Dɔwɔwɔwo 26
1 Fia Agripa gblɔ na Paulo be, “Meɖe mɔ na wò be nàɖe ɖokuiwò nu mase.” Ale Paulo do asi ɖa, eye wòɖe eɖokui nu gblɔ be,
And Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted to you to speak for yourself”; then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defense:
2 “Fia Agripa, enye dzidzɔ kple bubu gã aɖe nam be mekpɔ mɔnu sia be maƒo nu na wò le nu siwo katã Yudatɔwo tsɔ le nunye tsom la ŋuti,
“Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, King Agrippa, I have thought myself blessed, being about to make a defense before you today,
3 elabena ènya nu tso Yudatɔwo ƒe sewo kple kɔnuwo ŋu tsitotsito. Azɔ meɖe kuku na wò be nàgbɔ dzi ɖi aɖo tom.
especially knowing you to be acquainted with all things—both customs and questions—among Jews; for this reason, I implore you to hear me patiently.
4 “Ele nyanya me na Yudatɔwo katã be wohem tso ɖevime abe Yudatɔ akuakua ene, le nye dedu Tarso kple Yerusalem me, eye menɔ agbe ɖe sewo kple kɔnuwo nu pɛpɛpɛ ƒe geɖewo.
The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth—which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem—all the Jews know,
5 Ne woato nyateƒe la, Yudatɔwo alɔ̃ ɖe edzi be menɔ agbe abe Farisitɔ adodoe ene, eye mewɔ ɖe Yudatɔwo ƒe sewo kple kɔnuwo dzi pɛpɛpɛ ɣe sia ɣi.
knowing me before from the first (if they may be willing to testify), that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee;
6 Ke nu bubu sãa tae wotsɔ nya ɖe ŋunye fifia, eyae nye be mele mɔ kpɔm be Mawu awɔ eƒe ŋugbe si wòdo na mía tɔgbuitɔgbuiwo la dzi.
and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,
7 Nu sia ke ko Israelviwo ƒe to wuieveawo katã hã le mɔ kpɔm na, hele kutri kum le subɔsubɔ wɔm zã kple keli gbe sia gbe ɖe eta. Gake Fia Agripa, le nye ya gome la, Yudatɔwo le nunye tsom be enye nu vɔ̃ mewɔ.
to which our twelve tribes, intently serving night and day, hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, King Agrippa, by the Jews;
8 Ne Mawu fɔ ame kukuwo ɖe tsitre la, aleke wɔ miebu be enye nu si womate ŋu axɔ ase oa?
why is it judged incredible with you if God raises the dead?
9 “Tsã la, mexɔe se be enye nye dɔdeasi be mawɔ funyafunya ƒomevi geɖewo ame siwo nye Yesu Nazaretitɔ la yomenɔlawo.
I indeed, therefore, thought with myself that it was necessary [for me] to do many things against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth,
10 Le esia ta la, mexɔ ŋusẽ tso nunɔlagã gbɔ, eye melé xɔsetɔ geɖewo de gaxɔ me le Yerusalem. Gawu la, ne wotso kufia na wo dometɔ aɖe la, medaa asi ɖe nuwɔna sia dzi blibo.
which I also did in Jerusalem, and I shut up many of the holy ones in prison, having received the authority from the chief priests; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,
11 Mewɔ funyafunya ƒomevi geɖewo Kristotɔ siawo le ƒuƒoƒewo katã be wogblɔ busunya. Melé fu ame siawo ale gbegbe be metia wo yome yia du bubuwo ke hã me.
and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even to strange cities.
12 “Esia dzi mele heyi Damasko, eye ŋusẽ kpakple mɔnana le asinye tso nunɔlagãwo gbɔ.
In which things, also, going on to Damascus—with authority and commission from the chief priests—
13 Esi míenɔ mɔa dzi yina anɔ abe ŋdɔ ga wuieve me lɔƒe ene la, fia Agripa, mekpɔ keklẽ gã aɖe tso dziƒo heklẽ ɖe nye kple ŋunyemewo dzi.
at midday, I saw in the way, O king, out of Heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining around me a light—and those going on with me;
14 Mí katã míedze anyi. Enumake mese ame aɖe wònɔ nu ƒom nam le Hebrigbe me be, ‘Saulo, Saulo, nu ka ta nèle yonyeme tim ɖo? Afɔɖoɖo nutɔame dzi ɖe wòwɔa nu vevi ame.’
and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? [It is] hard for you to kick against goads!
15 “Mebia be, ‘Aƒetɔ, wò ame kae le nu ƒom?’ “Aƒetɔ la ɖo eŋu be, ‘Nyee nye Yesu, ame si yome tim nèle.
