Ngsäea Khut 22
1 “Ka püi Isarele aw, ka ngsungkhameinak vai na ngai ua” a ti.
‘Brothers and fathers, listen to the defence which I am about to make.’
2 Hebru ngthu am, ami veia ngthu pyenki ti ami ksing ja, käh khihkheh law u se, acunüng, Pawluh naw,
When they heard that he was speaking to them in Hebrew, they were still more quiet; and Paul went on:
3 “Kei cun Kilikih hne, Tasuh mlüha ngtüikia Judah khyanga ka kyaki, acunsepi, hina Jerusalema Kamaleilaha vei ngthei lü ka ngbang lawki, jah mjükphyüinakiea thume pi ka ngthei khawiki, tungawi üng nangmia mäiha Pamhnama phäha ka ktha na khawiki.
‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, but I was brought up in this city under the teaching of Gamaliel, and educated in accordance with the strict system of our ancestral Law. I was as zealous in God’s service as any of you who are here today.
4 Acunüng, nghnumi kpami ja man lü thawngim üng jah khyum lü, thihnak vaia acuna Bawipaa Mawnglam läkie cun ka jah mkhuimkha khawiki.
In my persecution of this Way I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike –
5 Ktaiyü ngvaie ja kawngcie naküt naw pi acuna ngthu cun cangki tia na ksing püikie, Damateta veki ka püi Judahe vei ami yuk ca pi ka yahki; acuna kyase acua cit lü, jah man lü Jerusalema jah cehpüi lü jah mkhuimkha khaia ka citki.
And to that the high priest himself and all the council of elders can testify. For I had letters of introduction from them to our fellow Jews at Damascus, and I was on my way to that place, to bring those whom I might find there prisoners to Jerusalem for punishment.
6 Cit lü, Damateta pei ka pha law üng, mhnüp nglunga angxita khana ka akvai aktäa vaiki ka peia vai lawki.
While I was still on my way, just as I was getting close to Damascus, about midday, suddenly there flashed from the heavens a great light all round me.
7 Mdek üng ka kyuk üng, ka veia, “Sawluh, Sawluh, ise na na mkhuimkhaki ni?” tia kthai ka ngjak.
I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
8 Acunüng, kei naw, ‘Bawipa aw, nang u ni?’ ti lü ka msang be. Acunüng, ani naw, ‘Kei Nazaret Jesuh, na mkhuimkhaa ka kyaki’ a ti.
“Who are you, Lord?” I replied. Then the voice said “I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.”
9 Acunüng, ka püie naw akvai cun ami hmu te, na ngthuheipüikia kthai cun am ngjak u.
The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the speaker’s voice.
10 Kei naw, ‘Bawipa aw i ka pawh khai?’ ka ti. Acunüng, Bawipa naw, ‘Tho law lü, Damateta cita, na pawh vai naküt cun ning mtheh khaie ni’ a ti.
Then I said “What am I to do, Lord?” “Get up and go into Damascus,” The Lord said to me, “and there you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.”
11 Acuna akvaia phäha ka mik mü se, ka püie naw ami kut am na kaih u lü, Damateta ka citki.
In consequence of that dazzling light I could not see, but my companions held me by the hand, until I reached Damascus.
12 Khyang mat Anani ngming naki, thum kcang na lü Judahe naw ami leisawng acua veki.
There a man named Ananias, a strict observer of our Law, well spoken of by all the Jewish inhabitants, came to see me.
13 Ka veia law lü, ka peia ngdüi lawki naw, ‘Ka na Sawluh aw, mdei law be a ti. Acunüng, hmu law be ngüse ka teng kyet.
Standing close to me, he said “Saul, my brother, recover your sight.” And then and there I recovered my sight and looked up at him.
14 Ani naw, ‘Mi pupaea Pamhnam naw, a hlüei na ksing khaia, ngsungpyunki Mpya na hmu khaia, a ngthu na ngjak khaia, ning xü pängki ni;
Then he said “The God of our ancestors has appointed you to learn his will, and to see the righteous one, and to hear words from his lips;
15 Na hmu ja na ngjaka ngthu cun khyang naküta veia ania phäh saksi khai.
for you will be a witness for him to all the world of what you have just seen and heard.
16 Ise na ve sawxatki ni? Tho law lü, Baptican khana. A veia na ktaiyü üng na mkhyekatnake ja kpyawta kya khai’ a ti.
And now why wait any longer, Be baptized at once, wash away your sins, and invoke his name.”
