Acts 26
1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
Nake Agiripa akĩĩra Paũlũ atĩrĩ, “Ũrĩ na rũũtha rwa kwĩyarĩrĩria.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Paũlũ agĩtambũrũkia guoko, akĩambĩrĩria kwĩyarĩrĩria, akiuga atĩrĩ,
2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
“Mũthamaki Agiripa, nĩngũigua ndĩ mũtĩĩku kũrũgama mbere yaku ũmũthĩ ndĩyarĩrĩrie igũrũ rĩa maũndũ mothe marĩa thitangĩirwo nĩ Ayahudi,
3 especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.
na makĩria nĩ tondũ wee nĩũũĩ mĩtugo yothe ya Ayahudi na maũndũ marĩa makararanagĩria. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩndakũhooya ũũthikĩrĩrie ũtegũthethũka.
4 Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem.
“Ayahudi othe nĩmooĩ ũrĩa ndũũrĩte kuuma ndĩ mwana, kuuma kĩambĩrĩria kĩa mũtũũrĩre wakwa ndĩ bũrũri-inĩ wakwa kĩũmbe, o na ndĩ Jerusalemu.
5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
Nĩmanjũũĩ hĩndĩ ndaaya, na mangĩenda, no maheane ũira wakwa, atĩ kũringana na watho ndaatũũrĩte ndĩ Mũfarisai, ndĩĩrutanĩirie na kĩyo kũrũmia maũndũ mothe ma ndini iitũ.
6 And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
Na rĩrĩ, ndũgamĩte haha ũmũthĩ njiirithio nĩ ũndũ wa kwĩrĩgĩrĩra kĩĩranĩro kĩrĩa Ngai eerĩire maithe maitũ.
7 the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to realize as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.
Kĩĩranĩro kĩu no kĩo mĩhĩrĩga ĩrĩa iitũ ikũmi na ĩĩrĩ ĩĩrĩgagĩrĩra kuona gĩkĩhingio, rĩrĩa ĩtungatagĩra Ngai na kĩyo ũtukũ na mũthenya. Na rĩrĩ, wee Mũthamaki, Ayahudi maathitangĩte nĩ ũndũ wa kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro kĩu.
8 Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ wanyu atue atĩ nĩ ũndũ ũtangĩĩtĩkio, atĩ Ngai nĩariũkagia arĩa akuũ?
9 So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
“O na niĩ nĩndaiguithĩtio atĩ nĩndagĩrĩirwo nĩ gwĩka ũrĩa wothe ingĩahotire ndegane na rĩĩtwa rĩa Jesũ wa Nazarethi.
10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.
Na ũguo nĩguo ndeekire kũu Jerusalemu. Ngĩikia andũ aingĩ a arĩa aamũre njeera, heetwo rũũtha nĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene, na rĩrĩa andũ acio mooragagwo, nĩndetĩkanagia na ituĩro rĩu.
11 I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
Mahinda maingĩ nĩndathiiaga kuuma thunagogi-inĩ ĩmwe nginya ĩrĩa ĩngĩ nĩgeetha ndĩmaneane maherithio, na ngageria kũmahatĩrĩria marume Ngai. Na tondũ wa ũrĩa ndaamarakarĩire mũno nĩndathiiaga kũmanyariira o na matũũra-inĩ marĩa manene ma kũngĩ.
12 In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
“Hĩndĩ ĩmwe ndĩ rũgendo-inĩ ta rũu-rĩ, ndaathiiaga Dameski heetwo ũhoti na ngatũmwo nĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene.
13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
Kũrĩ thaa thita cia mũthenya, wee Mũthamaki, ndĩ njĩra-inĩ ngĩona ũtheri mũnene woimĩte igũrũ ũkengete gũkĩra riũa, ũkĩnjarĩra mĩena yothe, niĩ na andũ arĩa twarĩ nao.
14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
Ithuothe tũkĩgũa thĩ, na niĩ ngĩigua mũgambo ũkĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ na rwario rwa Kĩhibirania, ‘Saũlũ, Saũlũ, ũũnyariiraga nĩkĩ? Nĩ ũndũ ũrĩ hinya harĩwe kũhũũra mĩcengi na haati.’
15 ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
“Na niĩ hĩndĩ ĩyo ngĩũria atĩrĩ, ‘Wee nĩwe ũ, Mwathani?’ “Nake Mwathani akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ niĩ Jesũ ũrĩa ũnyariiraga.