And I said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom you persecute;
16 Tsi tsitre, elabena metia wò be nànye nye subɔla kple nye ɖaseɖila. Yi nàɖe gbeƒã wò nuteƒekpɔkpɔ sia kple bubu siwo gbɔna la fia xexea me katã.
but rise, and stand on your feet, for this I appeared to you, to appoint you an officer and a witness both of the things you saw, and of the things [in which] I will appear to you,
17 Makpɔ tawò, eye maɖe wò tso wò ŋutɔ wò amewo kple ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o hã ƒe asi me. Le nyateƒe me la, maɖo wò ɖe ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o dome be nàgblɔ nyanyui la na wo,
delivering you from the people, and the nations, to whom I now send you,
18 be woƒe ŋkuwo naʋu, eye woatrɔ le viviti la gbɔ ava kekeli la me. Woatso Satana ƒe ŋusẽ me ava Mawu gbɔ, be woakpɔ nu vɔ̃wo ƒe tsɔtsɔke kple domenyinu si li na ame siwo katã ŋuti kɔ, eye wodza le xɔse me.’
to open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of Satan to God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified by faith that [is] toward Me.
19 “Eya ta, Fia Agripa, nye hã mewɔ ɖe ŋutega si tso dziƒo la ƒe ɖoɖo dzi.
After which, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 Gbã la, megblɔ nyanyui la na ame siwo le Damasko, eye tso afi ma la, meva Yerusalem kple Yudea nutowo me. Emegbe la, meyi ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o dome, eye megblɔ na wo be woadzudzɔ nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ, atrɔ ɖe Mawu ŋu, eye woana woƒe nu nyui wɔwɔ nafia be wotrɔ dzi me vavã.
but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, also to all the region of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to convert, and to turn back to God, doing works worthy of conversion;
21 Esia tae Yudatɔwo va lém le gbedoxɔ la me be yewoawum gɔ̃ hã hafi.
because of these things the Jews—having caught me in the temple—were endeavoring to kill [me].
22 Ke Mawu kpɔ dzinye ale megale agbe egbe, be magblɔ nya sia na ame sia ame ƒomevi, ame gblɔewo kple bubumewo siaa. Ke nyemele nya bubu aɖeke gblɔm o, negbe nu si nyagblɔɖilawo kple Mose wogblɔ ɖi be ava va eme la koe.
Having obtained, therefore, help from God, until this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spoke of as about to come,
23 Nyagblɔɖilawo kple Mose gblɔ be, ‘Woawɔ funyafunya Kristo la, eyae anye ame gbãtɔ si afɔ tso ame kukuwo dome, eye wòahe Kekeli vɛ na Yudatɔwo kple ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o.’”
that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a resurrection from the dead, He is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.”
24 Esi Festus se nya sia ko la, edo ɣli ɖe Paulo ta sesĩe be, “Paulo, wò tagbɔ le gbegblẽm; wò agbalẽsɔsrɔ̃ fũu na wò tagbɔ flu.”
And he thus making a defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “You are mad, Paul; much learning turns you mad!”
25 Paulo ɖo eŋu be, “Bubume Festus, nye tagbɔ meflu o, ke boŋ nya siwo megblɔ la nye nyateƒe matrɔmatrɔ sɔŋ ko.
And he says, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness I speak forth the sayings;
26 Fia Agripa ŋutɔ hã nya nu le nu siawo ŋu. Meka ɖe edzi be Fia Agripa se nya siawo katã kpɔ, elabena wonye nu siwo dzɔ le gaglãgbe, eye womele ɣaɣla ɖe ame aɖeke o.
for the king knows concerning these things, before whom I also speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing has not been done in a corner;
27 Fia Agripa, menya be èxɔ nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe nyawo dzi se; alo mele eme nenema oa?”
do you believe, King Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that you believe!”
28 Agripa xɔ nya la le Paulo nu gblɔ be, “Ɖe nèbu be nya sue si nègblɔ le afi sia lae ana be mazu kristotɔ zi ɖeka?”
And Agrippa said to Paul, “In [so] little you persuade me to become a Christian?”
29 Paulo ɖo eŋu be, “Anye nye didi vevie be togbɔ be nye nyawo meɖi naneke o hã la, Mawu ana wò kple ame sia ame si aɖo tom egbe la natrɔ zu abe ame si menye ene, ke menye to fukpekpe me abe ale si mele babla me ene o.”
And Paul said, “I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only you, but also all those hearing me today, to become such as I also am—except these bonds.”
30 Le nya siawo megbe la, Fia Agripa kple Mɔmefiagã Festus kple Benis kple wo ŋumewo katã tso hedzo.
And he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting with them,
31 Emegbe esi wonɔ nya la me dzrom kpɔ le wo ɖokuiwo dome la, wokpɔe dze sii be le nyateƒe me la, Paulo mewɔ naneke si dze na ku alo gamenɔnɔ gɔ̃ hã o.
and having withdrawn, they were speaking to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds”;
32 Ale Agripa gblɔ na Festus be, “Ne menye ɖe Paulo tsɔ eƒe nya la de Kaisaro si o la, anye ne ele be woaɖe asi le eŋu hafi.”
and Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
