Atũmwo 22
1 “Ariũ a Baba, o na inyuĩ maithe makwa, thikĩrĩriai ngĩĩyarĩrĩria.”
“Brother and fathers,” he said, “Please listen as I give my defense before you.”
2 Rĩrĩa maaiguire akĩmaarĩria na rũthiomi rwa Kĩhibirania-rĩ, magĩkira ki. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Paũlũ akiuga atĩrĩ,
When they heard him speaking to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
3 “Niĩ ndĩ Mũyahudi, wa gũciarĩrwo Tariso itũũra rĩa bũrũri wa Kilikia, no ndaarereirwo itũũra-inĩ rĩĩrĩ. Nĩndathomithirio wega nĩ Gamalieli ũhoro wa watho wa maithe maitũ, na ndaarĩ na kĩyo kĩa maũndũ ma Ngai o ta ũrĩa inyuĩ inyuothe mũtariĩ ũmũthĩ.
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,” he began. “However, I was brought up here in this city, and sat at the feet of Gamaliel. I was taught to strictly observe the law of our fathers. I was zealous for God, just like all of you here today,
4 Nĩndanyariiraga arũmĩrĩri a Njĩra ĩno o nginya magakua na nganyiita arũme na andũ-a-nja ngamaikia njeera,
and I persecuted the people of this Way—having them put to death, and imprisoning both men and women.
5 o ta ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene na Kĩama gĩothe gĩa athuuri o nao mangĩheana ũira ũcio. O na nĩmaheire marũa ndwarĩre andũ ao kũu Dameski, na niĩ ngĩthiĩ kuo nganyiite andũ acio ndĩmarehe Jerusalemu nĩguo maherithio.
As the high priest and the council of the elders can also verify, I received from them letters of authorization addressed to the Jewish brothers in Damascus, and went there to arrest these people and bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “Ta thaa thita ndĩ hakuhĩ gũkinya Dameski-rĩ, o rĩmwe gũkĩgĩa ũtheri mũnene woimire igũrũ, naguo ũkĩnjarĩra mĩena yothe.
At around noon, while I was on my way and approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven shone all around me.
7 Ngĩgwa thĩ, na ngĩigua mũgambo mũnene ũkĩnjarĩria, ũkĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Saũlũ! Saũlũ! Ũũnyariiraga nĩkĩ?’
I fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8 “Na niĩ ngĩũria atĩrĩ, ‘Wee nĩ we ũ, Mwathani?’ “Nake akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ niĩ Jesũ wa Nazarethi, ũrĩa ũranyariira.’
‘Who are you, Lord?’ I answered. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting,’ he told me.
9 Nao andũ arĩa twarĩ nao nĩmoonire ũtheri ũcio, no matiataũkĩirwo nĩ mũgambo wa ũcio wanjaragĩria.
Those who were traveling with me did see the light, but they didn't hear the voice that spoke to me.
10 “Na niĩ ngĩũria atĩrĩ, ‘Mwathani ngwĩka atĩa?’ “Nake Mwathani akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ũkĩra ũtoonye Dameski. Kũu nĩkuo ũrĩĩrĩrwo maũndũ marĩa mothe wathĩrĩirwo gwĩka.’
‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you'll be told everything that's arranged for you to do.’
11 Na rĩrĩ, andũ arĩa twarĩ nao makĩĩnyiita guoko makĩndwara Dameski, tondũ ũkengu wa ũtheri ũcio nĩwanduĩte mũtumumu.
Since I couldn't see because of the brightness of the light, those who were with me led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 “Mũndũ wetagwo Anania nĩookire kũnyona, na aarĩ mũndũ weamũrĩire Ngai na ũndũ wa kũrũmia watho, na nĩaheetwo gĩtĩĩo nĩ Ayahudi othe arĩa maatũũraga kũu.
There a man called Ananias came to see me. He was a religious man who observed the law, and was highly respected by the Jews who lived in the town.
13 Agĩũka na akĩrũgama hakuhĩ na niĩ akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Mũrũ wa ithe witũ Saũlũ, cooka kuona!’ Na hĩndĩ o ro ĩyo ngĩhota kũmuona.
He stood in front of me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive back your sight.’ At that very moment I could see again, and I looked at him.
14 “Agĩcooka akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ngai wa maithe maitũ nĩagũthuurĩte nĩguo ũmenye wendi wake na wone Ũrĩa Mũthingu, o na ũigue ciugo kuuma kanua gake.
He told me, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, to see the one who is truly good and right, and to listen to what he has to say to you.
15 Nĩũgũtuĩka mũira wake kũrĩ andũ othe wa kũmoimbũrĩra ũrĩa wonete na ũrĩa ũiguĩte.
You will testify for him to everyone about what you have seen and heard. So what are you waiting for?
16 Rĩu nĩ kĩĩ wetereire? Ũkĩra, ũbatithio na ũthambio mehia maku, ũgĩkayagĩra rĩĩtwa rĩake.’
Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins as you call on his name.’
