Sawltakte 24

1 Ni nga zawkciang in thiampi sang Ananias sia ulian te le thusungpa Tertullus taw tuaksuk khawm uh a, Tertullus in paul thu sia ngam ukpa kung ah son hi.

Five days afterwards the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders and a barrister named Tertullus. They laid an information with the Governor against Paul;

2 Taciang Paul a sap uh ciang in Tertullus in mawsiatna te en hi, taciang Felix kung ah, nangma hang in kilemna lianpi ka nei uh a, nong deisakna hang in phatna tampi nong vawtsak hi,

and, when the hearing came on, Tertullus began his speech for the prosecution.

3 Tua thu te sia a tawntung in mun tatuam ah lungdamna taw in ka na sang uh hi, maw thinsung phabel Felix.

‘We owe it to your Excellency,’ he said, ‘that we are enjoying profound peace, and we owe it to your foresight that this nation is constantly securing reforms – advantages which we very gratefully accept at all times and places.

4 Ahitazong, hun saupi hong nawngkaisak ngawl in a tomno kong son tu thu thinsautak in nong ngaisak natu in kong thum hi.

But – not to be tedious – I beg you, with your accustomed fairness, to listen to a brief statement of our case.

5 Banghangziam cile hisia pa sia ngual nawngkaisak, leitung theampo ah Judah mi theampo sung ah ki nialna a piangsak le Nazaren pawl te makaipa ka mu zo uh hi:

We have found this man a public pest; he is one who stirs up disputes among our people all the world over, and is a ringleader of the Nazarene heretics.

6 Ama sia biakinn ninsak tu in zong pai zo hi: ama ka man uh a, ka thukham uh bang in thu ka khen nuam uh hi.

He even attempted to desecrate the Temple itself, but we caught him;

7 Ahihang tulkhat uk ngalkap mangpa Lysias hongpai a, ka khutsung uh pan in hong lakkeaksak hi,

8 Ama a mawsiat te na kung ah hongpai tu in thupia hi: nangma vateak in thu dong le te kote i mawsiatna hi thu te a vekpi in na he tu hi, ci hi.

and you will be able, by examining him on all these points, to satisfy yourself as to the charges which we are bringing against him.’

9 Taciang Judah mite in zong hi thu te man hi, ci in thukim uh hi.

The Jewish crowd also joined in the attack and bore out his statements.

10 Pual sia ngam uk pa in thuson tu in a khut taw a lak zawkciang in, nangma sia hi minam tung ah kum tampi thukhen na hihi, ci ka heak ciang in lawptak in keima thu kong son tu hi:

On a sign from the Governor, Paul made this reply: ‘Knowing, as I do, for how many years you have acted as judge to this nation, it is with confidence that I undertake my own defence.

11 Jerusalem ah Pathian bia tu in ka pai sia ni sawm le ni ni hi zo hi, ci na he tu hi.

For you can easily verify that it is not more than twelve days ago that I went up to worship at Jerusalem,

12 Amate in biakinn sung ah midang taw thu ka ki nial hong mu ngawl hi, taciang synagogue le khuapi sung ah mipi te ka buaisak zong hong mu bua uh hi:

where my prosecutors never found me holding discussions with anyone, or causing a crowd to collect – either in the Temple, or in the synagogues, or about the city;

13 Tu in hong mawsiatna thu te sia amate in tetti lak tu a he bua uh hi.

and they cannot establish the charges which they are now making against me.

14 Ahihang hi thu sia na kung ah kong pualak hi, ka pu le pa te Pathian ka bia a, thukham le kamsang te sung ah a ki at theampo ka up hu in, amate in tua thu sia umkhial hi hong ci uh hi:

This, however, I do acknowledge to you, that it is as a believer in the Way which they call heretical, that I worship the God of my ancestors. At the same time, I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the prophets;

15 Taciang mi thutang le thutang ngawl kibang tek in mithi te thawkikna om tu hi, ci amate in lametna a nei uh bangma in, keima zong Pathian tung ah lametna ka nei hi.

and I have a hope that rests in God – a hope which they also cherish – that there will one day be a resurrection of good and bad alike.

16 Taciang Pathian le mihing tung ah ka sia le pha heak na thinsung thiangtho nei tu in ka hanciam theitawp in ka hanciam tawntung hi.

This being so, I strive at all times to keep my conscience clear before both God and people.

17 Tu in kum tampi zawkciang ka mipui te kung ah mizawng te hu na le piakna te keng in ka pai hi.

After some years’ absence I had come to bring charitable gifts to my nation, and to make offerings;

18 Biakinn sung ah thianthona ka vawt zawkciang in, Asia ngam pan hongpai Judah mite in hong mu a, mihonpi le buaina om ngawl hi.

and it was while engaged in this that they found me in the Temple, after completing a period of purification, but not with any crowd or disorder.

19 Asia ngam pan hongpai Judah mite in keima mawsiatna tu nei ahile amate vateak na mai ah hongpai tu kilawm hi.

There were, however, some Jews from Roman Asia who ought to have been here before you, and to have made any charge that they may have against me –

20 Ahibale, hi mun a om te in, na pha ngawl ka vawt hong mu le, sanhedrin te mai ah hong son tahen,

Or else let my opponents here say what they found wrong in me when I was before the Council,

21 Amate sung ah ka din laitak in ka au na aw khat, mithi te thawkikna thu simngawl, tu in nangma in thu dong tu in nong sap natu thu dang om ngawl hi, ci hi.

except as to the one sentence that I shouted out as I stood among them – “It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial before you today”.’

22 Felix in hi thu te a zakciang in, tua lampi thu heakna a cingzaw in nei ahikom a ni khin a, tulkhat uk ngalkap mangpa Lysias a thet ciang in, na thukhen kik tu khi hi, ci hi.

Felix, however, adjourned the case – though he had a fairly accurate knowledge of all that concerned the Way – with the promise, ‘When Lysias, the commanding officer, comes down, I will give my decision in your case.’

23 Taciang zakhat uk ngalkap mangpa kung ah, Paul keamcing tu le, a suaktatak in omsak tu ahizong, taciang ama khoi tu le a kung hongpai a lawm te kuama khak ngawl tu in thupia hi.

So he gave orders to the centurion in charge of Paul to keep him in custody, but to relax the regulations, and not to prevent any of his personal friends from attending to his wants.

24 Tua zawk a ngei ngawl in Felix a zi Drusilla taw hongpai hi, Drusilla sia Judah mi hi a, Paul sam in, Christ sung ah a upna thu te ngai hi.

Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and, sending for Paul, listened to what he had to say about faith in Christ Jesus.

25 Taciang Paul in thutang suana, kitekna le hong theng tu thukhenna thu te sonpui a, Felix sia lau in ling hi, taciang, tu in pai phot tan a, hun pha a om ciang in kong sam kik tu hi, ci in zo hi.

But, while Paul was speaking at length about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became terrified, and interrupted him – ‘Go for the present, but, when I find an opportunity, I will send for you again.’

26 Paul in a suatak thei natu in dangka hong pia tu hi, ci lamen ahikom Felix in Paul sia tu le tu in sam a, paupui tawntung hi.

He was hoping, too, for a bribe from Paul, and so he used to send for him frequently and talk with him.

27 Ahihang kum ni zawkciang in Porcius Festas sia Felix inndoi sung ah tum a: Judah mite lungkimsak tu dei ahikom, Felix in Paul sia pusua ngawl in thongsung ah nusia hi.

But, after the lapse of two years, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and, wishing to gain popularity with the Jewish leaders, he left Paul a prisoner.