Ndu Manzaniba 22
1 “Mri vayi baba bati, sren ton ni vri kpachuwo mu, wa mi ti yiwu.”
Paul said, “[Jewish] elders and my other fellow Jews, listen to me now while I reply to [those who are accusing me]!”
2 Niwa jbu indji ba ba wo Bulus si tre niba ni lan Ibraniyawa, ba ti whime, A tre ndi,
When the crowd of people heard Paul speaking to them in [their own] Hebrew language, they became even more quiet and really listened. Then Paul said to them,
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, [as are all of you]. I was born in Tarsus [city], in Cilicia [province], but I grew up here in Jerusalem. [When I was young, for many years] I studied the laws [that Moses gave to our ancestors]. I was taught by [the famous teacher] Gamaliel [MTY] {[The famous teacher] Gamaliel taught [MTY] me}. [I have] carefully [obeyed those laws, because] I have wanted to obey God. I [am sure that] many of you also carefully obey [those laws].
4 Miyo bi hu nkon'a iya ka tsra ni kwu, vu ba lo ndi tru ba sru ni kotro, lilon baba mmba,
[That is why] I previously persecuted those who believe the message [that people call] the Way [that Jesus taught. I continually looked for ways] to kill [them. Whenever I found] men or women [who believed that message], I [commanded that] they should be seized and thrown {[people to] seize them and throw them} into jail.
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.
The supreme priest knows this, and so do the [other respected men who belong to our Jewish] Council. They gave me letters to [take to] their fellow Jews in Damascus [city. By means of those letters, they authorized me to] go to there and find people who believed in [Jesus. They had written in the letters that I was to bring those people] as prisoners to Jerusalem, so that they would be punished here {[the leaders here] could punish them}. [So I went on my way to Damascus].
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.
About noon, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.
7 Mi kurjoku ni meme ndi wo ilan a tre ni me, 'Shawulu, Shawulu, nitu ngye wu si time ya?'
[The light was so bright that] I fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice [of someone] speaking to me [from up in the sky. The one who was speaking to me said], ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you [(sg)] do things to harm me?’
8 Mi sa ndi, 'Wu nha, Bachi?' A hla mu ndi, 'Mi Yesu wu Nazaret, wa wu si tiwu ya.'
I answered, ‘Who are you?’ He replied, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth. I [am the one] whom you [(sg)] are harming [by doing things to harm my followers].’
9 Biwa bana heni me bato bwu kpan, ndana to tutre lan wa a tre nime na.
The men who were [traveling] with me saw the [very bright] light, [and they heard a voice], but they did not understand what the voice said 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.
Then I asked, ‘Lord, what [do you want] me to do?’ The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus! [A man] there will tell you [(sg)] all that I have planned for 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.
[After that, I could not see], because the [very bright] light had caused me to become blind. So my companions took me by the hand and led me until [we(exc) arrived] in 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.
[A couple of days] later, a man whose name was Ananias came to [see] me. He was a man who [greatly respected God and] carefully obeyed [our Jewish] laws. All the Jews living in Damascus said good things about him.
13 A ye ni me, nda ye kri whi nime, nda tre ndi, 'Vayi Shawulu, kpa to bubu me.' Ni nton kima, mi towu.
He came and stood beside me and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see [again]!’ Instantly I could see! I saw Ananias [standing there beside me].
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 whom [we(inc) worship and] whom our ancestors [worshipped] has chosen you and will show you what he wants [you to do. He has allowed you] to see the righteous one, [the Messiah], and you have heard him speaking [to you].
15 Nitu wu ta bla nituma ni indji wawu, kpe wa wu to ni shishime mba ni woa.
He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard [from him].
16 Zizan wu si gben ngye? lu kri, kpa batisma, ndi gla tre me hi, nisi yo ni ndema.
So now (do not delay!/why delay?) [RHQ] Stand up, let [me] baptize you, and by praying to the Lord [Jesus ask God] to forgive you [(sg)] for your sins!’”
