First Nations Version
Page 46
THE COUNCIL IS DIVIDED
7When he said this, an argument broke out between the Separated Ones (Pharisees) and the Upright Ones (Sadducees). This created a division in the council, 8for the Upright Ones (Sadducees) say the dead will not rise and that there are no spirits or spirit-messengers, but the Separated Ones (Pharisees) believe in them all.
9The arguments grew louder and louder. Then some scroll keepers who were among the Separated Ones (Pharisees) stood up and voiced their argument forcefully.
“We find no reason to condemn this man,” they cried out. “It could be that a spirit or spirit-messenger has spoken to him!”
10The division broke out into violence. The head officer, afraid that Small Man (Paul) would be torn apart by them, ordered his soldiers to take him by force and bring him back to their lodge.
11That night Creator Sets Free (Jesus) came and stood near him in a sacred vision.
“Be strong of heart,” he said to him, “for in the same manner you have represented me in Village of Peace (Jerusalem), you must also represent me in Village of Iron (Rome).”
THE PLOT TO KILL SMALL MAN
12Early the next day, some of the Tribal Members schemed together against Small Man (Paul). They bound themselves in a solemn promise that they would not eat or drink until they had killed him. 13There were more than forty men who bound themselves to each other in this twisted plan.
14They went to the head holy men and elders and said to them, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn promise to neither eat nor drink until we have killed Small Man (Paul). 15So we want you and the council to ask the head officer to bring him to you. Tell him that you plan to ask Small Man (Paul) some more questions. We will then be ready to ambush him on the way and kill him.”
WARNING FROM A NEPHEW
16But when Small Man’s (Paul’s) nephew heard about the ambush, he snuck into the place where Small Man (Paul) was being held and warned him.
17Small Man (Paul) then called out to one of the head soldiers, “This young man has something important to report, so take him to your head officer.”
18Hearing this, the head soldier took him to the head officer, and said, “The prisoner Small Man (Paul) asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something important to tell you.”
19So the head officer took the young man aside, and asked, “What is it you want to report to me?”
20“Some Tribal Members from the council have agreed to ask you to bring Small Man (Paul) before them, as if they want to question him some more,” he told the head officer. 21“But do not let them fool you, for there are more than forty men waiting to ambush him on the way. They have bound themselves by a solemn promise to neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. They are ready now and waiting for you to agree to bring him.”
22The head officer told the young man to say nothing, sent him away, 23and then called two head soldiers to himself.
SMALL MAN SENT TO THE GOVERNOR
“I want you to be ready by the third hour of the night,” he instructed them. “Gather seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen and take them as far as Chief Village (Caesarea).”
24The head officer also provided a horse and horsemen for Small Man (Paul), to bring him safely to Happy Man (Felix), the governor for the People of Iron (Romans).
25Then he wrote a letter for them to give to the governor:
26“Greetings from Limping Man Who Sets Free (Claudius Lysias) to the most noble Happy Man (Felix), governor representing the People of Iron (Romans).
27“This man, who has been brought before you, was taken captive by the Tribal People, who were about to kill him. But when I learned that he was also a citizen of the People of Iron (Romans), I had my soldiers rescue him. 28To find out what he was accused of, I took him before their Grand Council. 29I learned that he was being accused of matters relating to their own tribal laws, but nothing deserving death or imprisonment. 30When I was told of a plot against this man, I had him sent to you at once, and told his accusers to bring their accusations to you.”
31So the soldiers, following their instructions, took Small Man (Paul) by night to First Ancestor Village (Antipatris). 32The next day the soldiers let the horsemen take him further, while they returned to their lodge. 33When the horsemen came to Chief Village (Caesarea), they gave the letter to the governor and turned Small Man (Paul) over to him. 34After reading the letter, the governor asked which territory he was from. Learning that Small Man (Paul) was from Turns Over (Cilicia), he agreed to hear his case.
35“I will make my decision,” he said to Small Man (Paul), “after your accusers arrive.”
He then ordered that Small Man (Paul) should be kept under guard in their lodge, which used to be the lodge of Looks Brave (Herod), the bad-hearted chief of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).
SMALL MAN ACCUSED
1Five days later Creator Shows Kindness (Ananias) the chief holy man, along with some of the elders and a legal expert named Third (Tertullus), came before Happy Man (Felix), and with many words they brought to him their accusations against Small Man (Paul). 2When they brought Small Man (Paul) before them, the legal expert began to accuse him.
“O Most Honored Happy Man (Felix),” he began his speech, “our hearts are glad that under your guidance we have had many winters of peace. Because of your wisdom, many good changes have come to the people, 3changes that we fully welcome with glad and open hearts. 4So we beg you, in your kindness, to hear our short complaint.
5“We have found this man to be a troublemaker who, all over the world, stirs up our Tribal People in a bad way. He is a headman of the wayward band called Seed Planters (Nazarenes). 6When he tried to defile our sacred lodge, we arrested him65and would have judged him by our own tribal law. 7But the head officer Limping Man Who Sets Free (Claudius Lysias) came and forcefully took him out of our hands. He then ordered his accusers to come to you. 8When you question him for yourself, you will learn from him that we speak the truth.”
