Dɔwɔwɔwo 22
1 “Fofonyewo kple nɔvinyewo, to kukuɖeɖe me, miɖo tom ne maɖe ɖokuinye nu miase.”
“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 Esi ameawo se be enɔ Hebrigbe gblɔm la, wogazi ɖoɖoe ɖe edzi wu tsã. Paulo yi edzi be,
When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent. Then Paul declared,
3 “Yuda vidzidzi ŋutɔŋutɔe menye tso Tarso le Kilikia nuto me. Ke Yerusalem afi siae mede suku le, eye nye nufialae nye Gamaliel, ame si hem be mawɔ ɖe Yudatɔwo ƒe sewo kple kɔnuwo dzi pɛpɛpɛ abe ale si dze ene. Enye nye didi vevie ɣe ma ɣi be made bubu Mawu ŋu le nu sia nu si mawɔ la me abe ale si miawo hã miele ewɔm fifia ene.
“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.
4 Meti Kristotɔwo yome. Mewɔ funyafunya wo, wu wo, lé ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo siaa de gaxɔ me.
I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5 Yudatɔwo ƒe nunɔlagã kple amegã ɖe sia ɖe ate ŋu aɖi ɖase na mi le nya siawo ŋu, elabena mexɔ agbalẽ tɔxɛ tso wo gbɔ le Yerusalem si na ŋusẽm be mayi wo nɔviwo Yudatɔwo ƒe amegãwo gbɔ le Damasko, eye woakpe ɖe ŋunye be malé Kristotɔ siwo katã le dua me la, akplɔ wo va Yerusalem be woahe to na wo.
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.
6 “Ke esime wòsusɔ vie maɖo Damasko dua me, le ŋdɔ ga wuieve me lɔƒo la, keklẽ gã aɖe tso dziƒo klẽ ƒo xlãm.
About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 Ale medze anyi. Enumake mese ame aɖe ƒe gbe be, ‘Saulo, Saulo, nu ka ta nèle yonyeme tim ale mahã?’
I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
8 “Mebia be, ‘Aƒetɔ, wò ame kae le nu ƒom nam?’ “Gbea ɖo eŋu be, ‘Nyee nye Yesu, Nazaretitɔ, ame si yome tim nèle.’
‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
9 Ame siwo nɔ ŋunye la se nuƒoa pɛpɛpɛ, gake womese nu si wògblɔ la gɔme o.
My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 “Meyi edzi gabiae be, ‘Aƒetɔ nu ka mawɔ?’ “Aƒetɔ la gblɔ nam be, ‘Tsi tsitre nàyi Damasko dua me, eye ame aɖe agblɔ nu siwo wɔ ge nàla le ƒe siwo gbɔna me la na wo.’
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.’
11 “Ke esi metso le anyigba la, mede dzesii be nyemegate ŋu nɔ nu kpɔm o le kekeli gã ma ta eya ta ame siwo le ŋunye la lém ɖɔɖɔɖɔ hekplɔm yi Damasko.
Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 “Le afi ma la, ŋutsu aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Anania la va gbɔnye. Anania nye Yudatɔ, ame si mefena kple Yudatɔwo ƒe sewo o, ale Yudatɔ siwo katã le Damasko la tsɔ bubu tɔxɛ nɛ.
There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
13 Ame sia va tsi tsitre ɖe gbɔnye, eye wògblɔ nam be, ‘Nɔvinye Saulo, ʋu ŋku nàkpɔ nu!’ Enumake nye ŋkuwo ʋu, eye megakpɔ nu.
came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.
14 “Anania yi edzi gblɔ nam be, ‘Mía tɔgbuiwo ƒe Mawu la tia wò be nànya nu si nye eƒe lɔlɔ̃nu, ase eƒe gbe, eye nàkpɔ Dzɔdzɔetɔ la, ase eƒe nuƒo hã.
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.
15 Hekpe ɖe esia ŋu la, ele be nànye eƒe ɖaseɖila na amewo katã, eye nàgblɔ nu siwo nèkpɔ kple nu siwo nèse la hã na amewo.