17 Niwa mika kma ye ni Urushelima, nda sia bre ni mi hekali, a he niwa mi kpa to nimi ra.
“Later, I returned to Jerusalem. [One day] I went to the Temple courtyard. While I was praying there, I saw a vision [in which]
18 Mi ton sia hlamu, 'Sima ni lunde don Urushelima gbagbla, nitu bana kpa bla tre nitumu na.'
I saw the Lord speaking to me. He said to me, ‘[Do not stay here]! Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people [here] will not (believe/listen to) what you [(sg)] tell [them] about me!’
19 Mi tre ndi, 'Bachi, baba kimba ba to ndi mi vu bi wa ba kpanyimea tro nda tsi ba ni sinagog kagon.
But I [protested and] said to him, ‘Lord, they know that I went to many of our meeting houses looking for people who believe in you. I was putting in jail those [whom I found] who believed in you, and I was even beating them.
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.
[They remember that] when Stephen was killed [MTY] {when people killed [MTY] Stephen} because he told people about you, I stood there [watching it all] and approving [what they were doing]. I [even] guarded the outer garments that those who were murdering him [had thrown aside. So if I stay here, the fact that I have changed how I think about you will surely impress those leaders of our people].’
21 I a hlamu ndi, 'Hi, nitu mi ton hi gbagban mu ni bi kora'a.'”
But the Lord said to me, ‘No, [do not stay here]! Leave [Jerusalem, because] I am going to send you [(sg)] far away [from here] to non-Jewish people!’”
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.”
The people listened [quietly] to what Paul was saying until [he mentioned the Lord sending him to non-Jewish people]. Then they began shouting [angrily], “Kill him! [He does not deserve to live any longer]!” [They said that because they could not believe that God would save anyone except Jews].
23 Niwa ba sia kpa gro nda ju nklon mba ni the, nda ni vra iwru,
While they continued shouting, [“Kill him!”] they took off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, [which showed how angry they were].
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.
So the commander [commanded] that Paul be taken {[soldiers] to take Paul} into the barracks. He told [the soldiers] that they should strike Paul with a whip [that had pieces of bone/metal on the end of it], in order to make him tell what he had done that made the Jews shout so angrily. [So the soldiers took Paul into the barracks].
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?
Then they stretched his arms out [and tied them] so that they could whip him [on his back. But] Paul said to the officer who was standing nearby [watching], “[You(sg) should think carefully about this]! You will certainly be [RHQ] acting unlawfully if you whip me, a Roman [citizen whom] no [one has put on trial and] condemned!”
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 officer heard that, he went to the commander and reported it to him. He said [to the commander], “This man is a Roman [citizen] (Surely you would not [command us to whip him]!/Do you really want [us to whip him]?) [RHQ]”
27 Kikle kaptin a ye tre niwu ndi, “Hlamu, wu vren meme Roma? Bulus a tre ndi, “Ee.”
The commander [was surprised when he heard that. He himself] went [into the barracks] and said to Paul, “Tell me, are you [(sg) really] a Roman [citizen]?” Paul answered, “Yes, I [am].”
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.”
Then the commander said, “[I am also a Roman citizen]. I paid a lot of money to become a [Roman] citizen.” Paul said, “But I was born a [Roman] citizen, [so I did not need to pay anything].”
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.
The soldiers [were about to whip Paul and to ask him questions about what he had done. But when they heard what Paul said, they] left him immediately. The commander also became afraid, because he realized that Paul was a Roman [citizen] and that he had [illegally commanded soldiers to] tie up Paul’s [hands].
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 commander still] wanted to know exactly why the Jews were accusing Paul. So the next day he [told the soldiers to] take the chains off Paul. He also summoned the chief priests and the [other Jewish] Council [members]. Then he took Paul [to where the Council was meeting] and [commanded] him to stand before them.
