Ndu Manzaniba 26

1 Niki Agrippa a tre ni Bulus, “Wu ka tre kime.” Nikima Bulus a nmerju ni woma nda lu tre wu kpa tuma chuwo.

Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

2 “Mi ban ndi mi ngyiri ni kpamu, Ichu Agrippa, ni wa mi nji tre mu niye ni shishime luwa, nitu wawu kpi meme wa Yahudawa ba nji ye nha nimu niwuu;

“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,

3 kima me nitu wu to zan tu ni tu nkon zren Yahudawa rhini sen. Niki, mi bre du u wome ni kru sron.

especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.

4 Njanji, Yahudawa wawu ba to zren son mu rhini wa mi vren nze ni meme mu mba ni Urushelima.

Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem.

5 Ba to nitumu rhini ni mumla, batini son nyme niki, nitu mison na Farasii, grji bi kri gbangban ni nkon hu Irji mbu.

They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.

6 Zizan mi kri ni wayi du ba gaatre nimu nitu yo sron mu ni yo sron kpe ni shishi wa Irji a ti ni ba titi mbu.

And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,

7 A he nitu yo sron kpe ni shishi wa ba grji wlon don ha ba ba yo sron wu kpa niwa ba nzu nde Irji hon ni chu mba ni virhi. Wa a he nitu yo sron a, Ichu Yahudawa ba ban nha me.

the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.

8 A ngye nizu du mla ya ni kpanyme ndi Irji ni nzu indji lu rjini kwu?

Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

9 Zizan, a toki, Ime me mina ta mren ndi mi ti kpi gbugbuwu nitu ka nde Yesu wu Nazarat su.

So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 Mi ti kpi biyi ni Urushelima, Mi vu loyo ni mi tratro gbugbu indji tsatsra wu Irji, ni vunvu kpanyme wa mi kpa rhini ninkon Prist, mba niwa ba sia wuuba, mi yo wo nyime mu nitu kima.

And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.

11 Mi ti ba ya, nton gbugbuwu ni mi Sinagog, mba ni ta tsra yoba ni gbengblen du ba tre meme ntiu Irji. Mi ta vra ni nfu nitumba, mba nini tiba ya ka rhini igbu wu meme bari.

I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

12 Niwa mi sia ti toyi, mi hini Damaskus ni yawo kpanyme mba nu nkon rhini kikle Prist;

In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.

13 mba ni nkon, hiki, ni tsutsu irji, ichu, mi to kpan lu rjini shulu wa a kpan zan irji, nda bwu kpan kagon me baba indji biwa bana si zren hume.

About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.

14 Niwa wawumbu ki kurjoku ni meme mi wo ilan ni tre ni me ni ilbe Ibraniyawa ndi Shawulu, Shawulu, u i tie me ya nitu ngye? A ni he ni ya ni du chuza too kpe wu ntsen nyu.

We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 Niki mi tre ndi, “Wu nha, Bachi?” I Bachi a sa mu ndi, 'A hi me Yesu wa wu si tiwu ya.

‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.

16 Zizan lu kri ni zande; anitu ndu yi mi tsro kpamu niwu, nitu youyo ni tindu vrenko, mba wa wu vu bla nitu kpi wa wuto nitumu zizan mba kpi wa mi tsro ni ko shishi;

‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.

17 i mi kpau chuwo rhini wo indji ba mba rjini Bikora wa mi si ton ni hi niba,

I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them

18 ni du hi bwu shishi mba, ndi kma ba sran rjini bwu hini kpan mba rjini son niwobrji shango hini Irji, ni du ba kpa rjini Irji, kpa wru latre mba (gado) wa mi nu ibiwa ba kri bi nitu kpanyme ni me.

to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’

19 Ni tu kima, Ichu Agrippa, mina kamu ni hutre ira wa a rjini shulu na;

So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

20 Mi hi ni bi Damaskus guchi, nda ka ri ni Urushelima, nda ka kagon gbungblu Judiya, mba ni bikora ngame, mi nu ba tondua, nitu du ba kma sran nda kma ye ni Irji, nda ti ndu wa a bi tsra ni kma sran sron mba.

First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.

21 Nitu kima Yahudawa ba vu me lo nimi hekali nda ta son wuu me.

For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.

22 Ni kima, me kpa zo wa a ye rji ni Irji, ye ni vi wu luwa, ndi ni kri ni nran hla ni bi tsitsa baba bi kikle ana kpe nkan na, hama niwa anabawa mba Musa ba tre ndi naiye he toki -

But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:

23 ndi Kristi niye ti ya, nitu wawuyi ni guchi tashme rjini kwu, ndani bwuhla ikpan ni indji mbu mba ni bi kora.”

that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

24 Niwa Bulus akle ngla kpama a, Festus a tre ni kikle lan, “Bulus, wu sran; to gbugbu tsro me du ni sran.”

At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”

25 I Bulus a tre ndi, “Mina sran na, wa azan bi Festus, mi si dbu bla lan tre wu njanji mba wu gaatre ndindi.

But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.

26 Nitu Ichu to kpi biyi; niki mi tre ni gbengblen sron niwu, nitu mi nyme pempe ndi kpi biyi bana he ni bwu ni wu na, nitu ikpe biyi bana tiba ni kosan na.

For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.

27 Wu kpanyme ni anabawa ba, Ichu Agrippa? Mi to ndi wu kpanyme.”

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

28 Agrippa hla ni Bulus nid, ni nton fiime toyi, wu son gbronmeyo dumi kma ti Krista?”

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”

29 Bulus tre ndi, “Mi bre Irji ndi, anita nton fiime ka wu gbron me ana wu megen na, mba wawu biwa ba wo me luwa, du ba he too me, hama ni rjiri ij'bo wu ko tro yi.”

“Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”

30 Niki Ichua lunde kri, i gomna mba Bernice ngame, baba biwa bana ki niba.

Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.

31 Niwa ba rju don kikle tra u son mba, ba si tre ni kpamba ndi, “Igu yi na ti kpe wa ani tsra u kwu ko ka u lo zi na.”

On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”

32 Agrippa a tre ni Festus ndi, kinina chu Iguyi chuwo hama wa ana bre hi to Kaisar.”

And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”