Atũmwo 22
1 “Ariũ a Baba, o na inyuĩ maithe makwa, thikĩrĩriai ngĩĩyarĩrĩria.”
“Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense which I will now make to you.”
2 Rĩrĩa maaiguire akĩmaarĩria na rũthiomi rwa Kĩhibirania-rĩ, magĩkira ki. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Paũlũ akiuga atĩrĩ,
When the crowd heard Paul speak to them in the Hebrew language, they became quiet. He said,
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 of Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel. I was instructed according to the strict ways of the law of our fathers. I am zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
4 Nĩndanyariiraga arũmĩrĩri a Njĩra ĩno o nginya magakua na nganyiita arũme na andũ-a-nja ngamaikia njeera,
I persecuted this Way to the death, binding up and delivering them to prison 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 all the elders can bear witness. I received letters from them for the brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring them back in bonds to Jerusalem in order for them to be punished.
6 “Ta thaa thita ndĩ hakuhĩ gũkinya Dameski-rĩ, o rĩmwe gũkĩgĩa ũtheri mũnene woimire igũrũ, naguo ũkĩnjarĩra mĩena yothe.
It happened that when I was traveling and nearing Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light from heaven began to shine around me.
7 Ngĩgwa thĩ, na ngĩigua mũgambo mũnene ũkĩnjarĩria, ũkĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Saũlũ! Saũlũ! Ũũnyariiraga nĩkĩ?’
I fell to the ground and heard a voice say 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.’
I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'
9 Nao andũ arĩa twarĩ nao nĩmoonire ũtheri ũcio, no matiataũkĩirwo nĩ mũgambo wa ũcio wanjaragĩria.
Those who were with me saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who 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.’
I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus; there you will be told everything that you must do.'
11 Na rĩrĩ, andũ arĩa twarĩ nao makĩĩnyiita guoko makĩndwara Dameski, tondũ ũkengu wa ũtheri ũcio nĩwanduĩte mũtumumu.
I could not see because of that light's brightness, and being led by the hands of those who were with me, I came 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 I met a man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there.
13 Agĩũka na akĩrũgama hakuhĩ na niĩ akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Mũrũ wa ithe witũ Saũlũ, cooka kuona!’ Na hĩndĩ o ro ĩyo ngĩhota kũmuona.
He came to me, stood by me, and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' In that very hour I saw 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.
Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the voice coming from his own mouth.
15 Nĩũgũtuĩka mũira wake kũrĩ andũ othe wa kũmoimbũrĩra ũrĩa wonete na ũrĩa ũiguĩte.
For you shall be a witness for him to all men about what you have seen and heard.
16 Rĩu nĩ kĩĩ wetereire? Ũkĩra, ũbatithio na ũthambio mehia maku, ũgĩkayagĩra rĩĩtwa rĩake.’
Now why are you waiting? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'
17 “Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndaacookire Jerusalemu, ndĩ hekarũ-inĩ ngĩhooya nĩndagĩire na iringi,
After I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, it happened that I was given a vision.
18 ngĩkĩona Mwathani akĩaria, nake akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Ũkĩra narua uume Jerusalemu, tondũ matiigwĩtĩkĩra kumbũrĩrwo ũhoro wakwa nĩwe.’
I saw him say to me, 'Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony 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 said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you in every synagogue.
20 Na rĩrĩa Stefano mũira waku aaitirwo thakame, ndaarũngiĩ ho ngĩĩtĩkĩra ũndũ ũcio wĩkwo, na ngaikaria nguo cia andũ arĩa maamũũragire.’
When the blood of Stephen your witness was spilled, I also was standing by and agreeing, and I was guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.'
21 “Nake Mwathani akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Thiĩ, tondũ nĩngũgũtũma kũndũ kũraya kwa andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ.’”
But he said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'”
22 Kĩrĩndĩ kĩu gĩgĩthikĩrĩria Paũlũ o nginya rĩrĩa oigire ũguo. Hĩndĩ ĩyo gĩkĩaria na mũgambo mũnene kĩanĩrĩire, atĩrĩ, “Mweheriei thĩ! Ndagĩrĩirwo nĩgũtũũra muoyo!”
They listened to him until he said this. Then they shouted and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not right that he should live.”
23 Na rĩrĩa kĩanagĩrĩra gĩgĩteaga nguo ciakĩo na gĩkĩũmbũraga rũkũngũ,
As they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and throwing 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 chief captain commanded Paul to be brought into the fortress. He ordered that he should be questioned with scourging, so that he himself might know why they were shouting against him like that.
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?”
When they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and who has not been put on 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 this, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For 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 chief captain came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul said, “Yes.”
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.”
The chief captain answered, “It was only with a large amount of money that I acquired citizenship.” But Paul said, “I was born a Roman citizen.”
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.
Then the men who were going to question him left him immediately. The chief captain also was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, because he had tied him up.
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.
On the next day, the chief captain wanted to know the truth about the Jews' accusations against Paul. So he untied his bonds and ordered the chief priests and all the council to meet. Then he brought Paul down and placed him in their midst.