9The Tribal Members who were there also joined in the accusations, saying it was all true.
10The governor then motioned for Small Man (Paul) to speak.
“I know that for many winters you have been a judge over this nation,” Small Man (Paul) said. “My heart is glad that I can clear the air regarding these things. 11As you will find out from others, it has not been more than twelve days since I went to Village of Peace (Jerusalem) to offer my prayers and participate in traditional ceremonies at the sacred lodge.
12“No one there found me making trouble or stirring up a crowd. Not at the sacred lodge, the gathering house, or in the village. 13No one here can prove the accusations they now bring against me.
14“I speak from my heart. I am only guilty of following the Way, which they say is false. But this is the way I follow the Great Spirit of my ancestors. This Way is in agreement with the law of my people and what has been foretold by our prophets. 15This gives me the same hope in Creator that my accusers have. That all who have died, both those who do good and those who do bad, will rise to life again. 16Knowing this, my aim is to walk with a clear heart toward the Great Spirit and my fellow human beings.
17“After being away for a number of winters, I returned to Village of Peace (Jerusalem). I brought gifts for the poor of my nation, as well as ceremonial offerings. 18When they found me, I was in the sacred lodge participating in a ceremony. There was no crowd or disturbance. 19Some Tribal Members from Land of the Rising Sun (Asia) were there at that time. If they have any accusation against me, they are the ones who should make it.
20“Let these men who are here tell you what I did wrong when I stood before the council. 21The only thing they can say against me is what I said to them: ‘I am on trial today because I believe in the rising of the dead!’”
22But Happy Man (Felix), who knew more about the Way, delayed his decision.
“I will make my decision,” he said, “when Limping Man Who Sets Free (Claudius Lysias) arrives.”
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23He then ordered the head soldier to keep Small Man (Paul) under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to care for his needs.
24A number of days later Happy Man (Felix) returned with Tender Woman (Drusilla), his wife, who was a member of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel). He had Small Man (Paul) brought to him, and he and his wife listened to him tell about his trust in Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the Chosen One. 25They talked back and forth about Creator’s right ways, about self-control, and about the judgment that was to come. But Happy Man (Felix) became afraid.
“Leave me for now,” he said. “I will send for you when I have more time to talk.”
26He was hoping that Small Man (Paul) would offer him a bribe, so from time to time he would send for him and talk with him, but Small Man (Paul) remained under guard. 27Two winters later Happy Man (Felix) was replaced as governor by Pig Festival (Porcius Festus). Then to gain favor with the Tribal Members, he left Small Man (Paul) in prison.
SMALL MAN PUT ON TRIAL
1Three days after Festival (Festus) arrived, he went from Chief Village (Caesarea) to Village of Peace (Jerusalem). 2So the head holy men and other tribal leaders wasted no time and brought to him their accusations against Small Man (Paul). They begged him, 3as a favor to their nation, to have Small Man (Paul) returned to Village of Peace (Jerusalem). They were hatching a plot to have him killed along the way.
4“Small Man (Paul) is being guarded in Chief Village (Caesarea),” Festival (Festus) said to them, “and I am returning there soon. 5Have your tribal leaders travel with me. If this man has done wrong, I will hear your accusations against him there.”
6So after eight or ten more days he left for Chief Village (Caesarea). The next day he sat down in his council chair, where he would decide this case, and ordered Small Man (Paul) to be brought before him. 7As soon as he arrived, the Tribal Members who had come from Village of Peace (Jerusalem) circled around him and began to make accusations against him that they could not prove.
8Small Man (Paul) stood up and said, “I have not spoken against our tribal law, our sacred lodge, or against the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar).”
9But then Festival (Festus), wishing to gain the favor of the tribal leaders, responded to Small Man (Paul) and asked, “Do you wish to stand trial before me in Village of Peace (Jerusalem)?”
Small Man (Paul) could see right through him.
10“I am making my stand here, before you, at the council chair of the People of Iron (Romans). This is where the decision about me should be made. By now, it should be clear to you that I have done nothing wrong against my own people.”
Small Man (Paul) paused to draw strength from deep within. He made up his mind to do what was right and follow the path Creator had set before him.
11“If I have done anything to deserve death,” he continued, “I will not try to escape. But if their accusations are false, you have no power to turn me over to them. I appeal to the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar).”
12Festival (Festus), after speaking to his council, said to him, “You have made your appeal to the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar), and to him you will go.”
SMALL MAN AND CHIEF WILD HORSE
Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa) was a Tribal Member who ruled over some of the territory near Circle of Nations (Galilee) under the power of the People of Iron (Romans). He was the son of Looks Brave (Herod) also named Wild Horse (Agrippa) and the great grandson of Looks Brave (Herod) called the Great.
13A number of days later Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa), along with his sister Bringer of Victory (Bernice), came to pay their respects to the new governor Festival (Festus). 14Since they were lodging with him for a number of days, he explained to the chief about the accusations made against Small Man (Paul) by the tribal leaders.
