Machitidwe a Atumwi 22
1 Iye anati, “Inu abale anga ndi makolo anga, tamvani mawu akudziteteza kwanga.”
"Brethren and fathers," he said, "listen to my defence which I now make before you."
2 Atamva iye akuyankhula Chihebri, anakhala chete. Kenaka Paulo anati,
And on hearing him address them in Hebrew, they kept all the more quiet; and he said,
3 “Ine ndine Myuda, wobadwira ku Tarisisi wa ku Kilikiya, koma ndinaleredwa mu mzinda muno, ndinaphunzitsidwa mwatsatanetsatane kusunga malamulo a makolo athu ndi Gamalieli ndipo ndinali wodzipereka pa za Mulungu monga mmene inu mulili lero.
"I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I was carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers, and, like all of you to-day, was zealous for God.
4 Ine ndinkazunza anthu otsatira Njirayi mpaka kuwapha. Ndinkagwira amuna ndi amayi ndi kuwayika mʼndende.
I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women and throwing them into prison;
5 Mkulu wa ansembe ndiponso akuluakulu a Ayuda angathe kundichitira umboni. Iwowa anandipatsa makalata opita nawo kwa abale awo ku Damasiko. Ndipo ndinapita kumeneko kuti ndikawagwire anthu amenewa ndi kubwera nawo ku Yerusalemu kuti adzalangidwe.
as the High Priest also and all the Elders can bear me witness. It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus, intending to bring those also who had fled there, in chains to Jerusalem, to be punished.
6 “Nthawi ya masana, nditayandikira ku Damasiko, mwadzidzidzi kuwala kwakukulu kochokera kumwamba kunandizungulira.
"But on my way, when I was now not far from Damascus, about noon a sudden blaze of light from Heaven shone round me.
7 Ndinagwa pansi ndipo ndinamva mawu akuti, ‘Saulo! Saulo! Ukundizunziranji?’”
I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'
8 Ine ndinafunsa kuti, “Ndinu ndani Ambuye?” Iye anayankha kuti, “Ndine Yesu wa ku Nazareti, amene iwe ukumuzunza.”
"'Who art thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus, the Nazarene,' He replied, 'whom you are persecuting.'
9 Anzanga a paulendo anaona kuwalako, koma sanamve mawuwo, a Iye amene amayankhula nane.
"Now the men who were with me, though they saw the light, did not hear the words of Him who spoke to me.
10 Ine ndinafunsa kuti, “Kodi ndichite chiyani Ambuye?” Ambuye anati, “Imirira ndipo pita ku Damasiko. Kumeneko adzakuwuza zonse zimene ukuyenera kuchita.”
And I asked, "'What am I to do, Lord?' "And the Lord said to me, "'Rise, and go into Damascus. There you shall be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.'
11 Anzanga anandigwira dzanja kupita nane ku Damasiko, popeza kuwala kunja kunandichititsa khungu.
"And as I could not see because the light had been so dazzling, those who were with me had to lead me by the arm, and so I came to Damascus.
12 “Munthu wina dzina lake Hananiya anabwera kudzandiona. Iyeyu anali munthu woopa Mulungu ndi wosunga Malamulo. Ayuda onse okhala kumeneko amamupatsa ulemu waukulu.
"And a certain Ananias, a pious man who obeyed the Law and bore a good character with all the Jews of the city,
13 Iye anayimirira pafupi nane nati, ‘Mʼbale Saulo, penyanso!’ Ndipo nthawi yomweyo ndinapenya ndikumuona iyeyo.
came to me and standing at my side said, "'Brother Saul, recover your sight.' "I instantly regained my sight and looked up at him.
14 “Ndipo iye anati, ‘Mulungu wa makolo athu wakusankha iwe kuti udziwe chifuniro chake ndi kuona Wolungamayo ndi kumva mawu ochokera pakamwa pake.
Then he said, 'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the righteous One and hear Him speak.
15 Iwe udzakhala mboni yake kwa anthu onse pa zimene waziona ndi kuzimva.
For you shall be a witness for Him, to all men, of what you have seen and heard.
16 Ndipo tsopano ukudikira chiyani? Dzuka ndi kutama dzina la Ambuye mopemba, ubatizidwe ndi kuchotsa machimo ako.’
And now why delay? Rise, get yourself baptized, and wash off your sins, calling upon His name.'
