Acts 26
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You [(sg)] are permitted [now] to speak [to defend] yourself.” Paul stretched out his hand ([dramatically/to salute the king]) and began to defend himself. He said,
Agripa gwara Pọl, “Ị nwere ike i kwuru ọnụ gị.” Mgbe ahụ, Pọl gbasara aka ya abụọ bido ikwu okwu ịgọrọ onwe ya,
2 “King Agrippa, I consider that I am fortunate that today, while you [(sg)] listen, I can defend myself from all the things about which the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] are accusing me.
“Ana m agụ onwe m dịka onye nwere ihuọma, eze Agripa, inwe ohere ọma dị otu a, ịzara ọnụ m nʼihu gị nʼihe niile metụtara ebubo ndị Juu na-ebo m.
3 I am really fortunate, because you [(sg)] know all about the customs of us Jews and the questions that we [(exc)] argue about. So I ask you, please listen patiently to what I say.”
Nke ka nke, amatara m na omenaala ndị Juu na ịrụ ụka metụtara iwu ha doro gị anya. Biko ana m arịọ gị ka i jiri ndidi gee m ntị.
4 “Many [HYP] of my fellow Jews know about how I have conducted my life, from the time I was a child. They know how I lived in the area where I [was born] and [also later] in Jerusalem.
“Ndị Juu niile maara ibi ndụ m site na nwata m. Ha makwa site na mbụ, otu m si bie ndụ m niile nʼobodo nke m, nakwa nʼime Jerusalem.
5 They have known for many years, and they could tell you, if they wanted to, that [since I was very young] I obeyed the customs of our religion very carefully, just like the [other] Pharisees do.
Ha matara kemgbe ogologo oge, ha ga-agbakwa ama, ma ọ bụrụ na ha chọrọ ikwu eziokwu, na site na mbụ e biri m ndụ dịka otu onye so nʼime otu ahụ nke iwu ya dị ike karịchasịa nʼime okpukpe ndị Juu, nke bụ otu ndị Farisii.
6 Today I am being put on trial {[they] are putting me on trial} because I am confidently expecting that God will do what he promised our [(exc)] ancestors.
Ma ugbu a, a na-ekpe m ikpe nʼihi na enwere m olileanya na nkwa ahụ Chineke kwere nna nna anyị ochie ha.
7 Our twelve tribes are [also] confidently waiting for God to do [for us what he promised], as they respectfully worship him, day and night. [Respected] king, I confidently expect [that God will do what he promised, and they also believe that! But that is the reason] that these Jewish leaders [SYN] are accusing me!
Nkwa nke ebo iri na abụọ niile na-ele anya ịnata mgbe ha na-efe ofufe ehihie na abalị. Eze Agripa, ọ bụ nʼihi olileanya a, gị onye a na-asọpụrụ, ka ndị Juu ji na-ebo m ebubo.
8 They believe that God can cause those who have died to become alive again, so (why [do any of you refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead?/none of you should refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead!]) [RHQ]”
Gịnị mere unu jiri na-eche na ọ rara Chineke ahụ ime ka ndị nwụrụ anwụ site nʼọnwụ bilie?
9 “[Formerly] I, too, was sure that I should do everything that I could to oppose Jesus [MTY], the man from Nazareth [town].
“Na mbụ, anara m eche na apụrụ m imeso aha Jisọs onye Nazaret mmeso ọjọọ niile.
10 So that is what I did [when I lived] in Jerusalem. I put many of the believers in jail, as the chief priests there had authorized me [to do]. When [the Jewish leaders wanted] those Christians killed {someone to kill those [Christians]}, I voted [for that].
Otu a ka m mere na Jerusalem. Ọ bụghị naanị na m natara ikike nʼaka ndịisi nchụaja jiri ya kpọchie ọtụtụ ndị nsọ nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, ewelikwara m aka elu nʼoge a na-ama ha ikpe ọnwụ.
11 Many times I punished the believers [whom I found] in Jewish meeting places. [By punishing them], I tried to force them to speak evil [about Jesus]. I was so angry with the followers of Jesus that I even traveled to other cities to [find them and] do things to harm them.”
Ọtụtụ mgbe ka m hụrụ na a tara ha ahụhụ nʼụlọ nzukọ niile. Agbalịrị m ịkwagide ha ka ha kwuo arụ ma kwutọkwa okwukwe ha. Nʼihi na iwe m dị ọkụ megide ha, esogburu m ha nʼobodo dị iche iche nke na-abụghị obodo ndị Juu.