17 “Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndaacookire Jerusalemu, ndĩ hekarũ-inĩ ngĩhooya nĩndagĩire na iringi,
I returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.
18 ngĩkĩona Mwathani akĩaria, nake akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ũkĩra narua uume Jerusalemu, tondũ matiigwĩtĩkĩra kumbũrĩrwo ũhoro wakwa nĩwe.’
I saw a vision of the Lord telling me, ‘Hurry! You need to leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept what you are telling them about me.’
19 “Na niĩ ngĩcookia atĩrĩ, ‘Mwathani, andũ aya nĩmooĩ atĩ ndoimaga thunagogi ĩmwe ngathiĩ ĩrĩa ĩngĩ nĩguo nyiitithie na hũũre andũ arĩa magwĩtĩkĩtie.
I replied, ‘Lord, they certainly know that I went from synagogue to synagogue, beating and imprisoning those who trusted in you.
20 Na rĩrĩa Stefano mũira waku aaitirwo thakame, ndaarũngiĩ ho ngĩĩtĩkĩra ũndũ ũcio wĩkwo, na ngaikaria nguo cia andũ arĩa maamũũragire.’
When Stephen was killed for testifying about you I was standing there in full agreement with those who killed him, holding their coats for them.’
21 “Nake Mwathani akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Thiĩ, tondũ nĩngũgũtũma kũndũ kũraya kwa andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ.’”
The Lord told me, ‘Leave now, for I am sending you far away to the foreigners.’”
22 Kĩrĩndĩ kĩu gĩgĩthikĩrĩria Paũlũ o nginya rĩrĩa oigire ũguo. Hĩndĩ ĩyo gĩkĩaria na mũgambo mũnene kĩanĩrĩire, atĩrĩ, “Mweheriei thĩ! Ndagĩrĩirwo nĩgũtũũra muoyo!”
Up until this point they had listened to what he was saying, but then they started shouting, “Get rid of this man from the earth—he doesn't deserve to live!”
23 Na rĩrĩa kĩanagĩrĩra gĩgĩteaga nguo ciakĩo na gĩkĩũmbũraga rũkũngũ,
They screamed and tore off their coats and threw dust into the air.
24 mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ agĩathana Paũlũ aingĩrio nyũmba ya thigari. Ningĩ agĩathana atĩ Paũlũ ahũũrwo iboko na orio ciũria nĩguo kũmenyeke kĩrĩa gĩatũmaga andũ mamugĩrĩrie ũguo.
The commander ordered Paul brought into the fortress, and gave orders for him to be interrogated by flogging so he could find out the reason people were shouting so much against Paul.
25 Na rĩrĩa maamũkomagia mamũhũũre-rĩ, Paũlũ akĩũria mũnene ũcio wa thigari igana rĩmwe warũngiĩ hau atĩrĩ, “Watho nĩwĩtĩkĩrĩtie mũhũũre raiya wa Roma na kĩboko atanyiitĩkanĩte na ihĩtia?”
As they stretched him out and tied him down to flog him, Paul asked the centurion standing there, “Is it legal to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't had a trial?”
26 Rĩrĩa mũnene ũcio wa thigari igana rĩmwe aaiguire ũguo, agĩthiĩ kũrĩ mũnene wa mbũtũ, akĩmũhe ũhoro ũcio. Nake akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ũgwĩka atĩa? Mũndũ ũyũ nĩ raiya wa Roma.”
When the centurion heard what Paul said, he went to the commander and asked him, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen.”
27 Mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ agĩthiĩ kũrĩ Paũlũ, akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ta njĩĩra atĩrĩ, wee ũrĩ raiya wa Roma?” Nake akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ, ndĩ raiya wa Roma.”
The commander came, and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul replied, “Yes I am.”
28 Nake mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ndarĩhire thogora mũnene nĩgeetha nduĩke raiya wa Roma.” Nake Paũlũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “No niĩ ndaaciarirwo ndĩ raiya wa Roma.”
“I paid a lot of money to buy Roman citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 Nao andũ arĩa meendaga kũmũũria ciũria magĩtigana nake o rĩmwe. Mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ we mwene akĩmaka aamenya atĩ nĩoheete Paũlũ na mĩnyororo, na aarĩ raiya wa Roma.
Those who were about to interrogate Paul left immediately. The commander was worried when he found out that Paul was a Roman citizen because he had placed him in chains.
30 Mũthenya ũcio ũngĩ warũmĩrĩire, nĩgũkorwo mũnene ũcio wa mbũtũ nĩeendaga kũmenya wega kĩrĩa Ayahudi maathitangagĩra Paũlũ, akĩmuohora na agĩathana athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene na athuuri othe a Kĩama magomane. Agĩcooka akĩrehe Paũlũ, na akĩmũrũgamia mbere yao.
The next day, wanting to find out the reason why the Jews were accusing Paul, he had him released and taken before the chief priests and the whole council which he ordered to assemble. He had Paul brought down and placed him before them.
