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.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You [(sg)] are permitted [now] to speak [to defend] yourself.” Paul stretched out his hand ([dramatically/to salute the king]) and began to defend himself. He said,

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 that I am fortunate that today, while you [(sg)] listen, I can defend myself from all the things about which the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] are accusing me.

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

I am really fortunate, because you [(sg)] know all about the customs of us Jews and the questions that we [(exc)] argue about. So I ask you, please listen patiently to what I say.”

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

“Many [HYP] of my fellow Jews know about how I have conducted my life, from the time I was a child. They know how I lived in the area where I [was born] and [also later] 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 for many years, and they could tell you, if they wanted to, that [since I was very young] I obeyed the customs of our religion very carefully, just like the [other] Pharisees do.

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.

Today I am being put on trial {[they] are putting me on trial} because I am confidently expecting that God will do what he promised our [(exc)] ancestors.

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.

Our twelve tribes are [also] confidently waiting for God to do [for us what he promised], as they respectfully worship him, day and night. [Respected] king, I confidently expect [that God will do what he promised, and they also believe that! But that is the reason] that these Jewish leaders [SYN] are accusing me!

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

They believe that God can cause those who have died to become alive again, so (why [do any of you refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead?/none of you should refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead!]) [RHQ]”

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

“[Formerly] I, too, was sure that I should do everything that I could to oppose Jesus [MTY], the man from Nazareth [town].

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.

So that is what I did [when I lived] in Jerusalem. I put many of the believers in jail, as the chief priests there had authorized me [to do]. When [the Jewish leaders wanted] those Christians killed {someone to kill those [Christians]}, I voted [for that].

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.

Many times I punished the believers [whom I found] in Jewish meeting places. [By punishing them], I tried to force them to speak evil [about Jesus]. I was so angry with the followers of Jesus that I even traveled to other cities to [find them and] do things to harm them.”

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

“[One day], I was on my way to Damascus [city] to do that. The chief priests [in Jerusalem] had authorized and sent me [to seize the believers there].

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.

[My respected] king, [while I was going] along the road, at about noon I saw a [bright] light in the sky. It was even brighter than the sun! It shone all around me, and also around the men 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.

We [(exc)] all fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking to me in my own Hebrew language [MTY]. He said ‘Saul, Saul, (stop causing me to suffer!/why are you causing me to suffer?) [RHQ] You [(sg)] are [hurting yourself by trying to hurt me] [MET], [like an ox] kicking against [its owner’s] goad.’

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

Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘I am Jesus. You [(sg)] are harming me [by harming my followers].

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 instead [of continuing to do that], stand up now! I have appeared to you [(sg)] to tell you that I have chosen you to serve me. You must tell people about [what I am showing you] as you are seeing me [now], and about what I [will show you when] I will [later] appear to you.

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

I will protect you [from those who will try to harm you, both] your own people and [also] those who are not Jewish. I am sending you to non-Jews

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 help them to realize [MTY] what is true and to stop believing what is false [MET]. I am sending you to them so that they may let God control them and not let Satan control them any more. [Then God] will forgive their sins and will accept them as his people because they believe in me.’ [That is what Jesus said to me].”

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

“So, King Agrippa, I fully obeyed [LIT] what [the Lord Jesus told me to do when he spoke to me] 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, I preached to [the Jews] in Damascus. Then I [preached to the Jews] in Jerusalem and throughout [the rest of] Judea [province]. After that, I also preached to non-Jews. I preached that they must turn away from their sinful behavior and turn their lives over to God. I told them that they must do things that would show that they had truly stopped their sinful behavior.”

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

“It is because I [preached] this message [that some] [SYN] Jews seized me [when I was] in the Temple [courtyard 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 -

However, God has been helping me [from that time, and he is still helping me] today. So I stand here and I tell [all of you people], those who are important and those who are not, [who Jesus is]. Everything that I say [about him] is what Moses and the [other] prophets wrote [about long ago, things that they 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.”

They wrote that [people would cause] the Messiah to suffer and die. They also wrote that he would be the first person to become alive again, to proclaim [the message that would be like] light, [that he would save] both [his own Jewish] people and non-Jewish people.”

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

Before Paul could say anything [further] to defend himself, Festus shouted: “Paul, you are crazy! You have studied too much, and it has made 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.

But Paul answered, “Your Excellency, Festus, I am not raving [insanely]. On the contrary, what I am saying is true and sensible!

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.

King Agrippa knows the things [that I have been talking about], and I can speak confidently to him [about them]. I am sure that he knows [LIT] these things, because people everywhere [IDM] have heard [LIT] about what happened [to Jesus].”

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

Then Paul asked, “King Agrippa, do you believe [what] the prophets [wrote]? I know that you [(sg)] believe it.”

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

Then Agrippa [answered] Paul, “([I hope that you(sg)] do not think that by the few things [that you have just now said] you can persuade me to become a Christian!/You do not think, [do you], that by the few things [that you have just now said] you can persuade me to become a Christian?)” [RHQ]

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.”

Paul replied, “Whether it takes a short time or a long time, it does not matter. I pray to God that you and also all of the others who are listening to me today will also [believe in Jesus] like I do, but I do not want you to become prisoners [MTY] [like I am].”

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

Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others got up

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 left [the room. While] they were talking to one another they said to each other, “There is no reason why (the authorities/we) should execute this man, or that he should even be kept in prison [MTY].”

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

Agrippa said to Festus, “If this man had not asked that the Emperor judge him, he could have been released {[we(inc)] could have released him}.”