Dɔwɔwɔwo 22
1 “Fofonyewo kple nɔvinyewo, to kukuɖeɖe me, miɖo tom ne maɖe ɖokuinye nu miase.”
‘Brothers and fathers, listen to the defence which I am about to make.’
2 Esi ameawo se be enɔ Hebrigbe gblɔm la, wogazi ɖoɖoe ɖe edzi wu tsã. Paulo yi edzi be,
When they heard that he was speaking to them in Hebrew, they were still more quiet; and Paul went on:
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, from Tarsus in Cilicia, but I was brought up in this city under the teaching of Gamaliel, and educated in accordance with the strict system of our ancestral Law. I was as zealous in God’s service as any of you who are here today.
4 Meti Kristotɔwo yome. Mewɔ funyafunya wo, wu wo, lé ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo siaa de gaxɔ me.
In my persecution of this Way I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike –
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.
And to that the high priest himself and all the council of elders can testify. For I had letters of introduction from them to our fellow Jews at Damascus, and I was on my way to that place, to bring those whom I might find there prisoners to Jerusalem 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.
While I was still on my way, just as I was getting close to Damascus, about midday, suddenly there flashed from the heavens a great light all round 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 replied. Then the voice said “I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.”
9 Ame siwo nɔ ŋunye la se nuƒoa pɛpɛpɛ, gake womese nu si wògblɔ la gɔme o.
The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the speaker’s voice.
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 said “What am I to do, Lord?” “Get up and go into Damascus,” The Lord said to me, “and 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.
In consequence of that dazzling light I could not see, but my companions held me by the hand, until I reached 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 strict observer of our Law, well spoken of by all the Jewish inhabitants, came to see me.
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.
Standing close to me, he said “Saul, my brother, recover your sight.” And then and there I recovered 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 ancestors has appointed you to learn his will, and to see the righteous one, and to hear words from his lips;
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 you will be a witness for him to all the world of what you have just 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 wait any longer, Be baptised at once, wash away your sins, and invoke 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, while I was praying one day in 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 Jesus saying to me “Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, because they 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, “these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, 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 being shed, I was myself standing by, approving of his death, and took charge of the clothes of those who were murdering 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.”
But Jesus said to me “Go; for I will send you to the Gentiles far away”.’
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!”
Up to this point the people had been listening to Paul, but at these words they called out, ‘Kill him! A fellow like this ought not to have been allowed to live!’
23 Ale woda woƒe awuwo ɖe yame, eye wolɔ ke hlẽ ɖe yame dzikutɔe.
As they were shouting, tearing off their clothes, and throwing dust in 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 commanding officer ordered Paul to be taken into the Fort, and directed that he should be examined under the lash so that he might find out the reason for their 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 just as they had tied him up to be scourged, Paul said to the centurion standing near, ‘Is it legal for you to scourge a Roman citizen, unconvicted?’
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 commanding officer. ‘Do you know what you are doing?’ 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.”
So the commanding officer went up to Paul and said, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ ‘Yes,’ replied Paul.
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 had to pay a heavy price for my position as citizen,’ said the officer. ‘I am one by birth,’ rejoined 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.
The men who were to have examined Paul immediately drew back, and the officer, finding that Paul was a Roman citizen, was alarmed at having put him 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.
On the next day the commanding officer, wishing to find out the real reason why Paul was denounced by the Jewish leaders, had his chains taken off, and directed the chief priests and the whole of the High Council to assemble, and then took Paul down and brought him before them.
