Dɔwɔwɔwo 22
1 “Fofonyewo kple nɔvinyewo, to kukuɖeɖe me, miɖo tom ne maɖe ɖokuinye nu miase.”
Paul said, “[Jewish] elders and my other fellow Jews, listen to me now while I reply to [those who are accusing me]!”
2 Esi ameawo se be enɔ Hebrigbe gblɔm la, wogazi ɖoɖoe ɖe edzi wu tsã. Paulo yi edzi be,
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,
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, [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].
4 Meti Kristotɔwo yome. Mewɔ funyafunya wo, wu wo, lé ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo siaa de gaxɔ me.
[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.
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.
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].
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, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.
7 Ale medze anyi. Enumake mese ame aɖe ƒe gbe be, ‘Saulo, Saulo, nu ka ta nèle yonyeme tim ale mahã?’
[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?’
8 “Mebia be, ‘Aƒetɔ, wò ame kae le nu ƒom nam?’ “Gbea ɖo eŋu be, ‘Nyee nye Yesu, Nazaretitɔ, ame si yome tim nèle.’
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].’
9 Ame siwo nɔ ŋunye la se nuƒoa pɛpɛpɛ, gake womese nu si wògblɔ la gɔme o.
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.
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, ‘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.’
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.
[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.
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.
[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.
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.
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].
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 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].
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.
He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard [from him].
16 Azɔ ɣeyiɣigbegblẽ aɖeke megali o. Ɖeko woade mawutsi ta na wò, aklɔ wò nu vɔ̃wo ɖa le Aƒetɔ la ƒe ŋkɔ me.’
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!’”
17 “Metrɔ va Yerusalem, eye gbe ɖeka esi menɔ gbe dom ɖa le gbedoxɔ la me la, mekpɔ ŋutega aɖe,
“Later, I returned to Jerusalem. [One day] I went to the Temple courtyard. While I was praying there, I saw a vision [in which]
18 eye Mawu gblɔ nam be, ‘Wɔ kaba nàdzo le Yerusalem, elabena ne ègblɔ nye nya na amewo la, womaxɔe se o.’
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!’
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.
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.
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.’
[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].’
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 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!’”
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 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].
23 Ale woda woƒe awuwo ɖe yame, eye wolɔ ke hlẽ ɖe yame dzikutɔe.
While they continued shouting, [“Kill him!”] they took off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, [which showed how angry they were].
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.
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].
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?”
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!”
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 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]”
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 [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].”
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.”
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].”
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 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].
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 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.
