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.

Turning to Paul, Agrippa said, “You are at liberty 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;

“I have been congratulating myself, King Agrippa,” he said, “that it is before you that I have to make my defense today, with regard to all the charges brought against me by my own people,

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 as you are so well-versed in all the customs and questions of the Jewish world. I beg you therefore to give me a patient hearing.

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

My life, then, from youth upwards, was passed, from the very first, among my own nation, and in Jerusalem, and is within the knowledge of all Jews;

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

and they have always known – if they choose to give evidence – that, in accordance with the very strictest form of our religion, I lived a true 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.

Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial –

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.

A promise which our twelve tribes, by earnest service night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused – and by Jews themselves!

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

Why do you all hold it incredible that God should raise the dead?

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

I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way 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 I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the chief priests, I myself threw many of the people of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it.

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.

Time after time, in every synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders.

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

It was while I was traveling to Damascus on an errand of this kind, entrusted with full powers by 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.

that at midday, your Majesty, I saw right in my path, coming from the heavens, a light brighter than the glare of the sun, which shone all around me and those 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.

We all fell to the ground, and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew – ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? By kicking against the goad you are punishing yourself.’

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. And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;

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 upright; for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you a servant and a witness of those revelations of me which you have already had, and of those in which I will yet appear to you,

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

since I am choosing you out from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,

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, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may receive pardon for their sins, and a place among those who have become God’s people, by faith in me.’

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

After that, King Agrippa, I did not fail to obey 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.

on the contrary, first to those at Damascus and Jerusalem, and then through the whole of Judea, and to the Gentiles as well, I began to preach repentance and conversion to God, and a life befitting that repentance.

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

This is why some men seized me in the Temple, and made attempts on my life.

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 -

However I have received help from God to this very day, and so stand here, and bear my testimony to high and low alike – without adding a word to what the prophets, as well as Moses, declared should 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 must suffer, and that, by rising from the dead, he was destined to be the first to bring news of light, not only to our nation, but also 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.”

While Paul was making this defense, Festus called out loudly, “You are mad, Paul; your great learning is driving you mad.”

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 am not mad, your Excellency,” he replied. “On the contrary, the statements that I am making are true and sober.

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.

Indeed, the king knows about these matters, so I speak before him without constraint. I am sure that there is nothing whatever of what I have been telling him that has escaped his attention; for all this has not been 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?”

But Agrippa said to Paul, “You are soon trying to make a Christian of me!”

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 is soon or late,” answered Paul, “I pray to God that not only you, but all who are listening to me, might today become just what I am myself – except for these chains!”

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

Then the king rose, with the Governor and Bernice and those 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.”

and, after retiring, discussed the case among themselves. “There is nothing,” they said, “deserving death or imprisonment in this man’s conduct”;

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

and, speaking to Festus, Agrippa added, “The man might have been discharged, if he had not appealed to the Emperor.”