Acts 22

1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”

“Bagaetsho le borara ntheetsang fa ke bolela boiphemelo jwa me.”

2 When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared,

(Erile fa ba utlwa a bua Sehebera, ga nna tidimalo e kgolo).

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.

A ba raya a re, “Ke Mojuta, yo o tsaletsweng kwa Tareso, motse o o mo Kilikia, mme ke ithutile fano mo Jerusalema mo go Gamaliele yo ke ithutileng mo go ene go sala morago sentle melao le dingwao tsa Sejuta. Ke ne ka tlhoafalela go tlotla Modimo mo go sengwe le sengwe se ke neng ke se dira, fela jaaka lo lekile go dira gompieno.

4 I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,

Mme ke ne ke bogisa Bakeresete, ke ba beletsa go swa, ke bofa banna le basadi ke ba tsenya mo kgolegelong.

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.

Moperesiti yo mogolo kgotsa mongwe wa bagolwane o ka ntshupela. Gonne ke ne ka kopa tetlelelo ya dikwalo tse di yang kwa baeteledipeleng ba Sejuta ba ba kwa Damaseko, tse di nang le ditaelo go ntetla go bofa Bakeresete bangwe ba ke ba bonang go ba isa kwa Jerusalema gore ba otlhaiwe.

6 About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.

“Mme erile ke le mo tseleng, ke le gaufi le Damaseko, go le motshegare, ka tshoganetso lesedi le le galalelang thata le tswa legodimong la phatshima mo tikologong ya me.

7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

Ke ne ka wela fa fatshe mme ka utlwa lentswe le nthaya le re, ‘Saulo, Saulo, o mpogisetsang?’

8 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.

“Mme ke ne ka re, ‘Ke mang yo o buang le nna Morena?’ Mme a fetola a re ‘Ke nna Jesu wa Nasaretha, yo o mmogisang!’

9 My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

Banna ba ke neng ke na nabo ba ne ba bona lesedi mme ba ne ba sa tlhaloganye se se neng se buiwa.

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.’

“Mme ke ne ka re, ‘Ke direng Morena?’ Mme Morena o ne a nthaya a re, ‘Tsoga o tsene mo Damaseko, mme koo o tlaa bolelelwa se se go letetseng mo dingwageng tse di kwa pele.’

11 Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.

Ke ne ka foufadiwa ke lesedi le legolo, mme ka tshwanelwa ke go gogelwa mo Damaseko ke bapati ba me.

12 There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,

Mme koo ga bo go na le monna yo o bidiwang Ananiase, monna yo o neng a boifa Modimo ka fa molaong, a bile a bolelwa bo-molemo ke Bajuta botlhe ba Damaseko,

13 came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

o ne a tla kwa go nna, mme ya re a eme fa thoko ga me a re, ‘Mokaulengwe Paulo, foufologa!’ Mme ka yone nako eo ka foufologa ka mmona!

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.

“Mme a nthaya a re, ‘Modimo wa borraa rona o go tlhophile go itse go rata ga One le go bona Mesia le go mo utlwa a bua.

15 You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.

Mme o tshwanetse go tsamaisa molaetsa wa gagwe gongwe le gongwe, o bolela se o se bonyeng le se o se utlwileng.

16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’

Mme jaanong o diegelang? Tsamaya o ye go kolobediwa, o bo o tlhatswiwe mo dibeng tsa gago, o bitse leina la Morena.’

17 Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance

“Mme erile letsatsi lengwe ke sena go boela kwa Jerusalema, fa ke santse ke rapela mo Tempeleng, ka nna jaaka ekete ke a lora mme ka bona ponatshegelo ya Modimo o nthaya o re, ‘Akofa! Tswa mo Jerusalema, gonne batho ba ba fano ga ba na go go dumela fa o ba neela molaetsa wa me.’

18 and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’

19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.

Mme ka re, ‘Morena, ba itse sentle gore ke ne ka betsa ka bo ka tsenya mo kgolegelong ba ba neng ba dumela mo go wena, mo tlung ya thuto nngwe le nngwe.

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.’

Le ka nako e mosupi wa gago Setefane o neng a bolawa ka yone, ke ne ke eme teng foo ke dumalana nabo, ke tshotse diaparo tse ba neng ba di beetse fa thoko fa ba mmolaya.’

21 Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Mme Modimo o ne wa nthaya wa re, ‘Tswa mo Jerusalema, gonne ke tlaa go roma kgakala kwa go Badichaba!’”

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!”

Mme boidiidi jwa batho bo ne jwa reetsa go fitlhelela Paulo a tla mo lefokong leo, mme ka lentswe le le lengwe ba goa ba re, “A motho yoo a tlosiwe! Mmolaeng! Ga a tshwanela go tshela!”

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

Ba ne ba goa ba latlhela diaparo tsa bone kwa godimo ba kubuela lorole.

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.

Mme molaodi o ne a mo tlisa mo teng ga kago ya batlhabani mme a laola gore a itewe ka dithupa gore a tle a ipolele bosula jwa gagwe. O ne a batla go itse gore ke eng fa batho ba ne ba galefa thata!

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?”

Mme ya re ba bofa Paulo gore ba mmetse, Paulo a raya moeteledipele mongwe wa mophato a re, “A go siame ka molao gore o betse Mo-Roma a ise a bo a sekisiwe?”

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.”

Moeteledipele wa mophato a ya kwa go molaodi le ene a re, “O dirang? Monna yo ke Mo-Roma!”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.

Mme molaodi a ya kwa go Paulo a mmotsa a re, “A ko o mpolelele, a o Mo-Roma!” Mme Paulo a fetola a re, “Ee, ke Mo-Roma!”

28 “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

Mme molaodi le ene a re, “Le nna ke Mo-Roma, le gone go ntopile tlhwatlhwa e kgolo go nna Mo-Roma!” Mme Paulo ene a re, “Nna ke tsetswe ke le Mo-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.

Masole a a neng a ipaakanyeditse go mo itaya, a nyelela ka bonako fa ba utlwa gore Paulo ke Mo-Roma, mme molaodi le ene o ne a tshoga ka gore o ne a laotse gore a bofiwe a bo a itewe.

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.

Mme erile letsatsi le le latelang molaodi a golola Paulo mo dikeetaneng mme a laela baperesiti ba bagolo gore ba kopane le lekgotla la Sejuta. O ne a laola gore Paulo a tlisiwe fa pele ga bone go leka go bona gore molato ke eng.