17 Jerusalema ka ceh be käna, temple k'uma ka ktaiyü k'um üng, mdangnak ka hmuhki,
After my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying one day in the Temple, I fell into a trance,
18 mdangnak üng Bawipa naw, ‘Angxita Jerusalem üngka naw cita; ka ngthu na sang vai ahin üng am ning ngja hlü ve u’ a ti cun ka khamei yahki.
and saw Jesus saying to me “Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.”
19 Kei naw, ‘Bawipa aw, sinakok naküta jumeiki naküt thawngim üng ja khyum lü, ka jah kpai khawi ksingkie;
“Lord,” I answered, “these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, in synagogue after synagogue, those who believed in you;
20 na saksi Stephena thisen ami hnim üng, kei pi a peia ngdüi hnga lü, a thih vai yüna lü, hnimki hea ami suisak ka na kpawmki’ ka ti.
and, when the blood of your martyr, Stephen, was being shed, I was myself standing by, approving of his death, and took charge of the clothes of those who were murdering him.”
21 Ani naw, ‘Cita, hin üngka naw athuknak, khyangmjükceea veia ning tüih veng’ a ti.
But Jesus said to me “Go; for I will send you to the Gentiles far away”.’
22 Acuna ngthu a pyen veia khyange naw ngai u lü; acunüng, angsanga ngpyang u lü, “Ceh ta ua! Hnim ua, xüng khaia am daw ve” ami ti.
Up to this point the people had been listening to Paul, but at these words they called out, ‘Kill him! A fellow like this ought not to have been allowed to live!’
23 Ngpyang u lü, ami suisake jah sut u lü, jah kha u lü, mput khan da phuh u se;
As they were shouting, tearing off their clothes, and throwing dust in the air,
24 acunüng, Romah yekap ngvai säih naw, Pawluh ise acukba ami pawh tia ksing hlü lü, “Yekapea venaka ceh u lü, kpai u lü ise Judahe acukba ngpyangkie ti cun kcet ua” ti lü a jah mtheh.
the commanding officer ordered Paul to be taken into the Fort, and directed that he should be examined under the lash so that he might find out the reason for their outcry against him.
25 Acunüng, khit u lü kpai u se, Pawluh naw, a peia ngdüikia yekap ngvai üng, “Romah khyang naki, am mkhyenak angsinga am ksing xa u lü nami kpai hin nglawiki aw?” a ti.
But just as they had tied him up to be scourged, Paul said to the centurion standing near, ‘Is it legal for you to scourge a Roman citizen, unconvicted?’
26 Acunüng, yekap ngvai naw, acun a ngjak ja, yekap ngvai säiha veia cit lü, “Na bi law cän ngaia, hin hin Romah khyanga kya ve” ti lü, a mtheh.
On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commanding officer. ‘Do you know what you are doing?’ he said. ‘This man is a Roman citizen.’
27 Acunüng, yekap ngvai säih naw law lü, a veia, “Romah, khyanga na kyaki aw? Na mtheha” a ti. Acunüng, ani naw, “Ä, kei Romah khyang ni” a ti.
So the commanding officer went up to Paul and said, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ ‘Yes,’ replied Paul.
28 Acunüng, yekap ngvai säih naw, “Romah khyanga ka kyanak vaia ngui khawha ka peki ni” ti lü, msang se, acunüng, Pawluh naw, “Kei cun Romah khyanga ka ngtüi lawki” a ti.
‘I had to pay a heavy price for my position as citizen,’ said the officer. ‘I am one by birth,’ rejoined Paul.
29 Acun ja kcet khaia bükie naw Pawluh cun angxita cehta u se; yekap ngvai säih naw pi, Romah khyang ni tia ksing lü, Romah khyang a khiha phäha aktäa kyühei lawki.
The men who were to have examined Paul immediately drew back, and the officer, finding that Paul was a Roman citizen, was alarmed at having put him in chains.
30 A ngawi üng, Judahe naw ise Pawluh ami hneng ti ksing hlü lü, yekap ngvai säih naw Pawluh cun xaki naw, ktaiyü ngvaie ja ngthumkhyahkie naküt jah ngbämsak lü, ani cun lawpüiki naw, ami hmaia a ngdüih lawsak.
On the next day the commanding officer, wishing to find out the real reason why Paul was denounced by the Jewish leaders, had his chains taken off, and directed the chief priests and the whole of the High Council to assemble, and then took Paul down and brought him before them.
