القراءة بلغتين

وصَعِدَ فَسطُس مِن قَيصَرِيَّةَ إِلى أُورَشَليم بَعدَ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِن وُصولِه إِلى وِلايَتِه

فرَفَعَ إِلَيه عُظَماءُ الكَهَنَةِ وأَعْيانُ اليَهودِ دَعْواهُم على بُولس وسأَلوه

بِمَكْرٍ مُلِحِّينَ أَن يَمُنَّ علَيهِم بِٱستِدعائِه إِلى أُورَشَليم، ومُرادُهم أَن يُقيموا له كَمينًا لِيَغتالوه في الطَّريق

فأَجابَ فَسطُس أَنَّ بولُسَ مَحْفوظٌ في سِجْنِ قَيصَرِيَّة، وأَمَّا هو فلا يَلبَثُ أَن يَنصَرِف

ثُمَّ قال: «لِيَنزِلْ مَعي أَصحابُ السُّلطَةِ فيكم، فإِذا كانَ في هٰذا الرَّجُلِ ما يُؤخَذُ عَلَيه فَلْيَتَّهِموهُ بِه»

ومَكَثَ عِندَهم أَيَّامًا لا تَزيدُ على الثَّمانِيَةِ أَوِ العَشَرَة، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ إِلى قَيصَرِيَّة فَجَلَسَ في الغَدِ على كُرسِيِّ القَضاء، وأَمَرَ بِإِحْضارِ بولُس

فلَمَّا حَضَرَ أَحاطَ بِه اليَهودُ الَّذينَ نَزَلوا مِن أُورَشَليم وٱتَّهَموه بِكَثيرٍ مِنَ التُّهَمِ الجَسيمَة، على أَنَّهم لم يَستَطيعوا إِثباتَها

فدافَعَ بولُسُ عن نَفْسِه قال: «ما أَذنَبتُ بِشَيءٍ لا إِلى شَريعَةِ اليَهود ولا إِلى الهَيكَل ولا إِلى قَيصَر»

وأَرادَ فَسطُسُ أَن يُرضِيَ اليَهود فقالَ لِبولس: «أَتُريدُ أَن تَصعَدَ إِلى أُورَشَليم، فتُحاكَمَ فيها على هٰذه الأُمورِ بِمَحضَرٍ مِنِّي؟»

فقالَ بولس: «أَنا أَمامَ مَحكَمَةِ قَيصَر، وأَمامَها يَجِبُ أَن أُحاكَم. ما أَسأَتُ إِلى اليَهودِ بَشَيءٍ، وأَنتَ تَعرِفُ ذٰلك على أَحسَنِ وَجْه

فإِذا أَسأتُ ففَعَلتُ ما أَستوجِبُ بِه المَوت، فأَنا لا أَحاولُ التَّخَلُّصَ مِنَ المَوت. أَمَّا إِذا كانَ ما يَتَّهِموني بِه باطِلًا، فلَيسَ لأَحَدٍ أَن يُسلِمَني إِلَيهم لإِرضائِهم. وإِلى قَيصَرَ أَرفَعُ دَعْواي!»

فشاوَرَ فَسطُس أَعضاءَ مَجلِسِه وأَجاب: «رَفَعتَ دَعْواكَ إِلى قَيصَر، فإِلى قَيصَرَ تَذهَب»

وبَعدَ بِضعَةِ أَيَّام، قَدِمَ قَيصَرِيَّةَ المَلِكُ أَغْريبَّا وبَرنيقَة فَسَلَّما على فَسطُس

ومَكَثا فيها مُدَّة، فعَرَضَ فَسطُس على المَلِكِ قَضِيَّةَ بولُس قال: «هُنا رَجُلٌ تَرَكَه فيلِكس سَجينًا

فلَمَّا كُنتُ في أُورَشَليم، شَكاهُ إِلَيَّ عُظَماءُ كَهَنَةِ اليَهودِ وشُيوخُهم وطَلَبوا الحُكمَ علَيه

