Acts 22
1 Paul said, “[Jewish] elders and my other fellow Jews, listen to me now while I reply to [those who are accusing me]!”
“Ka hlang rhoek, manuca rhoek neh a pa rhoek, tahae ah nangmih taengkah ka olthungnah he hnatun uh lah,” a ti nah.
2 When the crowd of people heard Paul speaking to them in [their own] Hebrew language, they became even more quiet and really listened. Then Paul said to them,
Hebrew ol la amih a voek te a yaak uh vaengah kammueh la taoe om uh.
3 “I am a Jew, [as are all of you]. I was born in Tarsus [city], in Cilicia [province], but I grew up here in Jerusalem. [When I was young, for many years] I studied the laws [that Moses gave to our ancestors]. I was taught by [the famous teacher] Gamaliel [MTY] {[The famous teacher] Gamaliel taught [MTY] me}. [I have] carefully [obeyed those laws, because] I have wanted to obey God. I [am sure that] many of you also carefully obey [those laws].
Te vaengah, “Kai he Judah hlang ni. Kilikia Tarsus ah ka thaang tih hekah kho ah n'cun. Gamaliel kho kung ah a pacut rhoek kah olkhueng a khuicaeng te ka cang. Tihnin ah boeih na om uh vanbangla Pathen ham khaw aka hmae la ka om.
4 [That is why] I previously persecuted those who believe the message [that people call] the Way [that Jesus taught. I continually looked for ways] to kill [them. Whenever I found] men or women [who believed that message], I [commanded that] they should be seized and thrown {[people to] seize them and throw them} into jail.
Tekah a longpuei kongah ni kai loh dueknah neh hlang ka hnaemtaek. Huta tongpa khaw thongim khuila ka uup tih ka hlak.
5 The supreme priest knows this, and so do the [other respected men who belong to our Jewish] Council. They gave me letters to [take to] their fellow Jews in Damascus [city. By means of those letters, they authorized me to] go to there and find people who believed in [Jesus. They had written in the letters that I was to bring those people] as prisoners to Jerusalem, so that they would be punished here {[the leaders here] could punish them}. [So I went on my way to Damascus].
Khosoihham neh kangham boeih long pataeng kai taengah pai uh. Amih kah capat khaw ka doe tih Damasku kah manuca taengla ka cet. Tekah aka om rhoek te khaw pin tih Jerusalem la thak phoeiah tholhphu paek ham ka cai.
6 About noon, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.
Ka cet tih Damasku pha tom kah khothun tluk ah vaan lamkah vangnah loh ka kaepvai ah phaeng a tue tih buengrhuet ha thoeng.
7 [The light was so bright that] I fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice [of someone] speaking to me [from up in the sky. The one who was speaking to me said], ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you [(sg)] do things to harm me?’
Te vaengah diklai la ka bung hatah ol pakhat ka yaak tih kai te, 'Saul, Saul, balae tih kai nan hnaemtaek?' a ti.
8 I answered, ‘Who are you?’ He replied, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth. I [am the one] whom you [(sg)] are harming [by doing things to harm my followers].’
Te vaengah kai loh, 'Nang unim Boeipa?' ka ti nah. Te daengah kai taengah, 'Kai tah nang loh na hnaemtaek Nazareth Jesuh ni,’ a ti.
9 The men who were [traveling] with me saw the [very bright] light, [and they heard a voice], but they did not understand what the voice said to me.
Te vaengah kai taengkah aka om rhoek loh vangnah te a hmuh uh dae kai taengah a thui ol te ya uh pawh.
10 Then I asked, ‘Lord, what [do you want] me to do?’ The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus! [A man] there will tell you [(sg)] all that I have planned for you to do.’
Te dongah, “Balae ka saii eh Boeipa, “ka ti nah hatah, Boeipa loh kai taengah, “Thoo lamtah Damasku la cet laeh. Na saii ham koi a hmoel boeih te nang taengah pahoi a thui bitni,” a ti.
