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,
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak about yourself." So Paul, with outstretched arm, proceeded to make his defence.
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,
"As regards all the accusations brought against me by the Jews," he said, "I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in being about to defend myself to-day before you,
3 elabena ènya nu tso Yudatɔwo ƒe sewo kple kɔnuwo ŋu tsitotsito. Azɔ meɖe kuku na wò be nàgbɔ dzi ɖi aɖo tom.
who are so familiar with all the customs and speculations that prevail among the Jews; and for this reason, I pray you, give me a patient hearing.
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 kind of life I have lived from my youth upwards, as exemplified in my early days among my nation and in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews.
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.
For they all know me of old--if they would but testify to the fact--how, being an adherent of the strictest sect of our religion, my life was that of 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 I stand here impeached because of my hope in the fulfilment of the promise made by God to our forefathers--
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.
the promise which our twelve tribes, worshipping day and night with intense devotedness, hope to have made good to them. It is on the subject of this hope, Sir, that I am accused 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 deemed with all of you a thing past belief if God raises the dead to life?
9 “Tsã la, mexɔe se be enye nye dɔdeasi be mawɔ funyafunya ƒomevi geɖewo ame siwo nye Yesu Nazaretitɔ la yomenɔlawo.
"I myself, however, thought it a duty to do many things in hostility to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene.
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.
And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be 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.
In all the synagogues also I punished them many a time, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury I chased them even to foreign towns.
12 “Esia dzi mele heyi Damasko, eye ŋusẽ kpakple mɔnana le asinye tso nunɔlagãwo gbɔ.
"While thus engaged, I was travelling one day to Damascus armed with authority and a commission from the High 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.
and on the journey, at noon, Sir, I saw a light from Heaven--brighter than the brightness of the sun--shining around me and around those who were travelling 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.’
We all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice which said to me in Hebrew, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? You are finding it painful to kick against the ox-goad.'
15 “Mebia be, ‘Aƒetɔ, wò ame kae le nu ƒom?’ “Aƒetɔ la ɖo eŋu be, ‘Nyee nye Yesu, ame si yome tim nèle.
"'Who art Thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied.
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 I have appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you My servant and My witness both as to the things you have already seen and as to those 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,
I will save you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you to open their eyes,
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.’
that they may turn from darkness to light and from the obedience to Satan to God, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified through faith in Me.'
19 “Eya ta, Fia Agripa, nye hã mewɔ ɖe ŋutega si tso dziƒo la ƒe ɖoɖo dzi.
"Therefore, 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 I proceeded to preach first to the people in Damascus, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and to the Gentiles, that they must repent and turn to God, and live lives consistent with such repentance.
21 Esia tae Yudatɔwo va lém le gbedoxɔ la me be yewoawum gɔ̃ hã hafi.
"It was on this account that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried 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, however, obtained the help which is from God, I have stood firm until now, and have solemnly exhorted rich and poor alike, saying nothing except what the Prophets and Moses predicted as soon to happen,
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.’”
since the Christ was to be a suffering Christ, and by coming back from the dead was then to be the first to proclaim a message of light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."
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.”
As Paul thus made his defence, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, "You are raving mad, Paul; and great learning is driving you mad."
25 Paulo ɖo eŋu be, “Bubume Festus, nye tagbɔ meflu o, ke boŋ nya siwo megblɔ la nye nyateƒe matrɔmatrɔ sɔŋ ko.
"I am not mad, most noble Festus," replied Paul; "I am speaking words of sober truth.
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, to whom I speak freely, knows about these matters. I am not to be persuaded that any detail of them has escaped his notice; for these things have not been done in a corner.
27 Fia Agripa, menya be èxɔ nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe nyawo dzi se; alo mele eme nenema oa?”
King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe them."
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?”
Agrippa answered, "In brief, you are doing your best to 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.”
"My prayer to God, whether briefly or at length," replied Paul, "would be that not only you but all who are my hearers to-day, might become such as I am--except these chains."
30 Le nya siawo megbe la, Fia Agripa kple Mɔmefiagã Festus kple Benis kple wo ŋumewo katã tso hedzo.
So the King rose, and the Governor, and Bernice, and those who were 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 talked to one another and said, "This man is doing nothing for which he deserves death or imprisonment."
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, "He might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar."
