Lettera ai Colossesi - מכתב לקולוסים 25

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 וַיָּבֹא פֶסְטוֹס אֶל־הַמְּדִינָה וַיַּעַל אַחֲרֵי שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים מִקִּסְרִין לִירוּשָׁלָיִם	1 Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem
2 וְהַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְרָאשֵׁי הַיְּהוּדִים הוֹדִיעֻהוּ אֶת־רִיבָם עִם־פּוֹלוֹס	2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented him their formal charges against Paul. They asked him
3 וַיִּפְצְרוּ־בוֹ וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת חֶסֶד עִמָּהֶם לַהֲבִיאוֹ יְרוּשָׁלָיִם וְהֵמָּה מִתְנַכְּלִים אֹתוֹ לַהֲמִיתוֹ בַּדָּרֶךְ	3 as a favor to have him sent to Jerusalem, for they were plotting to kill him along the way.
4 וַיַּעַן אוֹתָם פֶסְטוֹס כִּי־עָצוּר פּוֹלוֹס בְּקִסְרִין וְכִי גַם־הוּא יָשׁוּב שָׁמָּה בְּקָרוֹב	4 Festus replied that Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea and that he himself would be returning there shortly.
5 וַיֹּאמֶר לָכֵן יֵרְדוּ אִתִּי רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְאִם־יֵשׁ מְאוּם בָּאִישׁ הַזֶּה יַעֲנוּ בוֹ	5 He said, "Let your authorities come down with me, and if this man has done something improper, let them accuse him."
6 וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּתוֹכָם לֹא יוֹתֵר מִיָּמִים עֲשָׂרָה וַיֵּרֶד אֶל־קִסְרִין וּמִמָּחֳרָת יָשַׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא הַמִּשְׁפָּט וַיְצַו לְהָבִיא אֶת־פּוֹלוֹס	6 After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the following day took his seat on the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought in.
7 הוּא בָא וְהַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר יָרְדוּ מִירוּשָׁלַיִם סְבָבֻהוּ וַיַּאֲשִׁימוּ אֶת־פּוֹלוֹס בַּאֲשָׁמוֹת רַבּוֹת וְקָשׁוֹת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָכְלוּ לְהוֹכִיחַ	7 When he appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and brought many serious charges against him, which they were unable to prove.
8 וְהוּא הִצְטַדֵּק לֵאמֹר לֹא־חָטָאתִי בִמְאוּמָה לֹא לְדָת הַיְּהוּדִים וְלֹא לַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְלֹא לַקֵּיסָר	8 In defending himself Paul said, "I have committed no crime either against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar."
9 וּפֶסְטוֹס חָפֵץ לְהִתְרַצּוֹת אֶל־הַיְּהוּדִים וַיַּעַן אֶת־פּוֹלוֹס וַיֹּאמַר הֲתַחְפֹּץ לַעֲלוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לְהִשָּׁפֵט עַל־אֵלֶּה לְפָנַי שָׁמָּה	9 Then Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, said to Paul in reply, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there stand trial before me on these charges?"
10 וַיֹּאמֶר פּוֹלוֹס לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא מִשְׁפַּט הַקֵּיסַר אֲנִי עֹמֵד וְשָׁם נָכוֹן לִי לְהִשָּׁפֵט לֹא הֲרֵעֹתִי לַיְּהוּדִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ הֵיטֵב גַּם־אָתָּה	10 Paul answered, "I am standing before the tribunal of Caesar; this is where I should be tried. I have committed no crime against the Jews, as you very well know.
11 אִם־הֲרֵעֹתִי וְיֶשׁ־בִּי דְּבַר מִשְׁפַּט־מָוֶת בַּל־אֶחְשׂךְ נַפְשִׁי מִמָּוֶת וְאִם־אֵין־בִּי מְאוּמָה מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר הֵם עֹנִים בִּי אִישׁ לֹא יוּכַל לְהַסְגִּירֵנִי אֶל־יָדָם אֶת־הַקֵּיסַר אֲנִי קוֹרֵא לְדִינִי	11 If I have committed a crime or done anything deserving death, I do not seek to escape the death penalty; but if there is no substance to the charges they are bringing against me, then no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."
12 וַיִּוָּעֵץ פֶסְטוֹס עִם־יוֹעֲצָיו וַיַּעַן אֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר אֶת־הַקֵּיסַר קָרָאתָ אֶל־הַקֵּיסַר תֵּלֵךְ	12 Then Festus, after conferring with his council, replied, "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go."
13 וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי יָמִים וַיֵּרְדוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ אַגְרִפַּס וּבֶרְנִיקָה אֶל־קִסְרִין לִשְׁאֹל לִשְׁלוֹם פֶסְטוֹס	13 When a few days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea on a visit to Festus.
14 וַיְהִי כִּי־אָרְכוּ לָהֶם הַיָּמִים שָׁם וַיְסַפֵּר פֶסְטוֹס לַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־רִיב פּוֹלוֹס לֵאמֹר יֶשׁ־פֹּה אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר פֶלִיקְס הִנִּיחוֹ אָסוּר	14 Since they spent several days there, Festus referred Paul's case to the king, saying, "There is a man here left in custody by Felix.
