Ndu Manzaniba 22

1 “Mri vayi baba bati, sren ton ni vri kpachuwo mu, wa mi ti yiwu.”

“Men, brothers and fathers, listen to my defense before you now.”

2 Niwa jbu indji ba ba wo Bulus si tre niba ni lan Ibraniyawa, ba ti whime, A tre ndi,

When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet, and he said:

3 Me mi nji Yahudawa, ngrji wu Tarsus ni Cilicia, mi kpa tsro mu ni kikle gbu yi ni za Gamaliel. Mi kpa tsro nitu nkon tsatsra wu du ba ti ti mbu. Mi hu nkon Irji ngyengyere, to wa biyi wawu mbi bi he luwa.

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, just as you all are today.

4 Miyo bi hu nkon'a iya ka tsra ni kwu, vu ba lo ndi tru ba sru ni kotro, lilon baba mmba,

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

5 me wa kikle Prist baba bi chiche wawu ba vu bla nituma. Mi kpa nha vunvu rhi ni ba hi ni mri vayi wa ba he ni Damascus, I mi hiki nitu hi vuba lo nji ye ni Urushelima ni duba fubaton.

as also the high priest and all the council of elders can bear me witness. I even obtained letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, to bring those also who were there bound to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 A he niki mba niwa mi zren ti weiweire ni Damascus, mla tsutsu irji, mle kikle kpan rji ni shulu a lu kri kpan kagon mu.

Now it happened, as I was going and approaching Damascus, about noon, suddenly a strong light from heaven shone around me.

7 Mi kurjoku ni meme ndi wo ilan a tre ni me, 'Shawulu, Shawulu, nitu ngye wu si time ya?'

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

8 Mi sa ndi, 'Wu nha, Bachi?' A hla mu ndi, 'Mi Yesu wu Nazaret, wa wu si tiwu ya.'

So I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Natsorean, whom you are persecuting.’

9 Biwa bana heni me bato bwu kpan, ndana to tutre lan wa a tre nime na.

Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

10 Mi tre ndi, 'Mi ti ngye zizan Bachi?' Bachi a hla mu, lunde ni rhihi nimi Damascus. Niki wu wo kpe wa mi chuwu du wuti.

So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all that has been appointed to you to do.’

11 Mina lani to bubuna nitu kpanlua, i indji wa ba he ni me'a ba vume zrenji ni wo ye nimi Damascus.

And since I could not see, because of the brightness of that light, I entered Damascus being led by the hand of those who were with me.

12 Niki mi zontu ni indji ri wu nde Ananiyas, indji wu kri gbangban ni hu nkon du, mba wa Yahudawa ba pempe wa ba ki niki ba tre ndindi ni tuma.

Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

13 A ye ni me, nda ye kri whi nime, nda tre ndi, 'Vayi Shawulu, kpa to bubu me.' Ni nton kima, mi towu.

came to me, and standing by me said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I looked up at him.

14 Wa a tre ndi, Irji wu ba titimbu a chu du wu to sron ma, du wu to Tsatsra wu Ma, mba ndi du wo ilan wa rju rju ni nyuma.

Then he said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from His mouth.

15 Nitu wu ta bla nituma ni indji wawu, kpe wa wu to ni shishime mba ni woa.

For you shall be a witness for Him to all men of the things that you have seen and heard.

16 Zizan wu si gben ngye? lu kri, kpa batisma, ndi gla tre me hi, nisi yo ni ndema.

And now, why hesitate? Get up, be baptized and wash away your sins, invoking the name of the Lord.’

17 Niwa mika kma ye ni Urushelima, nda sia bre ni mi hekali, a he niwa mi kpa to nimi ra.

“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I came to be in a trance

18 Mi ton sia hlamu, 'Sima ni lunde don Urushelima gbagbla, nitu bana kpa bla tre nitumu na.'

and saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry up and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive your testimony concerning me.’

19 Mi tre ndi, 'Bachi, baba kimba ba to ndi mi vu bi wa ba kpanyimea tro nda tsi ba ni sinagog kagon.

So I said: ‘Lord, they know that I used to imprison and beat those believing into you, from one synagogue to another;

20 Niwa ba ka iyi Istifanus wa ata bla nitu me hle, mi sia kri ni hugon, ndani kri ya nklon biwa ba wuu a.

and when the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing there and agreeing to his murder, even guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

21 I a hlamu ndi, 'Hi, nitu mi ton hi gbagban mu ni bi kora'a.'”

And He said to me, ‘Get going, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

22 Ba srenton niwu ka tsra niwa a tre kima. Mle ba nzu gro kpa nda tre ndi, “njii bibi kima rhuni gbungblu meme, nitu a na bi du he ni sisren na.”

Well they kept listening to him until this statement, and then they raised their voice and shouted, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for it isn't fitting for him to live!”

23 Niwa ba sia kpa gro nda ju nklon mba ni the, nda ni vra iwru,

As they were shouting, tearing off clothes and throwing dust into the air,

24 kikle kaptin a duba nji Bulus rihi ni bubu wu mla ri. A nu nyu tre nda du ba shle myeu tre no tiwu ya, nitu du wawume du to ka a hi ngye duba ni kpagro nituma toki.

the commander ordered him to be taken into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated with lashes, in order to learn for what crime they kept shouting against him like that.

25 Niwa ba loo ni rjirji ntan, Bulus a tre ni ninkon wu ndji ya bi lokpa deri ri, wa a kri nha niki, “A tsra ni du yi ti indji Roma ya biyi, hama ni yo ni tsra?

But as they stretched him out with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

26 Niwa Centurion a wo toki, a hi ni ninkon kaptin a nda ka hlawu ndi, “A hi ngye wu si son ti? Indji yi hi vren meme Roma.”

Well when the centurion heard that, he went and reported to the commander saying, “Consider what you are about to do, because this man is a Roman!”

27 Kikle kaptin a ye tre niwu ndi, “Hlamu, wu vren meme Roma? Bulus a tre ndi, “Ee.”

So the commander went and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” So he said, “Yes.”

28 Kikle kaptin a sa ndi, “Ana ni gbugbu nklen mba mi kpanyime son vren meme.”I Bulus a tre ndi, “Ba ngrji me vren me Roma.”

The commander replied, “I acquired this citizenship at considerable cost.” And Paul said, “But I was so born.”

29 Niki indji wa bata hi shle miu trea ba kawu don hari. Kikle kaptin a ti sissri, niwa a wo ndi Bulus hi ndji meme Roma, nitu wa a vuu lo.

So those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately; and even the commander was apprehensive when he realized that he had put chains on a Roman.

30 Ni vi wa ahu kia, kikle kpatin a ta son to tukpe wa Yahudawa ba bahe niwu nitu Bulus. Niki a duba si chuwo ni lo nda du kikle Prist baba bi son nitra bi ninkon gbua kuson. Niki, ba nji Bulus grji ye zi ni mi mba.

But the next day, desiring to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds and ordered the chief priests and all their council to come, and brought Paul down and set him before them.