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 then said to Paul, “You are free to speak on your own behalf.” With a sweep of his arm, Paul 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;
“I am delighted, King Agrippa, to make my defense before you today regarding everything I am accused of by 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.
particularly because you are an expert in all Jewish issues and customs. I beg your patient indulgence as you listen to what I have to say.
4 Njanji, Yahudawa wawu ba to zren son mu rhini wa mi vren nze ni meme mu mba ni Urushelima.
All the Jews know my life story—from my earliest days beginning in my own country and then 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 verify, if they choose to, that I have followed the religious school that observes our faith in the strictest way—I lived as a Pharisee.
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.
Now I am standing here to be judged regarding the promised hope God gave 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.
that our twelve tribes hoped to receive as they continually dedicated themselves in God's service. Yes, it's because of this hope that I'm accused by the Jews, Your Majesty!
8 A ngye nizu du mla ya ni kpanyme ndi Irji ni nzu indji lu rjini kwu?
Why should any of you think it's unbelievable 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.
Previously I was sincerely convinced I should do as much as 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.
This is what I did in Jerusalem. I threw many of the believers in prison, having been given authority to do this by the chief priests. When they were sentenced 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 had them punished in all the synagogues, trying to make them recant. I was so furiously opposed to them that I went to cities outside our country to persecute them.
12 Niwa mi sia ti toyi, mi hini Damaskus ni yawo kpanyme mba nu nkon rhini kikle Prist;
That's why one day I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and orders from 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.
At about noon as I was on my way, Your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven that blazed brighter than the sun. It shone around me and those who were traveling with me.
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.
All of us fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It's hard for you to fight against me!’
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, the one you're 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 pick yourself up and get to your feet. The reason why I've appeared to you is to appoint you as my servant, to be a witness for me, telling others how you have seen me and everything I will reveal to you.
17 i mi kpau chuwo rhini wo indji ba mba rjini Bikora wa mi si ton ni hi niba,
I will save you from your own people and from the foreigners. 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 they can turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, and so they can receive forgiveness for their sins and a place with those who are set right as they trust in me.’
19 Ni tu kima, Ichu Agrippa, mina kamu ni hutre ira wa a rjini shulu na;
Clearly, King Agrippa, I could not disobey this vision from heaven.
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 in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and then all over Judea and also to the foreigners I shared the message of repentance: how they should turn to God, demonstrating their repentance through their actions.
21 Nitu kima Yahudawa ba vu me lo nimi hekali nda ta son wuu me.
That's why the Jews seized me in the Temple 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 -
God has looked after me so I can stand here today as a witness to everyone, both to ordinary people and to those who are important. I am only repeating what Moses and the prophets 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.”
how the Messiah had to suffer, and that by being the first to rise from the dead he would announce the light of God's salvation to both Jews and foreigners.”
24 Niwa Bulus akle ngla kpama a, Festus a tre ni kikle lan, “Bulus, wu sran; to gbugbu tsro me du ni sran.”
Festus interrupted Paul as he made his defense, shouting out, “Paul, you've gone mad! All your knowledge is driving you insane!”
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.
“I'm not mad, Festus your Excellency,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and makes sense.
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.
The king recognizes this, and I'm explaining it very clearly. I am sure that he is aware of what's been happening, because none of this took place as if it were hidden in a corner.
27 Wu kpanyme ni anabawa ba, Ichu Agrippa? Mi to ndi wu kpanyme.”
King Agrippa, do you believe what the prophets said? I'm sure you do!”
28 Agrippa hla ni Bulus nid, ni nton fiime toyi, wu son gbronmeyo dumi kma ti Krista?”
“Do you think you can convince me to become a Christian so quickly?” Agrippa asked Paul.
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.”
“Whether it takes a short time or a long time doesn't matter,” Paul answered. “But my prayer to God is that not just you, but everybody listening to me today would become like me—except for these chains!”
30 Niki Ichua lunde kri, i gomna mba Bernice ngame, baba biwa bana ki niba.
The king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice, and everyone who had been sitting 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.”
They conferred together after they had left. “This man hasn't done anything that deserves death or imprisonment,” they concluded.
32 Agrippa a tre ni Festus ndi, kinina chu Iguyi chuwo hama wa ana bre hi to Kaisar.”
Agrippa told Festus, “He could have been freed if he hadn't appealed to Caesar.”