12 “[One day], I was on my way to Damascus [city] to do that. The chief priests [in Jerusalem] had authorized and sent me [to seize the believers there].
“Nʼihi nke a, a gara m Damaskọs site nʼikike na nkwenye nke ndịisi nchụaja. Anatakwara m ike nʼaka ndịisi nchụaja.
13 [My respected] king, [while I was going] along the road, at about noon I saw a [bright] light in the sky. It was even brighter than the sun! It shone all around me, and also around the men who were traveling with me.
Nʼoge ehihie, eze Agripa, mgbe mụ na ndị otu m na-aga nʼụzọ, gị onye a na-asọpụrụ, ka m hụrụ ìhè nke na-acha karịa anyanwụ ka o si nʼeluigwe chaa m na ndị mụ na ha so gburugburu.
14 We [(exc)] all fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking to me in my own Hebrew language [MTY]. He said ‘Saul, Saul, (stop causing me to suffer!/why are you causing me to suffer?) [RHQ] You [(sg)] are [hurting yourself by trying to hurt me] [MET], [like an ox] kicking against [its owner’s] goad.’
Anyị niile dara nʼala. Ma anụrụ m olu gwara m okwu nʼasụsụ Hibru, ‘Sọl! Sọl! Gịnị mere i ji na-akpagbu m? Ị na-emerụ onwe gị ahụ site nʼịkpọ ụkwụ na ndụdụ e ji achị ehi.’
15 Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘I am Jesus. You [(sg)] are harming me [by harming my followers].
“Asịrị m, ‘Ị bụ onye, Onyenwe anyị?’ “Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘Abụ m Jisọs onye ị na-akpagbu.
16 But instead [of continuing to do that], stand up now! I have appeared to you [(sg)] to tell you that I have chosen you to serve me. You must tell people about [what I am showing you] as you are seeing me [now], and about what I [will show you when] I will [later] appear to you.
Ugbu a, bilie, kwụrụ ọtọ! Nʼihi na-emere m ka ị hụ m anya, ka m họpụta gị ka ị bụrụ onyeozi m na onye akaebe m. Ị ga-emekwa ka ụwa niile mara ihe banyere nzute a i zutere m taa, na ọtụtụ mgbe ọzọ m ga-ezute gị.
17 I will protect you [from those who will try to harm you, both] your own people and [also] those who are not Jewish. I am sending you to non-Jews
Aga m azọpụta gị site nʼaka ndị nke gị na sitekwa nʼaka ndị mba ọzọ, ndị m na-eziga gị ka i jekwuru.
18 to help them to realize [MTY] what is true and to stop believing what is false [MET]. I am sending you to them so that they may let God control them and not let Satan control them any more. [Then God] will forgive their sins and will accept them as his people because they believe in me.’ [That is what Jesus said to me].”
Imeghe anya ha mee ka ha si nʼọchịchịrị lọghachi banye nʼìhè, sikwa nʼike nke ekwensu lọghachikwute Chineke. Ka ha site nʼokwukwe ha nwere nʼebe m nọ nata mgbaghara mmehie ha, ketakwa oke ahụ dị ngọzị nʼetiti ndị e doro nsọ.’
19 “So, King Agrippa, I fully obeyed [LIT] what [the Lord Jesus told me to do when he spoke to me] from heaven.
“Ya mere, eze Agripa, enupughị m isi nʼọhụ nke eluigwe ahụ.
20 First, I preached to [the Jews] in Damascus. Then I [preached to the Jews] in Jerusalem and throughout [the rest of] Judea [province]. After that, I also preached to non-Jews. I preached that they must turn away from their sinful behavior and turn their lives over to God. I told them that they must do things that would show that they had truly stopped their sinful behavior.”
Ebidoro m izisa oziọma a na Damaskọs. Emekwara m otu a na Jerusalem na nʼime Judịa niile na nʼetiti ndị mba ọzọ. Ana m ekwusa mkpa ọ dị ka mmadụ niile nwee nchegharị lọghachikwute Chineke. Ka ha gosikwa nchegharị ha site nʼezi ọrụ nke ha na-arụ.
21 “It is because I [preached] this message [that some] [SYN] Jews seized me [when I was] in the Temple [courtyard and] tried to kill me.
