Ndu Manzaniba 24

1 Niwa ivi ton aka hia, ninkon Prist Ananiyas, ni bi chiche, mba indji wu to tre ri, ni nde Tatulus, ba hi niki. Indji biyi ba nji kpe wa ba vu Bulus ni latre ye ni shishi gomna.

Five days afterwards the High Priest Ananias came down with some of the Councillors and a barrister named Tertullus. They laid an information with the Governor against Paul;

2 Niwa Bulus a lu kri ni shishi gomna, Tatulus a lu si nhau nda tre ni gomna ndi, “Nitume ki he ni kikle sisron, mba to ko shishi me ani nji mla ti ndindi ni ye ni gbungblu mbu.

and, when the hearing came on, Tertullus began his speech for the prosecution.

3 Nitu ki, ni shuni ngyiri ki kpa wawu kpiwa wuti, kikle wa a bizan wawu, Felix.

“We owe it to your Excellency,” he said, “that we are enjoying profound peace, and we owe it to your foresight that this nation is constantly securing reforms — advantages which we very gratefully accept at all times and places.

4 Nitu du mina ziu son gbame na, mi bre lo sron me ni du wo me wu nton fiime.

But — not to be tedious — I beg you, with your accustomed fairness, to listen to a brief statement of our case.

5 Kiye to ndi indji yi he to nhran mba wa ani du Yahudawa wawuu kagon gbungblu meme duba ni lukri nitu bi koshishi mba. Ahi ninkon wu biwa ba rjuki nkan nda yo kpamba ndi Nazarin.

We have found this man a public pest; he is one who stirs up disputes among the Jews all the world over, and is a ringleader of the Nazarene heretics.

6 A ta son kpa hekalia ti rji, kima a duta vuu lo zi. / Nha vunvu bi sen bari ba kanha ndi, / Kita son ki gaatre nituma hu kpewa du mbu hla'a /

He even attempted to desecrate the Temple itself, but we caught him;

7 Nha bisen bari ba he ni nklan 7 mba mumla wu nklan 8, / 7 I Lysias, Ofisa, a ye ban u ni gbengble rju ni wo mbu, 8 nda yobi nha wu a duba ye ni wu. /

8 Niwa wuta mye Bulus nitu tutre biyi, wu mla to kime nitu kpi biyi wa ki si nhanwu a.

and you will be able, by examining him on all these points, to satisfy yourself as to the charges which we are bringing against him.”

9 Yahudawa ba ngame ba zontu ni nhaw, ndani kpanyime ndi kpewa ba nhanu nituma ba njanji.

The Jews also joined in the attack and bore out his statements.

10 I niwa gomna a tini wo du Bulus tre, Bulus a saa ndi, “Mi mla to ndi wu zi gaatre ni meme mbu wu se gbugbuwu, nitu ki mi ngyiri niwa mi ngla tumu niwu.

On a sign from the Governor, Paul made this reply: “Knowing, as I do, for how many years you have acted as Judge to this nation, it is with confidence that I undertake my own defence.

11 Wu to kime ndi ana zan vi wlon don ha na rji niwa mi hon hi bre mba nzu Irji hon ni Urushelima.

For you can easily ascertain that it is not more than twelve days ago that I went up to worship at Jerusalem,

12 Niwa ba to me nimi hekali, mina sen nyu ni ndrjo na ndina kpa jbu ndji tsitu na, sinagog mba koka ni mi gbua na.

where my prosecutors never found me holding discussions with any one, or causing a crowd to collect — either in the Temple, or in the Synagogues, or about the city;

13 Bana mla tsro ndi ahi njanji kpe wa ba nhan me zizan nituma na.

and they cannot establish the charges which they are now making against me.

14 I me bwu nhran niwu ndi, nitu nkon wabayo ndi bi rhuki nkan, ni nkon kima yi mi hu Irji wu ba titi mbu, mi kpanyime ni kpi wawu ni kpi wa a kri tsra ni du mba wa ba anabawa ba nhaa.