11 [After that, I could not see], because the [very bright] light had caused me to become blind. So my companions took me by the hand and led me until [we(exc) arrived] in Damascus.
Tedae te thangpomnah kah vangnah lamloh kho ka hmuh voel pawt tih kai aka puei rhoek loh m'mawt daengah Damasku te ka pha.
12 [A couple of days] later, a man whose name was Ananias came to [see] me. He was a man who [greatly respected God and] carefully obeyed [our Jewish] laws. All the Jews living in Damascus said good things about him.
Te vaengah olkhueng bangla aka cuep hlang pakhat, Judah tolvael boeih loh a oep Ananias ana om.
13 He came and stood beside me and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see [again]!’ Instantly I could see! I saw Ananias [standing there beside me].
Ka taengla halo vaengah ka taengah pai tih, ‘Ka manuca Saul, kho hmu laeh,’ n'ti nah. Amah te tue vaengah anih taengla ka oeloe.
14 Then he said: ‘The God whom [we(inc) worship and] whom our ancestors [worshipped] has chosen you and will show you what he wants [you to do. He has allowed you] to see the righteous one, [the Messiah], and you have heard him speaking [to you].
Te phoeiah, “A kongaih ming sak ham neh a dueng la hmuh sak ham, a ka lamkah a ol te yaak sak ham a pa rhoek kah Pathen loh nang n'coelh coeng.
15 He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard [from him].
Te dongah na hmuh tih na yaak te hlang boeih taengah Boeipa kah laipai la na om ni.
16 So now (do not delay!/why delay?) [RHQ] Stand up, let [me] baptize you, and by praying to the Lord [Jesus ask God] to forgive you [(sg)] for your sins!’”
Tahae ah balae na cai thil. Thoo lamtah nuem uh laeh, amah ming te phoei lamtah na tholh te sil laeh,” a ti.
17 “Later, I returned to Jerusalem. [One day] I went to the Temple courtyard. While I was praying there, I saw a vision [in which]
Tedae Jerusalem la ka bal tih bawkim ah ka thangthui ham ka om vaengah mueimang la ha thoeng.
18 I saw the Lord speaking to me. He said to me, ‘[Do not stay here]! Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people [here] will not (believe/listen to) what you [(sg)] tell [them] about me!’
Te vaengah amah te ka hmuh tih kai taengah, “Jerusalem lamloh thamaa la nong ham mah rhingda laeh. Ka olphong kawng dongah nang n'doe uh hae mahpawh,” a ti.
19 But I [protested and] said to him, ‘Lord, they know that I went to many of our meeting houses looking for people who believe in you. I was putting in jail those [whom I found] who believed in you, and I was even beating them.
Kai khaw, “Boeipa, nang aka tangnah rhoek te tunim tom ah aka tam tih aka khoh la ka om te amamih loh m'hmat uh coeng.
20 [They remember that] when Stephen was killed [MTY] {when people killed [MTY] Stephen} because he told people about you, I stood there [watching it all] and approving [what they were doing]. I [even] guarded the outer garments that those who were murdering him [had thrown aside. So if I stay here, the fact that I have changed how I think about you will surely impress those leaders of our people].’
Na laipai Stephen kah thii a bo vaengah khaw kamah ka om van dongah ka pai tih ka parhoih van. Te vaengah anih aka ngawn rhoek kah himbai te ka khoem pah, “ka ti nah.
21 But the Lord said to me, ‘No, [do not stay here]! Leave [Jerusalem, because] I am going to send you [(sg)] far away [from here] to non-Jewish people!’”
Te vaengah kai taengah, 'Cet laeh, nang te kamah loh namtom rhoek taengah khohla la kan tueih ni, ' a ti,” a ti nah.