فأَجَبتُهم: لَيسَ مِن عادةِ الرُّومانِيِّينَ أَن يَحكُموا على أَحَدٍ لإِرضاءِ النَّاس قَبلَ أَن يَتقابَلَ المُتَّهَمُ ومُتَّهِموه، ويَتَسَنَّى له الرَّدُّ على الِٱتِّهام

فجاؤُوا مَعي إِلى هُنا، فلَم أَتَوانَ البَتَّة، بل جَلَستُ في اليَومِ الثَّاني على كُرسِيِّ القَضاء، وأَمرتُ بإِحضارِ الرَّجُل

فلَمَّا قابَلَه مُتَّهِموه، لم يَذكُروا له أَيَّ تُهمَةٍ مِنَ التُّهَمِ الخَبيثَةِ الَّتي كُنتُ أَتَوهَّمُها

وإِنَّما كانَ بَينَهم وبَينَه مُجادَلاتٌ في أُمورٍ تَرجِعُ إِلى دِيانَتِهم، وإِلى ٱمرِئٍ ٱسمُه يسوع قد ماتَ، وبولُسُ يَزعُمُ أَنَّه حَيّ

فحِرتُ عِندَ جِدالِهِم في هٰذِه الأُمور، فسَأَلتُه أَيُريدُ الذَّهابَ إِلى أُورَشَليم لِيُحاكَمَ فيها على هٰذهِ الأُمور

ولٰكِنَّ بولُسَ رَفَعَ دَعْواه طالِبًا أَن يُحفَظَ أَمرُه لِحُكْمِ جَلالَتِه. فَأَمَرتُ أَن يُحفَظَ في السِّجْنِ إِلى أَن أَبعَثَ بِه إِلى قَيصَر»

فقالَ أَغْريبَّا لِفَسطُس: «وَدِدتُ لو أَنِّي سَمِعتُ أَنا أَيضًا هٰذا الرَّجُل». قال: «غَدًا تَسمَعُه»

وفي الغَد، جاءَ أَغْريبَّا وبَرنيقَة في أُبَّهَةٍ ظاهِرة، فدَخلا المَحكَمَة يُحيطُ بِهِما القُوَّادُ ووُجَهاءُ المَدينة، فأَمَرَ فَسطُس بإِحضارِ بولُس فَأُحضِر

فقالَ فَسطُس: «أَيُّها المَلِكُ أَغْريبَّا ويا جَميعَ الحاضِرينَ معَنا، تَرونَ هٰذا الرَّجُلَ الَّذي سَعَت بِه عِندي جَماعةُ اليَهودِ كُلُّها في أُورَشَليمَ وهٰهُنا وهم يَصيحون: لا يَجوزُ أَن يَبْقى هٰذا الرَّجُلُ حَيًّا

على أَنِّي تَبَيَّنتُ أَنَّه لم يَفعَلْ ما يَستَوجِبُ بِه المَوت، ولٰكِنَّه رَفَعَ دَعْواه إِلى جَلالَتِه، فعَزَمتُ أَن أَبعَثَ بِه إِلَيه

ولَيسَ لَدَيَّ شَيءٌ أَكيدٌ في شأنِه فأَكتُبَ بِه إِلى السَّيِّد، فأَحضَرتُه أَمامَكم وأَمامَكَ خُصوصًا، أَيُّها المَلِكَ أَغْريبَّا، لِأَحصُلَ بَعدَ ٱستِجْوابِه على شَيءٍ أَكتُبُه

لِأَنِّي أَرى غَيرَ مَعْقولٍ أَن أَبعَثَ بِسَجينٍ مِن غَيرِ أَن أُبَيِّنَ ما عَلَيه مِن تُهَم»

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

Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they begged him,

asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem, plotting to kill him on the way.

However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly.

“Let them therefore”, he said, “that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.”

When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.

When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove,

while he said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.”

But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged by me there concerning these things?”

But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

For if I have done wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you shall go.”

Now when some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.

As he stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for a sentence against him.

I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction before the accused has met the accusers face to face and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

When therefore they had come together here, I didn’t delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought.

When the accusers stood up, they brought no charges against him of such things as I supposed;

but had certain questions against him about their own religion and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters.

But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar.”

Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor, I determined to send him,

of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination I may have something to write.

For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him.”