16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
Rĩu ũkĩra ũrũgame na magũrũ maku. Ndaakuumĩrĩra ngwamũre ũtuĩke ndungata na ũtuĩke mũira wa maũndũ marĩa wonete mangoniĩ na marĩa ngũkuonia.
17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
Nĩngũkũhonokia kuuma kũrĩ andũ anyu na kuuma kũrĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ arĩa ndĩragũtũma kũrĩ o,
18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
ũkamahingũre maitho, na ũmagarũre moime nduma-inĩ mathiĩ ũtheri-inĩ, na ũmarute hinya-inĩ wa Shaitani ũmatware kũrĩ Ngai, nĩgeetha maamũkĩre ũrekanĩri wa mehia, na magĩe na handũ gatagatĩ-inĩ ka andũ arĩa matheretio na ũndũ wa kũnjĩtĩkia.’
19 So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, Mũthamaki Agiripa, ndiigana kwaga gwathĩkĩra kĩoneki kĩu kĩoimĩte igũrũ.
20 First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
Ngĩambĩrĩria kũhunjĩria andũ arĩa maarĩ Dameski, ngĩcooka ngĩhunjĩria andũ a kũu Jerusalemu o na a Judea guothe, na andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ o nao. Ndaahunjagia atĩ nĩmagĩrĩirwo nĩ kwĩrira na magarũrũke kũrĩ Ngai, na moonanie kwĩrira kwao na ũndũ wa ciĩko ciao.
21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
Kĩu nĩkĩo gĩatũmire Ayahudi maanyiitĩre hekarũ-inĩ, na magerie kũnjũraga.
22 But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
No nĩngoretwo ndĩ na ũteithio wa Ngai nginya ũmũthĩ ũyũ, na nĩkĩo nũngiĩ haha nĩguo heane ũira kũrĩ andũ arĩa anini na arĩa anene o ũndũ ũmwe. Ndirĩ ũndũ njugaga makĩria ma ũrĩa anabii na Musa moigĩte atĩ nĩũgekĩka,
23 that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
atĩ Kristũ nĩakanyariirwo, na atuĩke wa mbere kũriũka kuuma kũrĩ arĩa akuũ, nĩguo ahunjie ũhoro wa ũtheri kũrĩ andũ aake kĩũmbe o na kũrĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ.”
24 At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
Fesito aigua ũguo, akĩmũgũthũkĩra akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee Paũlũ nĩkũgũrũka ũgũrũkĩte! Gĩthomo kĩu gĩaku kĩingĩ nĩgĩtũmĩte ũgũrũke.”
25 But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.
Nake Paũlũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ mũgaathe Fesito, niĩ ndigũrũkĩte. Ũndũ ũrĩa ndĩroiga nĩ wa ma na ti ũgũrũki.
26 For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
Mũthamaki nĩoĩ maũndũ maya, na no ndĩmwarĩrie itegwĩtigĩra. Nĩ njũũĩ atĩ gũtirĩ ũndũ o na ũmwe wa maũndũ maya aagĩte kũmenya, tondũ matiekĩirwo hitho-inĩ.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
Mũthamaki Agiripa, wee nĩwĩtĩkĩtie anabii? Nĩnjũũĩ atĩ nĩũmetĩkĩtie.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”
Hĩndĩ ĩyo Agiripa akĩũria Paũlũ atĩrĩ, “Nĩũgwĩciiria atĩ kahinda-inĩ kanini ũguo no ũnjiguithie nduĩke Mũkristiano?”
29 “Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”
Nake Paũlũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “kahinda kanyiihe kana karaihe, ndĩrahooya Ngai atĩ to wee wiki, no o na andũ aya angĩ othe maraathikĩrĩria ũmũthĩ, ndenda matuĩke ta niĩ, tiga o mĩnyororo ĩno.”
30 Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.
Mũthamaki ũcio agĩũkĩra marĩ hamwe na barũthi, na Berinike, na andũ arĩa maikarĩte hamwe nao.
31 On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
Makiuma nyũmba ĩyo, na rĩrĩa maaranagĩria, makiuga atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ũyũ ndarĩ ũndũ ekĩte wa gũtũma ooragwo kana ohwo.”
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Agiripa akĩĩra Fesito atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ũyũ nĩangĩarekererio korwo ndaracooketie ciira riiko kũrĩ Kaisari.”
