.

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 E, facendo quivi dimora per molti giorni, Festo raccontò al re l'affare di Paolo, dicendo: Un certo uomo è stato lasciato prigione da Felice.

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 Per lo quale, quando io fui in Gerusalemme, comparvero [davanti a me] i principali sacerdoti, e gli anziani de' Giudei, chiedendo sentenza di condannazione contro a lui.

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 A' quali risposi che non è l'usanza de' Romani di donare alcuno, per farlo morire, avanti che l'accusato abbia gli accusatori in faccia e gli sia stato dato luogo di purgarsi dell'accusa.

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 Essendo eglino adunque venuti qua, io, senza indugio, il [giorno] seguente, sedendo in sul tribunale, comandai che quell'uomo [mi] fosse menato [davanti].

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 Contro al quale gli accusatori, essendo compariti, non proposero alcuna accusa delle cose che io sospettava.

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 Ma aveano contro a lui certe quistioni intorno alla lor superstizione, ed intorno ad un certo Gesù morto, il qual Paolo dicea esser vivente.

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 Ora, stando io in dubbio come io procederei nell'inquisizion di questo fatto, [gli] dissi se voleva andare in Gerusalemme, e quivi esser giudicato intorno a queste cose.

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 Ma, essendosi Paolo richiamato ad Augusto, per esser riserbato al giudicio d'esso, io comandai ch'egli fosse guardato, finchè io lo mandassi a Cesare.

But Paul answered, ‘[No]. I [am not willing to go to Jerusalem]!

22 Ed Agrippa disse a Festo: Ben vorrei ancor io udir cotest'uomo. Ed egli disse: Domani l'udirai.

Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.”

23 Il giorno seguente adunque, essendo venuti Agrippa e Bernice, con molta pompa, ed entrati nella sala dell'udienza, co' capitani, e co' principali della città, per comandamento di Festo, Paolo fu menato [quivi].

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 E Festo disse: Re Agrippa, e voi tutti che siete qui presenti con noi, voi vedete costui, al quale tutta la moltitudine de' Giudei ha dato querela davanti a me, ed in Gerusalemme, e qui, gridando che non convien che egli viva più.

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 Ma io, avendo trovato ch'egli non ha fatta cosa alcuna degna di morte, ed egli stesso essendosi richiamato ad Augusto, io son deliberato di mandarglielo.

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 E, perciocchè io non ho nulla di certo da scriverne al mio signore, l'ho menato qui davanti a voi, e principalmente davanti a te, o re Agrippa, acciocchè, fattane l'inquisizione, io abbia che scrivere.

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 Perciocchè mi par cosa fuor di ragione di mandare un prigione, e non significar le accuse [che son] contro a lui.

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.”