You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16 Azɔ ɣeyiɣigbegblẽ aɖeke megali o. Ɖeko woade mawutsi ta na wò, aklɔ wò nu vɔ̃wo ɖa le Aƒetɔ la ƒe ŋkɔ me.’
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
17 “Metrɔ va Yerusalem, eye gbe ɖeka esi menɔ gbe dom ɖa le gbedoxɔ la me la, mekpɔ ŋutega aɖe,
Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18 eye Mawu gblɔ nam be, ‘Wɔ kaba nàdzo le Yerusalem, elabena ne ègblɔ nye nya na amewo la, womaxɔe se o.’
and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’
19 “Ke meɖo eŋu be, ‘O, Aƒetɔ, ame siawo nya nyuie be ame siwo katã xɔ wò ŋkɔ dzi se la, meléa wo tso ƒuƒoƒe yi ƒuƒoƒe, ƒoa wo, eye medea wo gaxɔ me.
‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
20 Gawu la, esime wonɔ wò dɔla Stefano ƒe ʋu kɔm ɖi la, nye ŋutɔ meda asi ɖe edzi. Menɔ afi ma, eye mexɔ ame siwo nɔ ewum la ƒe awuwo lé ɖe asi na wo esime wonɔ kpe ƒumee.’
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.’
21 “Gake Mawu gblɔ nam be madzo le dua me godoo, elabena yeaɖom ɖe kekeke ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o gbɔ be magblɔ nya na wo.”
Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 Esi wògblɔ nya sia ko la, ameha la ganyra kple ɣli bobobo be, “Mikplɔ ame ma ƒomevi dzoe le anyigba dzi! Miyi ɖawui! Medze be wòanɔ agbe o!”
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!”
23 Ale woda woƒe awuwo ɖe yame, eye wolɔ ke hlẽ ɖe yame dzikutɔe.
As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24 Ale asrafowo ƒe amegã ɖe gbe be woakplɔ Paulo yi xɔa mee, aƒoe kple atam va se ɖe esime wòato nyateƒe be yenya nu si tututu ta ameha la do dziku ɖe ye ŋu nenema ɖo.
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.
25 Esime wonɔ Paulo blam be yewoaƒoe la, ebia asrafoawo ƒe nunɔla aɖe si nɔ tsitre ɖe egbɔ be, “Ele se nu be miaƒo Romatɔ le esime womedrɔ̃ ʋɔnue oa?”
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?”
26 Asrafo sia yi eƒe amegã gbɔ enumake ɖagblɔ nɛ be, “Amegã, nu kae nye esia nèbe yeawɔ? Mènya be ame sia la Romatɔ wònye hafi nèbe woaƒoe oa?”
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.”
27 Asrafowo ƒe amegã la ɖe abla va Paulo gbɔ hebiae be, “Ŋutsu, Romatɔe nènye vavã?” Paulo ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, Romatɔe menye.”
The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
28 Asrafowo ƒe amegã la hã gagblɔ nɛ be, “Nye hã Romatɔe menye, gake ga home gbogbo aɖee mena hafi te ŋu zui.” Ke Paulo gblɔ nɛ be, “Nye ya Roma vidzidzie menye.”
“I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 Nya sia na be vɔvɔ̃ ɖo asrafowo ƒe amegã la, le esi wòɖe gbe be woabla Paulo ta. Asrafo siwo nɔ dzadzram ɖo ɖe eƒoƒo ŋu la katã bu le afi ma enumake esi wose be Romatɔe wònye.
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.
30 Le ŋkeke evea gbe la, asrafowo ƒe amegã la ɖe Paulo le gaxɔ me, eye wòyɔ nunɔlagãwo kple Yudatɔwo ƒe amegãwo ƒo ƒu. Azɔ ekplɔ Paulo va wo ŋkume be yease nu si tututu le tɔtɔ sia hem vɛ la gɔme.
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.