15 וּבִהְיוֹתִי בִירוּשָׁלַיִם דִּבְּרוּ אֵלַי רָאשֵׁי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְזִקְנֵי הַיְּהוּדִים עַל־אֹדוֹתָיו וַיְבַקְשׁוּ מִמֶּנִּי לַחֲרֹץ מִשְׁפָּטוֹ	15 When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and demanded his condemnation.
16 וָאַעַן אוֹתָם כִּי אֵין מִנְהַג הָרוֹמִיִּים לְהַסְגִּיר אִישׁ לַמָּוֶת בְּטֶרֶם יַעֲמֹד הַנִּשְׂטָן לְנֹכַח שׂטְנָיו וְנִתַּן־לוֹ מָקוֹם לְהִצְטַדֵּק מִן־הַשִּׂטְנָה	16 I answered them that it was not Roman practice to hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusers and had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge.
17 וְלָכֵן כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ הֵנָּה יַחַד חַשְׁתִּי וְלֹא הִתְמַהְמָהְתִּי כִּי מִמָּחֳרַת הַיּוֹם יָשַׁבְתִּי עַל־כִּסֵּא הַמִּשְׁפָּט וָאֲצַוֶּה לְהָבִיא אֶת־הָאִישׁ	17 So when (they) came together here, I made no delay; the next day I took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in.
18 וַיַּעַמְדוּ עָלָיו שׂטְנָיו וְלֹא־הֵבִיאוּ עָלָיו דָּבָר רָע מֵאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי חשֵׁד אֹתוֹ	18 His accusers stood around him, but did not charge him with any of the crimes I suspected.
19 רַק הָיוּ לָהֶם דִּבְרֵי רִיבוֹת לְנֶגְדּוֹ עַל־עֲבוֹדַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְעַל־מֵת אֶחָד יֵשׁוּעַ שְׁמוֹ אֲשֶׁר אָמַר עָלָיו פּוֹלוֹס כִּי הוּא חָי	19 Instead they had some issues with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul claimed was alive.
20 וַתִּכְבַּד בְּעֵינַי הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזֹּאת וָאֹמַר הֶחָפֵץ אַתָּה לָלֶכֶת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וּלְהִשָּׁפֵט שָׁם עַל־אֵלֶּה	20 Since I was at a loss how to investigate this controversy, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these charges.
21 אֲבָל פּוֹלוֹס שָׁאַל לְהַנִּיחוֹ בַמִּשְׁמָר עַד־צֵאת מִשְׁפָּטוֹ מִלִּפְנֵי אֲגוּסְטוֹס וָאֲצַוֶּה לְשָׁמְרוֹ עַד־אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁלַח אֹתוֹ אֶל־הַקֵּיסָר	21 And when Paul appealed that he be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."
22 וַיֹּאמֶר אַגְרִפַּס אֶל־פֶסְטוֹס גַּם־אֲנִי חָפֵץ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶת־הָאִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר מָחָר תִּשְׁמָעֶנּוּ	22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I too should like to hear this man." He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him."
23 וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת כְּבוֹא אַגְרִפַּס וּבֶרְנִיקָה בְּהוֹד גָּדוֹל וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־אֻלָם הַמִּשְׁפָּט הֵמָּה וְשָׂרֵי הָאֶלֶף וּנְגִידֵי הָעִיר וַיְצַו פֶסְטוֹס וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת־פּוֹלוֹס	23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great ceremony and entered the audience hall in the company of cohort commanders and the prominent men of the city and, by command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
24 וַיֹּאמֶר פֶסְטוֹס אַגְרִפַּס הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכָל־הָאִישִׁים אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם פֹּה אִתָּנוּ הִנְּכֶם רֹאִים אֶת־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בִּגְלָלוֹ פָּנוּ אֵלַי כָּל־הֲמוֹן הַיְּהוּדִים גַּם־בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם וְגַם־פֹּה וַיִּצְעֲקוּ כִּי־אֵינוֹ בְדִין שֶׁיִּחְיֶה עוֹד	24 And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you here present with us, look at this man about whom the whole Jewish populace petitioned me here and in Jerusalem, clamoring that he should live no longer.
25 וַאֲנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִכַּרְתִּי כִּי לֹא־עָשָׂה דָבָר לְחַיְּבוֹ מִיתָה וְהוּא גַם־הוּא קָרָא אֶת־אֲגוּסְטוֹס לְדִינוֹ יָעַצְתִּי לִשְׁלֹחַ אֹתוֹ שָׁמָּה	25 I found, however, that he had done nothing deserving death, and so when he appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
26 אַךְ אֵין־לִי לִכְתֹּב עָלָיו דָּבָר נָכוֹן לַאֲדֹנֵינוּ וּבַעֲבוּר זֹאת הֲבִיאֹתִיו לִפְנֵיכֶם וּבְיוֹתֵר לְפָנֶיךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ אַגְרִפַּס לְמַעַן יֵחָקֵר וְיָדַעְתִּי מָה אֶכְתֹּב	26 But I have nothing definite to write about him to our sovereign; therefore I have brought him before all of you, and particularly before you, King Agrippa, so that I may have something to write as a result of this investigation.
27 כִּי לֹא־יִתָּכֵן בְּעֵינַי לִשְׁלוֹחַ אַסִּיר מִבְּלִי הוֹדִיעַ גַּם אֶת־עֲלִילֹת הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־שָׂמוּ לוֹ	27 For it seems senseless to me to send up a prisoner without indicating the charges against him."