Dɔwɔwɔwo 22
1 “Fofonyewo kple nɔvinyewo, to kukuɖeɖe me, miɖo tom ne maɖe ɖokuinye nu miase.”
"Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence."
2 Esi ameawo se be enɔ Hebrigbe gblɔm la, wogazi ɖoɖoe ɖe edzi wu tsã. Paulo yi edzi be,
When they heard him speaking in Hebrew they became the more quiet.
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," he said, "born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strict manner of the Law of our forefathers, ardent for God, even as you all are this day.
4 Meti Kristotɔwo yome. Mewɔ funyafunya wo, wu wo, lé ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo siaa de gaxɔ me.
"I persecuted to the death this way, continually binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women.
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.
"To this the high priest and all the council of elders are witnesses. It was from them that I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was already on my way to bring those also who were there back to Jerusalem, in bonds, for punishment.
6 “Ke esime wòsusɔ vie maɖo Damasko dua me, le ŋdɔ ga wuieve me lɔƒo la, keklẽ gã aɖe tso dziƒo klẽ ƒo xlãm.
"But when, on my journey, I was nearing Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone round about 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 saying to me, "‘Saul! Saul! why are you persecuting 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, the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting,’ he answered me.
9 Ame siwo nɔ ŋunye la se nuƒoa pɛpɛpɛ, gake womese nu si wògblɔ la gɔme o.
"Now my companions, though they beheld the light, did not hear the words of Him who spoke 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.’
"And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ and the Lord said to me, ‘Rise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all that you are destined 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.
"And as I was seeing nothing for the glory of the light, I was led by the hand of my companions, and so came 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.
"And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the Law, well thought of by all the Jews who lived 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 to me, and standing by me, said to me, "‘Brother Saul, receive your sight’ "In that very hour I regained my sight and looked up at 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 forefathers has appointed you to know his will; and to see the righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
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.
"‘For before the face of all men you will be a witness for him 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 why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling upon his name.’
17 “Metrɔ va Yerusalem, eye gbe ɖeka esi menɔ gbe dom ɖa le gbedoxɔ la me la, mekpɔ ŋutega aɖe,
"After my return to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple,
18 eye Mawu gblɔ nam be, ‘Wɔ kaba nàdzo le Yerusalem, elabena ne ègblɔ nye nya na amewo la, womaxɔe se o.’
"I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, "‘Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive your testimony concerning 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 replied, ‘they themselves well know that I was beating and imprisoning in synagogue after synagogue 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 martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting, and holding the garments of his murders.’
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.”
"‘Depart,’ he said to me, ‘for I will send you forth, far hence, 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!”
Until they heard this last statement, the people were listening to Paul, but now they roared out. "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is not fit to live!"
23 Ale woda woƒe awuwo ɖe yame, eye wolɔ ke hlẽ ɖe yame dzikutɔe.
When they continued to shout, throwing their clothes into the air, and flinging dust around,
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 tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and examined under the lash, to learn for what reason the people were thus crying out 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 when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing near, "If a man is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned, is it lawful for you to scourge him?"
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?”
When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him. "What are you intending to do? 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.”
So the tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.
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 large sum to get this citizenship," said the tribune. "But I was citizen-born," said Paul.
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 scourge him, immediately left him. And the tribune too, was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.
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, as he wished to learn the real reason why the Jews accused Paul, he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down, and placed him before them.
