Dɔwɔwɔwo 24
1 Le ŋkeke etɔ̃a gbe la, nunɔlagã Anania kple eŋumewo yi Kaesarea be yewoatsɔ nya ɖe Paulo ŋu. Ame siwo nɔ Anania ŋu la woe nye, Yudatɔwo ƒe kplɔla aɖewo kple senyala Tertulo.
After five days, Ananias the chief priest, certain elders, and an orator named Tertullus went there. These men brought charges against Paul before the governor.
2 Esi mɔmefia la bia gbe wo la, Tertulo ƒo nu ɖe wo nu gblɔ be, “Amegã bubutɔ Felix, le wò kpɔkplɔ nyui la te la, mí Yudatɔwo míekpɔ tomefafa kple bubu, eye amewo megakpɔa mí abe nu tsɛ aɖewo ko ene o.
When Paul stood before the governor, Tertullus began to accuse him and said to the governor, “Because of you we have great peace, and your foresight brings good reform to our nation;
3 Ke le afi sia afi míele akpe manyagblɔ aɖe dam na wò tso míaƒe dzi me ke ɖe esia ta.
so with all thankfulness we welcome everything that you do, most excellent Felix.
4 Nyemedi be magblẽ ɣeyiɣi na wò boo o, eya ta meɖe kuku na wò mayi nye nya dzi agblɔe kpuie ko le wò dɔmefafa la nu.
So that I detain you no more, I ask you to briefly listen to me with kindness.
5 “Ame si wokplɔ va gbɔwòe la, ame vɔ̃ɖi aɖe ŋutɔ wònye. Eƒe dɔ koe nye be wòanɔ ʋunyaʋunya dem Yudatɔwo dome le xexea me katã godoo be woatsi tsitre ɖe Roma dziɖuɖu la ŋu, anɔ woƒe sewo kple kɔnuwo dzi dam. Eya kee nye habɔbɔ si woyɔna be, Nazaretitɔwo la ƒe amegã.
For we have found this man to be a pest and one who causes all the Jews throughout the world to rebel. He is a leader of the Nazarene sect.
6 Nu si gavlo wu lae nye be edi be yeado vlo míaƒe gbedoxɔ la hafi míeva do ɖe edzi helée. [Ɖe míebe míadrɔ̃ ʋɔnue le míaƒe se la nu hafi.
He even tried to desecrate the temple, so we arrested him.
7 Ke asrafowo ƒe amegã Lisia va xɔe le mía si sesẽtɔe
8 eye wòna be enutsolawo nava gbɔwò.] Ne wò ŋutɔ èse eƒe numegbe ko la, ekema míaƒe nya me akɔ na wò.”
When you question Paul about all these matters, you will be able to learn about these charges we are bringing against him.”
9 Yudatɔ mamlɛawo xɔ ɖe Tertulo ƒe nyawo dzi be wole eme tututu abe ale si wògblɔe ene.
The Jews also joined in the accusation, affirming that these charges were true.
10 Azɔ eɖo Paulo hã dzi be wòaɖe eɖokui nu. Mɔmefiagã la wɔ asi nɛ be wòatso aƒo nu. Paulo ɖe eɖokui nu gblɔ be, “Amegã bubutɔ, menya be menye egbee nèle Yudatɔwo ƒe nyawo drɔ̃m o. Le esia ta la, dzideƒo le asinye be maɖe ɖokuinye nu le gbɔwò.
But when the governor motioned for Paul to speak, Paul answered, “I understand that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, and so I gladly explain myself to you.
11 Anɔ abe ŋkeke wuieve koe nye esi ene, meva ɖo Yerusalem be mawɔ subɔsubɔdɔ le gbedoxɔ me.
You will be able to find out that it has not been more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.
12 Ame siwo le nunye tsom la mekpɔm menɔ nya hem kple ame aɖeke le gbedoxɔ la me alo de zitɔtɔ ameha aɖewo dome le ƒuƒoƒe aɖeke alo le dua ƒe akpa aɖeke o.
When they found me in the temple, I did not argue with anyone, and I did not stir up a crowd, either in the synagogues, or in the city.
13 Le nya si wotsɔ ɖe nunye fifia la hã me la, womate ŋu aɖee afia be enye nyateƒe o.
They cannot prove to you the accusations they are now making against me.
14 Ke hã la, melɔ̃ ɖe edzi be mesubɔa mía fofowo ƒe Mawu la abe ame si le Mɔ la dzi ene, esi amewo yɔna be kɔmama. Mexɔ nu sia nu si sɔ kple se la kple nu siwo woŋlɔ ɖe nyagblɔɖigbalẽawo me la dzi se.
