Ndu Manzaniba 22

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

MEN, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my apology which I now offer unto you.

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

Then when they heard that he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence: 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 Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed accurately in the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye all are this day:

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

so much so that I persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to 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 will bear me witness, and all the body of elders: from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, I went unto Damascus, to bring those who were there in chains unto Jerusalem, that they might 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.

But as I went and drew nigh to Damascus, at noon-day, suddenly there shone a great light from heaven around me.

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

And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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

And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest.

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

Now they who were with me saw the light indeed, and were terrified; but the voice of him that spake to me heard they not.

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.

Then I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, go into Damascus; and there information shall be given thee of all things which are ordained for thee 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.

Then as I could no longer see through the dazzling brightness of that light, led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.

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.

And one Ananias, a religious man according to the law, and in high repute with all the Jews dwelling there,

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, recover sight. And the same hour 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.

And he said, The God of our fathers hath predestinated thee to know his will, and to see the Just One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

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

For thou shalt be a witness for him to all men, of the things which thou hast 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 delay? arise, to be baptised, and wash away thy sins, calling upon 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 came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance;

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

and beheld him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony of me.

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

And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and scourging from synagogue to synagogue those who believe on thee:

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 Stephen thy martyr was shed, I myself even stood by, and took delight in his execution, and guarded the garments of those who slew him.

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

And he said to me, Go: for I will send thee forth to the Gentiles afar off.

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.”

And they gave him audience to this sentence, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

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

So when they began raising a vast clamour, and stripping off their garments, and casting 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 military tribune commanded him to be brought into the fortress, ordering that he should be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what cause they clamoured so loudly against him.

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?

So as they were tying him up for the thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing by him, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen, 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.”

And when the centurion heard this, he came and told the military tribune, saying, Consider what you are going to do: for this man is a Roman citizen.

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

Then the tribune came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman citizen? And 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.”

And the tribune replied, With a large sum of money I purchased this citizenship. And Paul said, But I enjoy it as my birthright.

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.

Immediately then they who were about to put him to the question, withdrew from him: and indeed the tribune dreaded the consequences, when he knew that he was a Roman citizen, that he had even gone so far as to bind him.

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.

So on the morrow, desirous to know of a certainty what it was of which he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the high-priest and all the sanhedrim to appear, and bringing Paul down, set him before them.