Ọ bụ nʼihi nke a ka ndị Juu jiri nwụchie m nʼụlọnsọ ukwu ahụ ma chọsiekwa ụzọ ike ịnapụ m ndụ m.
22 However, God has been helping me [from that time, and he is still helping me] today. So I stand here and I tell [all of you people], those who are important and those who are not, [who Jesus is]. Everything that I say [about him] is what Moses and the [other] prophets wrote [about long ago, things that they said] would happen.
Ma Chineke chebere m mee ka m bụrụ onye dị ndụ taa, ịkọrọ mmadụ niile akụkọ a, ndị ukwu na ndị nta. Ihe m na-ekwu bụkwa ihe ndị amụma na Mosis kwuru na ọ ga-emezu,
23 They wrote that [people would cause] the Messiah to suffer and die. They also wrote that he would be the first person to become alive again, to proclaim [the message that would be like] light, [that he would save] both [his own Jewish] people and non-Jewish people.”
na Kraịst ahụ ga-ahụ ahụhụ, bụrụkwa onye mbụ ga-esi nʼọnwụ bilie, iwetara ndị Juu na ndị mba ọzọ ìhè.”
24 Before Paul could say anything [further] to defend himself, Festus shouted: “Paul, you are crazy! You have studied too much, and it has made you insane!”
Mgbe ọ na-agọpụ onwe ya, Festọs tiri mkpu, “Pọl, ị bụ onye isi mebiri! Oke mmụta gị emebiela gị isi.”
25 But Paul answered, “Your Excellency, Festus, I am not raving [insanely]. On the contrary, what I am saying is true and sensible!
Ma Pọl sịrị, “Isi emebighị m, ezigbo nna anyị Festọs. Ihe m na-ekwu nʼanya udo bụ naanị eziokwu.
26 King Agrippa knows the things [that I have been talking about], and I can speak confidently to him [about them]. I am sure that he knows [LIT] these things, because people everywhere [IDM] have heard [LIT] about what happened [to Jesus].”
Eze nʼonwe ya makwaara ihe ndị a niile, nʼihi ya ejighị m egwu ọbụla agwa ya okwu a. Ekwenyere m na ọ dịghị ihe ọbụla nʼime ihe ndị a merenụ nke ezonarịrị ya, nʼihi na o nweghị nke mere na nzuzo.
27 Then Paul asked, “King Agrippa, do you believe [what] the prophets [wrote]? I know that you [(sg)] believe it.”
Gị eze Agripa, i kwenyeghị na ndị amụma? Amaara m na i kweere.”
28 Then Agrippa [answered] Paul, “([I hope that you(sg)] do not think that by the few things [that you have just now said] you can persuade me to become a Christian!/You do not think, [do you], that by the few things [that you have just now said] you can persuade me to become a Christian?)” [RHQ]
Mgbe ahụ Agripa sịrị, “Pọl, ị na-achọ nʼime ntakịrị oge a ịkwagide m ka m bụrụ onye kwere na Kraịst?”
29 Paul replied, “Whether it takes a short time or a long time, it does not matter. I pray to God that you and also all of the others who are listening to me today will also [believe in Jesus] like I do, but I do not want you to become prisoners [MTY] [like I am].”
Ma Pọl sịrị, “Ọ gaara atọ m ụtọ ma ọ bụrụ na Chineke ga-ekwe, mee ka gị na ndị niile nọ nʼebe a bụrụ ihe mụ onwe m bụ nʼime Kraịst ma ewezuga agbụ ndị a.”
30 Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others got up
Mgbe ahụ eze biliri ọtọ, ya na Festọs na Benaisi nwunye ya na ndị ọzọ niile ya na ha nọ nʼoche.
31 and left [the room. While] they were talking to one another they said to each other, “There is no reason why (the authorities/we) should execute this man, or that he should even be kept in prison [MTY].”
Mgbe ha na-apụ, ha kwurịtara nʼonwe ha, “Nwoke a emeghị ihe ọbụla kwesiri ọnwụ maọbụ ịga mkpọrọ.”
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “If this man had not asked that the Emperor judge him, he could have been released {[we(inc)] could have released him}.”
Agripa gwara Festọs, “A gaara a hapụ nwoke a ma ọ bụrụ na o nyefeghị Siza ikpe ya.”
