Ndu Manzaniba 22

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

"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence."

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

When they heard him speaking in Hebrew they became the more quiet.

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 a Jew," he said, "born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strict manner of the Law of our forefathers, ardent for God, even as you 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,

"I persecuted to the death this way, continually 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.

"To this the high priest and all the council of elders are witnesses. It was from them that I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was already on my way to bring those also who were there back to Jerusalem, in bonds, for punishment.

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 when, on my journey, I was nearing Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone round about 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.'

"‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. "‘I am Jesus, the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting,’ he answered me.

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

"Now my companions, though they beheld the light, did not hear the words of Him who spoke 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.

"And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ and the Lord said to me, ‘Rise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all that you are destined 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 as I was seeing nothing for the glory of the light, I was led by the hand of my companions, and so came into 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 a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the Law, well thought of by all the Jews who lived 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 to me, "‘Brother Saul, receive your sight’ "In that very hour I regained my sight and 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 forefathers has appointed you to know his will; and to see the righteous 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 before the face of all men you will be a witness for him of what 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 do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling upon his name.’

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

"After my return to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple,

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

"I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, "‘Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, 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.

"‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘they themselves well know that I was beating and imprisoning in synagogue after synagogue those who believed in you,

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 martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting, and holding the garments of his murders.’

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

"‘Depart,’ he said to me, ‘for I will send you forth, far hence, 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.”

Until they heard this last statement, the people were listening to Paul, but now they roared out. "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to live!"

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

When they continued to shout, throwing their clothes into the air, and flinging dust around,

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 tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and examined under the lash, to learn for what reason the people were thus crying out 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?

But when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing near, "If a man is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned, is it lawful for you to scourge him?"

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.”

When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him. "What are you intending to do? This man is a Roman citizen."

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

So the tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.

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.”

"I paid a large sum to get this citizenship," said the tribune. "But I was citizen-born," said Paul.

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.

Then those who were about to scourge him, immediately left him. And the tribune too, was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.

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.

The next day, as he wished to learn the real reason why the Jews accused Paul, he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down, and placed him before them.