But I admit this to you, that according to the Way that they call a sect, in that same way I serve the God of our fathers. I am faithful to all that is in the law and the writings of the prophets.
15 Mexɔe se hã abe ame siawo ke ene be Mawu ana nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo kple ame dzɔdzɔewo siaa afɔ tso ku me,
I have the same confident hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
16 eye le esia ta la, medzea agbagba wɔa nye dzitsinya ŋuti dɔ nyuie be nye agbenɔnɔ nadze Mawu kple amegbetɔwo ŋu.”
So I always strive to have a clear conscience before God and human beings.
17 Paulo yi eƒe nuƒoa dzi be, “Menɔ gbedzi ƒe geɖe, eye metrɔ va Yerusalem, hetsɔ ga ɖe asi be mava kpe ɖe Yudatɔwo ŋu, eye masa vɔ na Mawu hã.
Now after many years I came to bring help to my nation and gifts of money.
18 Nye futɔ siawo va ke ɖe ŋunye le gbedoxɔ la me, mele ŋutinye kɔm. Ameha aɖeke alo ʋunyaʋunya aɖeke menɔ afi ma kura o.
When I did this, certain Jews from Asia found me in a purification ceremony in the temple, not with a crowd or an uproar.
19 Ke dzɔgbevɔ̃etɔe la, Yudatɔ aɖewo, ame siwo tso Asia nuto me, ame siwo wòle be woanɔ afi sia hafi hã nɔ afi ma ɣe ma ɣi.
These men ought to be before you now and say what they have against me, if they have anything.
20 Bia ame siawo le afi sia fifia ŋutɔ be esi wokplɔm yi Yudatɔwo ƒe takpekpe gã la me ɖe, vodada ka wokpɔ le ŋunye mahã. Nu si megblɔ si ɖewohĩ
Or else, these same men should say what wrong they found in me when I stood before the Jewish council,
21 medze be magblɔ hafi o koe nye be, ‘Nu si ta wokplɔm va mia dome le takpekpe gã sia me ɖo lae nye be mexɔe se be ame siwo katã ku la agafɔ ɖe tsitre tso ku me!’”
unless it is about this one thing that I shouted out when I stood among them, 'It is concerning the resurrection of those who have died that I am on trial before you today.'”
22 Felix nya nyuie be kristotɔwo mewɔa ʋunyaʋunya o. Le esia ta la, egblɔ na Yudatɔwo be woalala va se ɖe esime asrafowo ƒe amegã, Lisia nava hafi yeatso nya la me.
Then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, ajourned the hearing. He said, “When Lysias the commander comes down from Jerusalem, I will decide your case.”
23 Ede se be woakplɔ Paulo ayi gaxɔa me, gake woakpɔ edzi nyuie. Woaɖe mɔ faa be exɔlɔ̃wo nava kpɔe ɖa, eye woate ŋu atsɔ nunanawo vɛ nɛ faa, be eƒe dzi nadze eme.
Then he commanded the centurion that Paul should be kept under guard, but to have some freedom so that none of his friends would be prevented from attending to his needs.
24 Le ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo megbe la, Felix kple srɔ̃a Drusila, ame si nye Yudatɔ la va, eye woɖo ame ɖe Paulo be wòava. Esi Paulo va la, eƒo nu na wo le Yesu Kristo dzixɔse ƒe nyawo ŋu. Nyawo de to me na Felix srɔ̃ nyuie.
After some days, Felix returned with Drusilla his wife, a Jewess, and he sent for Paul and he heard from him about faith in Christ Jesus.
25 Ke esi wòɖe nya me na wo le dzɔdzɔenyenye, ɖokuidziɖuɖu kple ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ si li gbɔna ŋu la, vɔvɔ̃ ɖo Felix, eye wògblɔ na Paulo be neyi gbɔ, ne yegakpɔ ɣeyiɣi nyui aɖe la, yeagaɖo ame ɖee.
But when Paul reasoned with him about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for now. But when I have the opportunity later on, I will send for you.”
26 Felix nɔ mɔ kpɔm be Paulo ana zãnu ye, eya ta eyɔe zi geɖe henɔ nya me dzrom kplii.
At the same time he wanted Paul to give money to him, so he often sent for him and spoke with him.
27 Wonɔ esia dzi alea ʋuu ƒe eve sɔŋ. Ke mlɔeba la, woɖe Felix le afi ma hetsɔ Porkio Festus ɖo eteƒe. Le esi Felix di be Yudatɔwo nakpɔ ŋudzedze le ye ŋu ta la, egblẽ Paulo ɖe gaxɔ me hafi dzo.
But when two years passed, Porcius Festus became the governor after Felix, but Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jews, so he left Paul to continue under guard.
