Lettera ai Colossesi - מכתב לקולוסים 25

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 וַיָּבֹא פֶסְטוֹס אֶל־הַמְּדִינָה וַיַּעַל אַחֲרֵי שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים מִקִּסְרִין לִירוּשָׁלָיִם	1 Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2 וְהַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְרָאשֵׁי הַיְּהוּדִים הוֹדִיעֻהוּ אֶת־רִיבָם עִם־פּוֹלוֹס	2 The chief priests and leaders of the Jews informed him of the case against Paul,
3 וַיִּפְצְרוּ־בוֹ וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת חֶסֶד עִמָּהֶם לַהֲבִיאוֹ יְרוּשָׁלָיִם וְהֵמָּה מִתְנַכְּלִים אֹתוֹ לַהֲמִיתוֹ בַּדָּרֶךְ	3 urgently asking him to support them against him, and to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They werepreparing an ambush to murder him on the way.
4 וַיַּעַן אוֹתָם פֶסְטוֹס כִּי־עָצוּר פּוֹלוֹס בְּקִסְרִין וְכִי גַם־הוּא יָשׁוּב שָׁמָּה בְּקָרוֹב	4 But Festus replied that Paul was in custody in Caesarea, and that he would be going back there shortlyhimself.
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 there is anything wrong about the man, theycan bring a charge against him.'
6 וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּתוֹכָם לֹא יוֹתֵר מִיָּמִים עֲשָׂרָה וַיֵּרֶד אֶל־קִסְרִין וּמִמָּחֳרָת יָשַׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא הַמִּשְׁפָּט וַיְצַו לְהָבִיא אֶת־פּוֹלוֹס	6 After staying with them for eight or ten days at the most, he went down to Caesarea and the next dayhe took his seat on the tribunal and had Paul brought in.
7 הוּא בָא וְהַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר יָרְדוּ מִירוּשָׁלַיִם סְבָבֻהוּ וַיַּאֲשִׁימוּ אֶת־פּוֹלוֹס בַּאֲשָׁמוֹת רַבּוֹת וְקָשׁוֹת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָכְלוּ לְהוֹכִיחַ	7 As soon as Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him, makingmany serious accusations which they were unable to substantiate.
8 וְהוּא הִצְטַדֵּק לֵאמֹר לֹא־חָטָאתִי בִמְאוּמָה לֹא לְדָת הַיְּהוּדִים וְלֹא לַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְלֹא לַקֵּיסָר	8 Paul's defence was this, 'I have committed no offence whatever against either Jewish law, or theTemple, or Caesar.'
9 וּפֶסְטוֹס חָפֵץ לְהִתְרַצּוֹת אֶל־הַיְּהוּדִים וַיַּעַן אֶת־פּוֹלוֹס וַיֹּאמַר הֲתַחְפֹּץ לַעֲלוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לְהִשָּׁפֵט עַל־אֵלֶּה לְפָנַי שָׁמָּה	9 Festus was anxious to gain favour with the Jews, so he said to Paul, 'Are you wil ing to go up toJerusalem and be tried on these charges before me there?'
10 וַיֹּאמֶר פּוֹלוֹס לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא מִשְׁפַּט הַקֵּיסַר אֲנִי עֹמֵד וְשָׁם נָכוֹן לִי לְהִשָּׁפֵט לֹא הֲרֵעֹתִי לַיְּהוּדִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יָדַעְתָּ הֵיטֵב גַּם־אָתָּה	10 But Paul replied, 'I am standing before the tribunal of Caesar and this is where I should be tried. Ihave done the Jews no wrong, as you very wel 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 am guilty of committing any capital crime, I do not ask to be spared the death penalty. But if thereis no substance in the accusations these persons bring against me, no one has a right to surrender me to them. Iappeal to Caesar.'
12 וַיִּוָּעֵץ פֶסְטוֹס עִם־יוֹעֲצָיו וַיַּעַן אֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר אֶת־הַקֵּיסַר קָרָאתָ אֶל־הַקֵּיסַר תֵּלֵךְ	12 Then Festus conferred with his advisers and replied, 'You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar youshall go.'
13 וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי יָמִים וַיֵּרְדוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ אַגְרִפַּס וּבֶרְנִיקָה אֶל־קִסְרִין לִשְׁאֹל לִשְׁלוֹם פֶסְטוֹס	13 Some days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus.
14 וַיְהִי כִּי־אָרְכוּ לָהֶם הַיָּמִים שָׁם וַיְסַפֵּר פֶסְטוֹס לַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־רִיב פּוֹלוֹס לֵאמֹר יֶשׁ־פֹּה אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר פֶלִיקְס הִנִּיחוֹ אָסוּר	14 Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul's case before the king, saying, 'There is a manhere whom Felix left behind in custody,
15 וּבִהְיוֹתִי בִירוּשָׁלַיִם דִּבְּרוּ אֵלַי רָאשֵׁי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְזִקְנֵי הַיְּהוּדִים עַל־אֹדוֹתָיו וַיְבַקְשׁוּ מִמֶּנִּי לַחֲרֹץ מִשְׁפָּטוֹ	15 and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him,demanding his condemnation.
16 וָאַעַן אוֹתָם כִּי אֵין מִנְהַג הָרוֹמִיִּים לְהַסְגִּיר אִישׁ לַמָּוֶת בְּטֶרֶם יַעֲמֹד הַנִּשְׂטָן לְנֹכַח שׂטְנָיו וְנִתַּן־לוֹ מָקוֹם לְהִצְטַדֵּק מִן־הַשִּׂטְנָה	16 But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confrontshis accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge.
17 וְלָכֵן כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ הֵנָּה יַחַד חַשְׁתִּי וְלֹא הִתְמַהְמָהְתִּי כִּי מִמָּחֳרַת הַיּוֹם יָשַׁבְתִּי עַל־כִּסֵּא הַמִּשְׁפָּט וָאֲצַוֶּה לְהָבִיא אֶת־הָאִישׁ	17 So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next dayand had the man brought in.
18 וַיַּעַמְדוּ עָלָיו שׂטְנָיו וְלֹא־הֵבִיאוּ עָלָיו דָּבָר רָע מֵאֲשֶׁר הָיִיתִי חשֵׁד אֹתוֹ	18 When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected;
19 רַק הָיוּ לָהֶם דִּבְרֵי רִיבוֹת לְנֶגְדּוֹ עַל־עֲבוֹדַת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְעַל־מֵת אֶחָד יֵשׁוּעַ שְׁמוֹ אֲשֶׁר אָמַר עָלָיו פּוֹלוֹס כִּי הוּא חָי	19 but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man cal edJesus whom Paul al eged to be alive.
20 וַתִּכְבַּד בְּעֵינַי הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזֹּאת וָאֹמַר הֶחָפֵץ אַתָּה לָלֶכֶת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וּלְהִשָּׁפֵט שָׁם עַל־אֵלֶּה	20 Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be wil ing to go toJerusalem to be tried there on this issue.
21 אֲבָל פּוֹלוֹס שָׁאַל לְהַנִּיחוֹ בַמִּשְׁמָר עַד־צֵאת מִשְׁפָּטוֹ מִלִּפְנֵי אֲגוּסְטוֹס וָאֲצַוֶּה לְשָׁמְרוֹ עַד־אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁלַח אֹתוֹ אֶל־הַקֵּיסָר	21 But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the emperor, so I orderedhim to be remanded 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 should like to hear the man myself.' He answered, 'Tomorrow you shal hearhim.'
23 וַיְהִי מִמָּחֳרָת כְּבוֹא אַגְרִפַּס וּבֶרְנִיקָה בְּהוֹד גָּדוֹל וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־אֻלָם הַמִּשְׁפָּט הֵמָּה וְשָׂרֵי הָאֶלֶף וּנְגִידֵי הָעִיר וַיְצַו פֶסְטוֹס וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת־פּוֹלוֹס	23 So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived in great state and entered the audience chamberattended by the tribunes and the city notables; and Festus ordered Paul to be 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 Then Festus said, 'King Agrippa, and all here present with us, you see before you the man aboutwhom the whole Jewish community has petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, loudly protesting that heought not to be allowed to remain alive.
25 וַאֲנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִכַּרְתִּי כִּי לֹא־עָשָׂה דָבָר לְחַיְּבוֹ מִיתָה וְהוּא גַם־הוּא קָרָא אֶת־אֲגוּסְטוֹס לְדִינוֹ יָעַצְתִּי לִשְׁלֹחַ אֹתוֹ שָׁמָּה	25 For my own part I am satisfied that he has committed no capital crime, but when he himself appealedto 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 that I can write to his Imperial Majesty about him; that is why I haveproduced him before you all, and before you in particular, King Agrippa, so that after the examination I may havesomething to write.
27 כִּי לֹא־יִתָּכֵן בְּעֵינַי לִשְׁלוֹחַ אַסִּיר מִבְּלִי הוֹדִיעַ גַּם אֶת־עֲלִילֹת הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־שָׂמוּ לוֹ	27 It seems to me pointless to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.'