Acts 22
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
“Ariũ a Baba, o na inyuĩ maithe makwa, thikĩrĩriai ngĩĩyarĩrĩria.”
2 When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared,
Rĩrĩa maaiguire akĩmaarĩria na rũthiomi rwa Kĩhibirania-rĩ, magĩkira ki. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Paũlũ akiuga atĩrĩ,
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I am just as zealous for God as any of you here today.
“Niĩ ndĩ Mũyahudi, wa gũciarĩrwo Tariso itũũra rĩa bũrũri wa Kilikia, no ndaarereirwo itũũra-inĩ rĩĩrĩ. Nĩndathomithirio wega nĩ Gamalieli ũhoro wa watho wa maithe maitũ, na ndaarĩ na kĩyo kĩa maũndũ ma Ngai o ta ũrĩa inyuĩ inyuothe mũtariĩ ũmũthĩ.
4 I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
Nĩndanyariiraga arũmĩrĩri a Njĩra ĩno o nginya magakua na nganyiita arũme na andũ-a-nja ngamaikia njeera,
5 as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.
o ta ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene na Kĩama gĩothe gĩa athuuri o nao mangĩheana ũira ũcio. O na nĩmaheire marũa ndwarĩre andũ ao kũu Dameski, na niĩ ngĩthiĩ kuo nganyiite andũ acio ndĩmarehe Jerusalemu nĩguo maherithio.
6 About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
“Ta thaa thita ndĩ hakuhĩ gũkinya Dameski-rĩ, o rĩmwe gũkĩgĩa ũtheri mũnene woimire igũrũ, naguo ũkĩnjarĩra mĩena yothe.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
Ngĩgwa thĩ, na ngĩigua mũgambo mũnene ũkĩnjarĩria, ũkĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Saũlũ! Saũlũ! Ũũnyariiraga nĩkĩ?’
8 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
“Na niĩ ngĩũria atĩrĩ, ‘Wee nĩ we ũ, Mwathani?’ “Nake akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ niĩ Jesũ wa Nazarethi, ũrĩa ũranyariira.’
9 My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
Nao andũ arĩa twarĩ nao nĩmoonire ũtheri ũcio, no matiataũkĩirwo nĩ mũgambo wa ũcio wanjaragĩria.
10 Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’
“Na niĩ ngĩũria atĩrĩ, ‘Mwathani ngwĩka atĩa?’ “Nake Mwathani akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ũkĩra ũtoonye Dameski. Kũu nĩkuo ũrĩĩrĩrwo maũndũ marĩa mothe wathĩrĩirwo gwĩka.’
11 Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
Na rĩrĩ, andũ arĩa twarĩ nao makĩĩnyiita guoko makĩndwara Dameski, tondũ ũkengu wa ũtheri ũcio nĩwanduĩte mũtumumu.
12 There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
“Mũndũ wetagwo Anania nĩookire kũnyona, na aarĩ mũndũ weamũrĩire Ngai na ũndũ wa kũrũmia watho, na nĩaheetwo gĩtĩĩo nĩ Ayahudi othe arĩa maatũũraga kũu.
13 came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.
Agĩũka na akĩrũgama hakuhĩ na niĩ akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Mũrũ wa ithe witũ Saũlũ, cooka kuona!’ Na hĩndĩ o ro ĩyo ngĩhota kũmuona.
14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice.
“Agĩcooka akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ngai wa maithe maitũ nĩagũthuurĩte nĩguo ũmenye wendi wake na wone Ũrĩa Mũthingu, o na ũigue ciugo kuuma kanua gake.
15 You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
Nĩũgũtuĩka mũira wake kũrĩ andũ othe wa kũmoimbũrĩra ũrĩa wonete na ũrĩa ũiguĩte.
16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
Rĩu nĩ kĩĩ wetereire? Ũkĩra, ũbatithio na ũthambio mehia maku, ũgĩkayagĩra rĩĩtwa rĩake.’
17 Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
“Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndaacookire Jerusalemu, ndĩ hekarũ-inĩ ngĩhooya nĩndagĩire na iringi,
18 and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’
ngĩkĩona Mwathani akĩaria, nake akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ũkĩra narua uume Jerusalemu, tondũ matiigwĩtĩkĩra kumbũrĩrwo ũhoro wakwa nĩwe.’
19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
“Na niĩ ngĩcookia atĩrĩ, ‘Mwathani, andũ aya nĩmooĩ atĩ ndoimaga thunagogi ĩmwe ngathiĩ ĩrĩa ĩngĩ nĩguo nyiitithie na hũũre andũ arĩa magwĩtĩkĩtie.
20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’
Na rĩrĩa Stefano mũira waku aaitirwo thakame, ndaarũngiĩ ho ngĩĩtĩkĩra ũndũ ũcio wĩkwo, na ngaikaria nguo cia andũ arĩa maamũũragire.’
21 Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
“Nake Mwathani akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Thiĩ, tondũ nĩngũgũtũma kũndũ kũraya kwa andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ.’”
22 The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”
Kĩrĩndĩ kĩu gĩgĩthikĩrĩria Paũlũ o nginya rĩrĩa oigire ũguo. Hĩndĩ ĩyo gĩkĩaria na mũgambo mũnene kĩanĩrĩire, atĩrĩ, “Mweheriei thĩ! Ndagĩrĩirwo nĩgũtũũra muoyo!”
23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
Na rĩrĩa kĩanagĩrĩra gĩgĩteaga nguo ciakĩo na gĩkĩũmbũraga rũkũngũ,
24 the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.
mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ agĩathana Paũlũ aingĩrio nyũmba ya thigari. Ningĩ agĩathana atĩ Paũlũ ahũũrwo iboko na orio ciũria nĩguo kũmenyeke kĩrĩa gĩatũmaga andũ mamugĩrĩrie ũguo.
25 But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”
Na rĩrĩa maamũkomagia mamũhũũre-rĩ, Paũlũ akĩũria mũnene ũcio wa thigari igana rĩmwe warũngiĩ hau atĩrĩ, “Watho nĩwĩtĩkĩrĩtie mũhũũre raiya wa Roma na kĩboko atanyiitĩkanĩte na ihĩtia?”
26 On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”
Rĩrĩa mũnene ũcio wa thigari igana rĩmwe aaiguire ũguo, agĩthiĩ kũrĩ mũnene wa mbũtũ, akĩmũhe ũhoro ũcio. Nake akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ũgwĩka atĩa? Mũndũ ũyũ nĩ raiya wa Roma.”
27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
Mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ agĩthiĩ kũrĩ Paũlũ, akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ta njĩĩra atĩrĩ, wee ũrĩ raiya wa Roma?” Nake akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ, ndĩ raiya wa Roma.”
28 “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
Nake mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ndarĩhire thogora mũnene nĩgeetha nduĩke raiya wa Roma.” Nake Paũlũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “No niĩ ndaaciarirwo ndĩ raiya wa Roma.”
29 Then those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.
Nao andũ arĩa meendaga kũmũũria ciũria magĩtigana nake o rĩmwe. Mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ we mwene akĩmaka aamenya atĩ nĩoheete Paũlũ na mĩnyororo, na aarĩ raiya wa Roma.
30 The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
Mũthenya ũcio ũngĩ warũmĩrĩire, nĩgũkorwo mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ nĩeendaga kũmenya wega kĩrĩa Ayahudi maathitangagĩra Paũlũ, akĩmuohora na agĩathana athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene na athuuri othe a Kĩama magomane. Agĩcooka akĩrehe Paũlũ, na akĩmũrũgamia mbere yao.