22 The people listened [quietly] to what Paul was saying until [he mentioned the Lord sending him to non-Jewish people]. Then they began shouting [angrily], “Kill him! [He does not deserve to live any longer]!” [They said that because they could not believe that God would save anyone except Jews].
Tekah olka hil pataeng a yaak uh dae a ol a huel uh tih, “Hebang he diklai lamloh khoe laeh. A hing khaw a koih moenih,” a ti uh.
23 While they continued shouting, [“Kill him!”] they took off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, [which showed how angry they were].
Te phoeiah amih te a pang uh doela a himbai a pit uh tih yilh dongah laipi a haeh uh.
24 So the commander [commanded] that Paul be taken {[soldiers] to take Paul} into the barracks. He told [the soldiers] that they should strike Paul with a whip [that had pieces of bone/metal on the end of it], in order to make him tell what he had done that made the Jews shout so angrily. [So the soldiers took Paul into the barracks].
Te vaengah Paul te rhalkap im khuila khuen ham rhalboeipa loh ol a paek. Balae a paelnaehnah tih anih a o uh te khaw ming ham Paul te nganboh neh loepdak saeh,” a ti nah.
25 Then they stretched his arms out [and tied them] so that they could whip him [on his back. But] Paul said to the officer who was standing nearby [watching], “[You(sg) should think carefully about this]! You will certainly be [RHQ] acting unlawfully if you whip me, a Roman [citizen whom] no [one has put on trial and] condemned!”
Tedae anih te rhuihet neh a yueng thil hatah rhalboei aka pai te Paul loh, “Roman hlang he longli-lungla maila tam ham atah nangmih ham thuem a? a ti nah.
26 When the officer heard that, he went to the commander and reported it to him. He said [to the commander], “This man is a Roman [citizen] (Surely you would not [command us to whip him]!/Do you really want [us to whip him]?) [RHQ]”
A yaak vaengah rhalboeipa te rhalboei loh a paan tih a puen pah. Te vaengah, “Roman hlang la a om dongah metlamlae saii ham na cai,” a ti nah.
27 The commander [was surprised when he heard that. He himself] went [into the barracks] and said to Paul, “Tell me, are you [(sg) really] a Roman [citizen]?” Paul answered, “Yes, I [am].”
Te daengah Paul te rhalboeipa loh ham paan tih, “Nang he Roman tang a? Kai taengah thui lah,” a ti nah. Te dongah Paul loh, “Ue,” a ti nah.
28 Then the commander said, “[I am also a Roman citizen]. I paid a lot of money to become a [Roman] citizen.” Paul said, “But I was born a [Roman] citizen, [so I did not need to pay anything].”
Te vaengah rhalboeipa loh, “Kai tah a cului muep daengah ni khokung khomah te khaw ka kaelh pueng he,” a ti nah. Te phoeiah Paul loh, “Kai ngawn tah he kah aka om,” a ti nah.
29 The soldiers [were about to whip Paul and to ask him questions about what he had done. But when they heard what Paul said, they] left him immediately. The commander also became afraid, because he realized that Paul was a Roman [citizen] and that he had [illegally commanded soldiers to] tie up Paul’s [hands].
Te dongah anih loepdak ham aka om rhoek loh a taeng lamkah vawl khoe uh. Te phoeiah pin la aka om Paul te Roman hlang ni tila a ming dongah rhalboeipa long khaw a rhih sut.
30 [The commander still] wanted to know exactly why the Jews were accusing Paul. So the next day he [told the soldiers to] take the chains off Paul. He also summoned the chief priests and the [other Jewish] Council [members]. Then he took Paul [to where the Council was meeting] and [commanded] him to stand before them.
Tedae a vuen ah Judah rhoek loh ba a paelnaeh khaw a thuem la ming ham a ngaih dongah Paul te a hlah tih, khosoihham rhoek neh khoboei boeih tingtun ham ol a paek. Te phoeiah Paul te a khuen tih amih hmaiah a pai sak.
