Ndu Manzaniba 22

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

Brethren, and Fathers, hear now my apology to you,

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

---(and when they heard that he spake to them in the Hebrew dialect, they the more readily kept 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 Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, accurately instructed 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,

And I persecuted those of this persuasion even unto 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 the high priest is my witness, and all the elders: from whom I received letters to our brethren, and went to Damascus to bring those also, that 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.

And it came to pass that as I was on my journey and drew nigh to Damascus, about mid-day, on a sudden 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?'

and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto 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 unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

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

And they that were with me saw the light indeed, and were affrighted; but they did not hear the voice of Him that spake 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, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed 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.

And as I could not see by reason of the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those that 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 devout observer of the law, who had a good character from all the Jews that dwelt 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 stood by me, and said, Brother Saul, look up: and I immediately looked up upon 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 before appointed 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 his witness unto all men, of what 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 shouldst thou delay? Arise and be baptized, 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.

And when I was returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, I was in a trance.

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

And I saw Him saying unto me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy 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.

And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and scourged in the synagogues them that believed 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 thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also stood by and consented to his death, and kept the clothes of them that slew him.

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

But he said unto me, Go away; for I will send thee far hence unto 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.”

And they heard him to this word, and then they exalted 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,

And as they were bawling out, and throwing off their clothes, and casting up 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 tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and ordered him to be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what reason they so cried 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?

And as they were binding him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, 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 the centurion hearing this, went and told the tribune, saying, Consider what thou art about to do; for this man is a Roman.

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? 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, I obtained this freedom with a large sum of money. And Paul said, But I was free-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.

Immediately therefore those who were going to put him to the question quitted him: and the tribune also was afraid, when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound 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.

And on the morrow, desiring to know for certain what he was accused of by the Jews, he loosed him from his bonds, and ordered the chief priests and all their council to attend; and he brought down Paul, and set him before them: