保罗在非斯都面前申辩

25 非斯都上任三天后,便从凯撒利亚启程上耶路撒冷。 祭司长和犹太人的首领向他控告保罗, 恳求他将保罗押回耶路撒冷,他们想在途中埋伏杀害保罗。 非斯都却拒绝道:“保罗现在关押在凯撒利亚,我很快会回到那里。 让你们的首领跟我一起去吧,如果那人有什么过犯,可以在那里告他。”

非斯都在耶路撒冷只逗留了十天八天,便返回了凯撒利亚。第二天,他开庭审讯,命人将保罗带上来。 保罗被带来后,那些从耶路撒冷下来的犹太人站在他周围,指控他犯了各样严重的罪,但是都没有证据。 保罗为自己辩护说:“我从来没有违背犹太律法,亵渎圣殿或反叛凯撒!” 非斯都为了讨好犹太人,就对保罗说:“你是否愿意回耶路撒冷接受我的审讯?”

10 保罗说:“我此刻正站在凯撒的法庭上,这就是我应该受审的地方。你很清楚,我并没有做过什么对不起犹太人的事。 11 如果我做错了,犯了该死的罪,我决不逃避!但他们对我的指控毫无根据,谁也不能把我交给他们。我要向凯撒上诉!”

12 非斯都和议会商讨后,说:“你说要上诉凯撒,就去见凯撒吧!”

非斯都请教亚基帕王

13 过了几天,亚基帕王和百妮姬一起到凯撒利亚问候非斯都。 14 他们在那里住了多日,非斯都对王提起保罗的案子,说:“我这里有一个囚犯,是前任总督腓利斯留下来的。 15 上次我去耶路撒冷的时候,犹太人的祭司长和长老控告他,要求我定他的罪。 16 我告诉他们,按照罗马人的规矩,被告还没有跟原告对质和自辩之前,不能定他的罪。 17 后来他们跟我一起来到这里,我没有耽误,第二天就开庭,吩咐把那人带出来审讯。 18 他们都站起来当面指控他,但所告的并非我料想的罪行, 19 不过是关于他们的宗教和一个叫耶稣的人的一些争论。耶稣已经死了,保罗却说他仍然活着。 20 我不知如何审理这些事情,就问被告是否愿意上耶路撒冷受审。 21 但保罗请求留下来,听皇帝定夺,所以我下令仍然扣留他,等着送交凯撒。”

22 亚基帕对非斯都说:“我想亲自听听他的申诉。”

非斯都说:“你明天就会听到。”

23 第二天,亚基帕和百妮姬在众千夫长和城中达官贵人的陪同下,声势浩大地进了法庭。非斯都下令把保罗带上来后, 24 说:“亚基帕王和在座的各位,你们看,就是这个人,所有的犹太人在这里和耶路撒冷都请求我处死他。 25 但我发现他并没有犯什么该死的罪。既然他要向皇帝上诉,我决定把他押去。 26 只是关于这个人,我没有确切的事由可以奏明皇帝[a]。所以,我把他带到各位面前,特别是亚基帕王面前,以便在审讯之后,我可以有所陈奏。 27 因为在我看来,解送犯人却不奏明罪状不合情理。”

Footnotes

  1. 25:26 希腊文是“主上”,用于对罗马皇帝的尊称。

保罗求见凯撒

25 非斯都进省上任。三天后,他从该撒利亚出发,去了耶路撒冷。 祭司长和犹太人首领向他陈述对保罗的起诉。他们还请求非斯都, 帮个忙把保罗送回耶路撒冷。(他们策划要在途中杀害他。) 非斯都回答道∶“保罗正被囚在该撒利亚,我本人很快就会到那儿去的。 那么,就让你们一些首领和我一起去吧。如果他做了什么错事,就让他们去控告他吧。”

非斯都在耶路撒冷又住了不过八或十天,然后,去了该撒利亚。第二天,他坐在法庭上,让人把保罗带了进来。 保罗一出现,从耶路撒冷来的犹太人便围住他,对他提出了很多严重的指控,可是他们却无法证实。 保罗辩护道∶“我没做过任何反对犹太人律法、大殿和凯撒的事。”

因为非斯都想讨好犹太人,便对保罗说∶“你愿意上耶路撒冷去针对这些指控受我的审判吗?”

10 保罗说∶“我现在正站在凯撒的法庭上,这里是我应该受到审判的地方。我从来没有对犹太人做过什么错事,这一点你自己也很清楚。 11 如果我有罪,做了该判死罪的事情,我不企图逃避死亡。但是,如果这些人对我的起诉中毫无事实可言,谁都不能把我交给他们。我上告凯撒。”

12 非斯都和他的谋士们商量了一番后,然后回答∶“你已经上诉凯撒了,那么就到他那里去吧。”

非斯都向亚基帕寻问保罗

13 几天以后,亚基帕王和百妮基到该撒利亚,去拜访非斯都。 14 他们在那儿住了几天后,非斯都把保罗的案子讲给亚基帕王听,他说∶“腓力斯留下了一个犯人, 15 我在耶路撒冷的时候,祭司长和年长的犹太首领,控告他,要求给他定罪。 16 我对他们说,被告没有与原告当面对质,未有机会为对他的控告作辩护之前,就把他交给别人去审判,不合罗马人的惯例。 17 因此,他们和我来到这里后,我没有耽搁,第二天就开庭,命令把那个人带来。 18 原告站起来控告他,但所指控的并不是我所预想的罪状。 19 相反,他们争吵是因为自己的宗教迷信,是为一个名叫耶稣的人。耶稣死了,不过保罗却声称他还活着。 20 我不知该如何调查这些事情,所以,我问保罗,是否愿意到耶路撒冷,为这些指控受审。 21 但是保罗上诉留在狱中让皇上来裁决,所以我便下令把他监禁起来,直到我能把他送到凯撒那里。