This, however, I do acknowledge to you, that it is as a believer in the Cause which they call heretical, that I worship the God of my ancestors. At the same time, I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the prophets;

15 Mi he ni yo sron riri ni Rji to indji biyi, ndi tashme he, ni bi kri nkon ndindi mba ni bi meme sron.

and I have a hope that rests in God — a hope which they also cherish — that there will one day be a resurrection of good and bad alike.

16 Niki mi nwo nyu ni na he ni meme mren ni shishi Irji mba Indji na.

This being so, I strive at all times to keep my conscience clear before both God and man.

17 Zizan, niwa se gbugbuwu ba ka hi, mi ye nu zaka mba ton ni meme mu.

After some years’ absence I had come to bring charitable gifts to my nation, and to make offerings;

18 Niwa mi ti toki, Yahudawa bari, wa ba rhini Asiya, ba ye tome ni bubu ti gan wu ngla ni mi hekali, ana ni jbu indji ko ka ni mi kpagro wu tsitu na.

and it was while engaged in this that they found me in the Temple, after completing a period of purification, but not with any crowd or disorder.

19 Ani na zan du indji biyi duba he ni shishi me zizan nda nha me, bati na he ni kperi.

There were, however, some Jews from Roman Asia who ought to have been here before you, and to have made any charge that they may have against me —

20 Kaandi, du indji biyi me du ba hla kpe meme wa ba ye to nime, niwa mi kri ni shishi son bi ninkon Yahudawa,

Or else let my opponents here say what they found wrong in me when I was before the Council,

21 hama nitu kpe ririyi, wa mi kpagro hla niwa mi kri nimi mba, “A he nitu tashme rjini kwu wa mi kri ni tsra nituki ni shishime luwa.”

except as to the one sentence that I shouted out as I stood among them — ‘It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial before you to-day’.”

22 Niki Felix, waana to bi nitu nkon'a, a nzu wo trea hi ko shishi. A tre ndi, “Lysias Komanda, anita grji ye rjini Urushelima, mi ya tre me toh.”

Felix, however, adjourned the case — though he had a fairly accurate knowledge of all that concerned the Cause — with the promise: “When Lysias, the commanding Officer, comes down, I will give my decision in your case.”

23 Niki a mmha sojoi (Centurion) ndi duba nji Bulus hi ri zi, nda duuta fon fu ngyngyu, nda na nzu kpukpan ma du ba ye zoo ni kpi wa ani son na.

So he gave orders to the Captain in charge of Paul to keep him in custody, but to relax the regulations, and not to prevent any of his personal friends from attending to his wants.

24 Hu gon vi bari, Felix a kma ye mba iwama Drusilla, wa ana bi Yahudawa, nda ton ba ka yo Bulus, i ba wo rhinuwu nitu kri gbangban sron ni Kristi Yesu.

Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was herself a Jewess, and, sending for Paul, listened to what he had to say about faith in Christ Jesus.

25 I niwa Bulus shlesiya niwu nitu Krista tsra, mla kpa nji, mba gaatre wu ye, Felix a ku ti sissri nda tre ndi, “Hi kpame zizan, Mita he ni nton ni ko shishi mi ton ba hi yowu.”

But, while Paul was speaking at length about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became terrified, and interrupted him — “Go for the present, but, when I find an opportunity, I will send for you again.”

26 Ni nton kima me ata yo sron ka Bulus ni nu nklen, niki a ta gbla you nda ye tre niwu.

He was hoping, too, for a bribe from Paul, and so he used to send for him frequently and talk with him.

27 Niwa ise ha baka hi, Porcius Festus a hon ni ruron gomna hugon Felix, i Felix a ta son kpa ya nyime ni Yahudawa ba, niki a don Bulus ni lo.

But, after the lapse of two years, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and, wishing to gain popularity with the Jews, he left Paul a prisoner.