1 WYC Therfor whanne Festus cam in to the prouynce, aftir the thridde dai he wente vp to Jerusalem fro Cesarie. BSB BSB: Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,
2 WYC And the princis of prestis, and the worthieste of the Jewis wenten to hym ayens Poul, and preieden hym, BSB BSB: where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented their case against Paul. They urged Festus
3 WYC and axiden grace ayens hym, that he schulde comaunde hym to be led to Jerusalem; and thei settiden aspies to sle hym in the weie. BSB BSB: to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
4 WYC But Festus answerde, that Poul schulde be kept in Cesarie; sotheli that he hym silf schulde procede more auisili. Therfor he seide, Thei that in you ben myyti, BSB BSB: But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
5 WYC come doun togidere; and if ony crime is in the man, accuse thei hym. BSB BSB: So if this man has done anything wrong, let some of your leaders come down with me and accuse him there.”
7 WYC And whanne he was brouyt forth, Jewis stoden aboute hym, whiche camen doun fro Jerusalem, puttynge ayens hym many and greuouse causis, whiche thei miyten not preue. BSB BSB: When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.
8 WYC For Poul yeldide resoun in alle thingis, That nether ayens the lawe of Jewis, nether ayens the temple, nether ayens the emperoure, Y synnede ony thing. BSB BSB: Then Paul made his defense: “I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
9 WYC But Festus wolde do grace to the Jewis, and answeride to Poul, and seide, Wolt thou gon vp to Jerusalem, and there be demyd of these thingis bifore me? BSB BSB: But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”
10 WYC And Poul seide, At the domplace of the emperour Y stonde, where it bihoueth me to be demed. Y haue not noied the Jewis, as thou knowist wel. BSB BSB: Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.
11 WYC For if Y haue noyed, ether don ony thing worthi deth, Y forsake not to die; but if no thing of tho is, that thei accusen me, no man may yyue me to hem. Y appele to the emperour. BSB BSB: If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 WYC Thanne Festus spak with the counsel, and answerde, To the emperoure thou hast appelid, to the emperoure thou schalt go. BSB BSB: Then Festus conferred with his council and replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
13 WYC And whanne summe daies weren passid, Agrippa kyng, and Beronyce camen doun to Cesarie, to welcome Festus. BSB BSB: After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
14 WYC And whanne thei dwelliden there many daies, Festus schewide to the king of Poul, and seide, A man is left boundun of Felix, BSB BSB: Since they were staying several days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king: “There is a certain man whom Felix left in prison.
15 WYC of which, whanne Y was at Jerusalem, princis of preestis and the eldre men of Jewis camen to me, and axiden dampnacioun ayens hym. BSB BSB: While I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews presented their case and requested a judgment against him.
16 WYC To whiche Y answeride, That it is not custom to Romayns, to dampne ony man, bifore that he that is accusid haue hise accuseris present, and take place of defending, to putte awei the crymes, that ben putte ayens hym. BSB BSB: I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.
17 WYC Therfor whanne thei camen togidere hidir, withouten ony delaye, in the dai suynge Y sat for domesman, and comaundide the man to be brouyt. BSB BSB: So when they came here with me, I did not delay. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered that the man be brought in.
18 WYC And whanne hise accuseris stoden, thei seiden no cause, of whiche thingis Y hadde suspicioun of yuel. BSB BSB: But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.
19 WYC But thei hadden ayens hym summe questiouns of her veyn worschiping, and of oon Jhesu deed, whom Poul affermyde to lyue. BSB BSB: They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
20 WYC And Y doutide of siche maner questioun, and seide, Whether he wolde go to Jerusalem, and ther be demyd of these thingis? BSB BSB: Since I was at a loss as to how to investigate these matters, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.
21 WYC But for Poul appelide, that he schulde be kept to the knowing of the emperoure, Y comaundide him to be kept, til Y sende hym to the emperoure. BSB BSB: But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 WYC And Agrippa seide to Festus, Y my silf wolde here the man. And he seide, To morew thou schalt here hym. BSB BSB: Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” “Tomorrow you will hear him,” Festus declared.
23 WYC And on the tother day, whanne Agrippa and Beronyce camen with greet desire, and entriden in to the auditorie, with tribunes and the principal men of the citee, whanne Festus bad, Poul was brouyt. BSB BSB: The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium, along with the commanders and leading men of the city. And Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.
24 WYC And Festus seide, King Agrippa, and alle men that ben with vs, ye seen this man, of which al the multitude of Jewis preyede me at Jerusalem, and axide, and criede, that he schulde lyue no lenger. BSB BSB: Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
25 WYC But Y foond, that he hadde don no thing worthi of deth; and Y deme to sende hym to the emperoure, for he appelide this thing. BSB BSB: But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
26 WYC Of which man Y haue not certeyne, what thing Y schal write to the lord. For which thing Y brouyte hym to you, and moost to thee, thou king Agrippa, that whanne axing is maad, Y haue what Y schal write. BSB BSB: I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this inquiry I may have something to write.
27 WYC For it is seyn to me with out resoun, to sende a boundun man, and not to signifie the cause of hym. BSB BSB: For it seems unreasonable to me to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.