“There is a man here who was left by Happy Man (Felix) as a prisoner. 15When I went to Village of Peace (Jerusalem), the head holy men and the tribal elders told me about him. They wanted me to find him guilty. 16I informed them that the laws of the People of Iron (Romans) would not permit me to hand over anyone until they could stand face to face with their accusers and make a defense for themselves.
17“So when they came here, I wasted no time. The next day I sat as head of the council and sent for him to stand trial. 18I expected to hear from his accusers about some great evil, 19but instead their accusations were about their own spiritual ways and about a man named Creator Sets Free (Jesus), who was dead but who Small Man (Paul) said was alive.
20“Since I knew nothing about these things, I asked if he wished to go to Village of Peace (Jerusalem) and face his accusers there. 21But he appealed his case to the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar) and to be kept under guard until I could send him to our Ruler for his decision.”
22Wild Horse (Agrippa) then said to Festival (Festus), “I would like to hear from this man for myself.”
“You will hear him tomorrow,” Festival (Festus) replied.
SMALL MAN BEFORE CHIEF WILD HORSE
23The next day Wild Horse (Agrippa) and Bringer of Victory (Bernice), making a big show of it, came into the council room along with the head officers and leaders of the village. Festival (Festus) gave the order, and Small Man (Paul) was brought in.
24“Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa) and all who are here,” the governor said, “standing before you is the man whom the whole tribal nation has asked me to condemn to death. 25But I have not found him guilty of anything deserving death. Since he has appealed to the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar), I will send him to Village of Iron (Rome).
26“But, since I am not sure what message to send to my Ruler about him, I have decided to bring him to you all, and above all to you, Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa), so you can give me counsel in this matter. 27For it seems unwise to me to send a prisoner there without a clear report of the accusations made against him.”
SMALL MAN TELLS HIS STORY
1Then Wild Horse (Agrippa) said to Small Man (Paul), “You are permitted to speak and tell your side of this story.”
So Small Man (Paul) stretched out his hand and began to tell his side of the story.
2“Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa),” he began, “Since my accusers are all Tribal Members, like yourself, it seems good to me that I can defend myself before you today, 3mainly because you know so well how we disagree about many of our tribal traditions. So I humbly ask that you listen to me with patience.
4“All of our Tribal People know the manner I have walked, even from the days of my youth, when I lived among our people in Village of Peace (Jerusalem). 5They have known from the first, if they will admit to it, that I walked in the way of a Separated One (Pharisee), the most demanding of all our spiritual paths.
6“The reason I stand here on trial before you today is my hope in the promise made by the Great Spirit to our ancestors. 7It is a promise our twelve tribes solemnly strive for as they serve him night and day with prayers and ceremonies. It is for this hope, O honored chief, that I stand here accused by our tribal leaders! 8Why would any of our people find it impossible to believe that the Great Spirit raises the dead?
9“At first, I myself was convinced that I should do as much harm as I could to destroy the reputation of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) of Seed Planter Village (Nazareth). 10In Village of Peace (Jerusalem), I obtained permission from the head holy men to capture and put many of Creator’s holy ones into prison. Not only that, but I voted against them when they were being killed. 11In all our gathering houses I violently punished them, trying to force them to speak against Creator Sets Free (Jesus). Like a threatening storm I took out my anger on them, even pursuing them to faraway places.
SMALL MAN TELLS HIS SACRED VISION
12“On one of these journeys I was on my way to Silent Weaver (Damascus) with the full approval and authority of the head holy men. 13Then at midday, O honored chief, I saw a light from the spirit-world above shining down on me and my fellow travelers. 14We all had fallen to the gr
ound when I heard a voice speaking to me in our tribal language.
“‘Man Who Questions (Saul), Man Who Questions (Saul),’ the voice called my name twice, and asked, ‘why are you pursuing and mistreating me? It is a hard and painful thing to fight against me, like a horse pushing back against the spurs.’
15“‘Honored One,’ I said back to the voice, ‘who are you?’
“‘I am Creator Sets Free (Jesus),’ the voice answered, ‘the one you are pursuing and mistreating. 16Now rise up! Stand to your feet! I have chosen you to be my servant, a witness who will tell others what you have seen with your own eyes and what I will reveal to you.
17“‘I will rescue you from your own people and from the Outside Nations, the ones to whom I am sending you. 18My message will open their eyes so they may turn from the path of darkness to walk the road of life, and turn away from the power of the Accuser (Satan) to the power of the Great Spirit, so they may be released and set free from their bad hearts and wrongdoings. In this way, they will find their place among all who are made holy by trusting in me.’
SMALL MAN FINISHES HIS STORY
19“So then, Chief Wild Horse (Agrippa), I was true to this sacred vision. 20First I told those in Silent Weaver (Damascus). Then I told the people in Village of Peace (Jerusalem) and all in the territory of the Land of Promise (Judea), and to the Outside Nations. I told them all that they should change their thinking, return to Creator’s ways, and walk in a manner worthy of this change of heart.