22 亚基帕对非斯都说∶“我想亲自听听那个人说些什么。”

非斯都说∶“明天你可以听他说。”

23 第二天,亚基帕和百妮基,声势浩大地来了,军事首领和城里的显要人物也一起进了礼堂。非斯都下令,让人把保罗带进来。 24 非斯都说∶“亚基帕王和在座的各位,你们都看见这个人了。就是为了他,所有的犹太人,无论是耶路撒冷,还是这里的犹太人都请求我,喊叫着他不该再活下去。 25 可是,我发现他没有犯有该判死刑的罪,既然他自己要求上告到皇帝那里,我决定把他送去。 26 但是,关于他,我没有任何明确情况,可奏明皇上,所以,我便把他带到你们所有人面前,特别是您,亚基帕王的面前,以便在这次调查后,我能有可写的东西。 27 总之,我认为解送犯人而不说明对他的指控,是没有道理的。”

25 Therefore Festus, having arrived in the Province, after shloshah yamim went up from Caesarea to Yerushalayim,

Where the Rashei Hakohanim and manhigim of the Yehudim explained to Festus the charges keneged Rav Sha’ul, and they were begging him,

Asking a favor from him, that Festus might summon Rav Sha’ul to Yerushalayim, while at the same time they were forming a kesher to kill him along the way.

Festus answered that Rav Sha’ul was to be kept in Caesarea and that Festus himself intended quickly to go there.

"Therefore, those in authority among you," Festus says, "should come down with me, and if there is anything in the wrong about Rav Sha’ul, then let them bring charges against him."

And having stayed with them no more than shmonah or asarah yamim, Festus went down to Caesarea; the next day he sat on the Kes HaMishpat and ordered Rav Sha’ul to be brought in.

When Rav Sha’ul came in, the Judeans who had come down from Yerushalayim stood around him and brought serious charges keneged (against) him, which they were not able to prove.

Rav Sha’ul defended himself, saying, "Neither keneged the Torah nor keneged the Beis Hamikdash nor keneged Caesar have I done anything wrong."

But Festus, wishing to grant the Judeans a favor, said in reply to Rav Sha’ul, "Do you want to go up to Yerushalayim to be judged by me there concerning these things?"

10 And Rav Sha’ul said, "I am standing before the Kes HaMishpat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be tried. I have done no wrong to my Jewish people, as you also have da’as very well.

11 "Now if I have done wrong and am worthy of mavet, I am not trying to escape the penalty. But if there is nothing to the charges these bring against me, no one is able to hand me over to them. Therefore, I appeal to Caesar."

12 Then Festus, having talked with his council, answered, "To Caesar you have appealed, to Caesar you will go."

13 After several yamim had passed, Agrippa HaMelech and Bernice arrived in Caesarea, having paid their respects to Festus.

14 And while they were spending many yamim there, Festus laid out to the Melech the things with respect to Rav Sha’ul, saying, "There is a man here who was left behind in the beis hasohar by Felix.

15 "When I went to Yerushalayim, the Rashei Hakohanim and the Zekenim of the Yehudim informed me about this man, requesting keneged him a sentence of condemnation.

16 "I answered them that it violated Roman law to hand over any man before the accused met face to face with his accusers and had an opportunity for a hitstaddekut (defense) concerning the accusation.

17 "Therefore, they were assembled here; I allowed no delay, and on the next day, I sat down on the Kes HaMishpat and ordered the man brought in.

18 "But when the accusers stood up, no charge were they bringing of any crimes I was expecting.

19 "Instead it was an internal matter having to do with questions regarding Orthodox Judaism, and certain disagreements they had with Rav Sha’ul, and regarding a certain Yehoshua who was deceased, but whom Rav Sha’ul asserted was alive.

20 "Since I was not qualified to investigate these religious questions, I was saying he might wish to go to Yerushalayim and there to be judged concerning these things.

21 "But Rav Sha’ul appealed that he be kept in custody for the decision of Caesar, so I ordered him to be kept until I send him to Caesar."

22 And Agrippa said to Festus, "I was desiring also myself to hear Rav Sha’ul." Then Festus says, "Tomorrow you will hear him."

23 Then on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered into the auditorium along with both the military tribunes and the chashuve anashim of Caesarea. And Festus the Moshel gave orders to have Rav Sha’ul brought in.

24 And Festus says, "Agrippa HaMelech and all here present with us, you see this man about whom K’lal Yisroel has petitioned me, both in Yerushalayim and here, shouting that he is no longer fit to live.

25 "But I found he has done nothing worthy of mavet, and when he appealed to Caesar, I decided to send him.

26 "But I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign; therefore, I especially brought him before you, O Agrippa HaMelech, so that, after you have examined him, I may have something I may write.

27 "For it seems unreasonable to me sending a prisoner and not having charges to report against him."