17 “Nditabwerera ku Yerusalemu, ndikupemphera mʼNyumba ya Mulungu, ndinachita ngati ndakomoka.
"After my return to Jerusalem, and while praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.
18 Ndinaona Ambuye akundiwuza kuti, ‘Fulumira! Tuluka mu Yerusalemu msangamsanga, chifukwa anthuwa sadzavomereza umboni wako wonena za Ine.’”
I saw Jesus, and He said to me, "'Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'
19 Ine ndinayankha Ambuye kuti, “Anthu awa akudziwa kuti ine ndinkapita ku sunagoge iliyonse ndipo ndinkawaponya mʼndende ndi kuwakwapula amene ankakhulupirira inu.
"'Lord,' I replied, 'they themselves well know how active I was in imprisoning, and in flogging in synagogue after synagogue those who believe in Thee;
20 Ndipo pamene ankapha Stefano, ine ndinali pomwepo kuvomereza ndi kusunga zovala za amene amamupha.”
and when they were shedding the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, I was standing by, fully approving of it, and I held the clothes of those who were killing him.'
21 Pamenepo Ambuye anandiwuza kuti, “Nyamuka; Ine ndidzakutuma kutali kwa anthu a mitundu ina.”
"'Go,' He replied; 'I will send you as an Apostle to nations far away.'"
22 Gulu la anthu linamvetsera mawu a Paulo mpaka pamene ananena izi, kenaka anakweza mawu awo nafuwula kuti, “Ameneyo aphedwe basi! Ngosayenera kukhala moyo!”
Until they heard this last statement the people listened to Paul, but now with a roar of disapproval they cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He ought not to be allowed to live."
23 Akufuwula ndi kuponya zovala zawo ndi kuwaza fumbi kumwamba,
And when they continued their furious shouts, throwing their clothes into the air and flinging dust about,
24 mkulu wa asilikali analamulira kuti amutenge Paulo kupita naye ku malo a asilikali. Iye analamula kuti Paulo akwapulidwe kwambiri ndi kumufunsa kuti apeze chimene anthu ankafuwulira chotere.
the Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and be examined by flogging, in order to ascertain the reason why they thus cried out against him.
25 Atamumanga kuti amukwapule, Paulo anati kwa msilikali wolamulira asilikali 100 amene anayima pamenepo, “Kodi malamulo amalola kukwapula nzika ya Chiroma imene sinapezedwe yolakwa?”
But, when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul said to the Captain who stood by, "Does the Law permit you to flog a Roman citizen--and one too who is uncondemned?"
26 Wolamulira asilikali 100 uja atamva zimenezi, anapita kwa mkulu wa asilikali ndi kumufotokozera. Iye anafunsa kuti, “Kodi mukuchita chiyani ndi munthuyu amene ndi nzika ya Chiroma?”
On hearing this question, the Captain went to report the matter to the Tribune. "What are you intending to do?" he said. "This man is a Roman citizen."
27 Mkulu wa asilikali uja anapita kwa Paulo ndipo anamufunsa kuti, “Tandiwuze, kodi ndiwe nzika ya Chiroma?” Paulo anayankha kuti, “Inde.”
So the Tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.
28 Kenaka mkulu wa asilikaliyo anati, “Ine ndinapereka ndalama zambiri kuti ndikhale nzika.” Paulo anayankha kuti, “Koma ine ndinabadwa nzika.”
"I paid a large sum for my citizenship," said the Tribune. "But I was born free," said Paul.
29 Iwo amene anati amufunse analeka nthawi yomweyo. Mkulu wa asilikali uja anachita mantha atazindikira kuti wamanga Paulo amene ndi nzika ya Chiroma.
So the men who had been on the point of putting him under torture immediately left him. And the Tribune, too, was frightened when he learnt that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.
30 Mmawa mwake, mkulu wa asilikali pofuna kupeza chifukwa chenicheni chimene Ayuda amamunenera Paulo, anamumasula ndipo analamula kuti akulu a ansembe ndi onse akuluakulu a Bwalo Lalikulu asonkhane. Ndipo iye anabweretsa Paulo namuyimiritsa patsogolo pawo.
The next day, wishing to know exactly what charge was being brought against him by the Jews, the Tribune ordered his chains to be removed; and, having sent word to the High Priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble, he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
