Ọrụ Ndị Ozi 26
1 Agripa gwara Pọl, “Ị nwere ike i kwuru ọnụ gị.” Mgbe ahụ, Pọl gbasara aka ya abụọ bido ikwu okwu ịgọrọ onwe ya,
Agrippa then said to Paul, “You are free to speak on your own behalf.” With a sweep of his arm, Paul began his defense.
2 “Ana m agụ onwe m dịka onye nwere ihuọma, eze Agripa, inwe ohere ọma dị otu a, ịzara ọnụ m nʼihu gị nʼihe niile metụtara ebubo ndị Juu na-ebo m.
“I am delighted, King Agrippa, to make my defense before you today regarding everything I am accused of by the Jews,
3 Nke ka nke, amatara m na omenaala ndị Juu na ịrụ ụka metụtara iwu ha doro gị anya. Biko ana m arịọ gị ka i jiri ndidi gee m ntị.
particularly because you are an expert in all Jewish issues and customs. I beg your patient indulgence as you listen to what I have to say.
4 “Ndị Juu niile maara ibi ndụ m site na nwata m. Ha makwa site na mbụ, otu m si bie ndụ m niile nʼobodo nke m, nakwa nʼime Jerusalem.
All the Jews know my life story—from my earliest days beginning in my own country and then in Jerusalem.
5 Ha matara kemgbe ogologo oge, ha ga-agbakwa ama, ma ọ bụrụ na ha chọrọ ikwu eziokwu, na site na mbụ e biri m ndụ dịka otu onye so nʼime otu ahụ nke iwu ya dị ike karịchasịa nʼime okpukpe ndị Juu, nke bụ otu ndị Farisii.
They have known me for a long time and can verify, if they choose to, that I have followed the religious school that observes our faith in the strictest way—I lived as a Pharisee.
6 Ma ugbu a, a na-ekpe m ikpe nʼihi na enwere m olileanya na nkwa ahụ Chineke kwere nna nna anyị ochie ha.
Now I am standing here to be judged regarding the promised hope God gave to our fathers
7 Nkwa nke ebo iri na abụọ niile na-ele anya ịnata mgbe ha na-efe ofufe ehihie na abalị. Eze Agripa, ọ bụ nʼihi olileanya a, gị onye a na-asọpụrụ, ka ndị Juu ji na-ebo m ebubo.
that our twelve tribes hoped to receive as they continually dedicated themselves in God's service. Yes, it's because of this hope that I'm accused by the Jews, Your Majesty!
8 Gịnị mere unu jiri na-eche na ọ rara Chineke ahụ ime ka ndị nwụrụ anwụ site nʼọnwụ bilie?
Why should any of you think it's unbelievable that God raises the dead?
9 “Na mbụ, anara m eche na apụrụ m imeso aha Jisọs onye Nazaret mmeso ọjọọ niile.
Previously I was sincerely convinced I should do as much as I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 Otu a ka m mere na Jerusalem. Ọ bụghị naanị na m natara ikike nʼaka ndịisi nchụaja jiri ya kpọchie ọtụtụ ndị nsọ nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, ewelikwara m aka elu nʼoge a na-ama ha ikpe ọnwụ.
This is what I did in Jerusalem. I threw many of the believers in prison, having been given authority to do this by the chief priests. When they were sentenced to death I cast my vote against them.
11 Ọtụtụ mgbe ka m hụrụ na a tara ha ahụhụ nʼụlọ nzukọ niile. Agbalịrị m ịkwagide ha ka ha kwuo arụ ma kwutọkwa okwukwe ha. Nʼihi na iwe m dị ọkụ megide ha, esogburu m ha nʼobodo dị iche iche nke na-abụghị obodo ndị Juu.
I had them punished in all the synagogues, trying to make them recant. I was so furiously opposed to them that I went to cities outside our country to persecute them.
12 “Nʼihi nke a, a gara m Damaskọs site nʼikike na nkwenye nke ndịisi nchụaja. Anatakwara m ike nʼaka ndịisi nchụaja.
That's why one day I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and orders from the chief priests.
13 Nʼoge ehihie, eze Agripa, mgbe mụ na ndị otu m na-aga nʼụzọ, gị onye a na-asọpụrụ, ka m hụrụ ìhè nke na-acha karịa anyanwụ ka o si nʼeluigwe chaa m na ndị mụ na ha so gburugburu.
At about noon as I was on my way, Your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven that blazed brighter than the sun. It shone around me and those who were traveling with me.
14 Anyị niile dara nʼala. Ma anụrụ m olu gwara m okwu nʼasụsụ Hibru, ‘Sọl! Sọl! Gịnị mere i ji na-akpagbu m? Ị na-emerụ onwe gị ahụ site nʼịkpọ ụkwụ na ndụdụ e ji achị ehi.’
All of us fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It's hard for you to fight against me!’
15 “Asịrị m, ‘Ị bụ onye, Onyenwe anyị?’ “Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘Abụ m Jisọs onye ị na-akpagbu.
‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, the one you're persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
16 Ugbu a, bilie, kwụrụ ọtọ! Nʼihi na-emere m ka ị hụ m anya, ka m họpụta gị ka ị bụrụ onyeozi m na onye akaebe m. Ị ga-emekwa ka ụwa niile mara ihe banyere nzute a i zutere m taa, na ọtụtụ mgbe ọzọ m ga-ezute gị.
‘But pick yourself up and get to your feet. The reason why I've appeared to you is to appoint you as my servant, to be a witness for me, telling others how you have seen me and everything I will reveal to you.
17 Aga m azọpụta gị site nʼaka ndị nke gị na sitekwa nʼaka ndị mba ọzọ, ndị m na-eziga gị ka i jekwuru.
I will save you from your own people and from the foreigners. I am sending you to them
18 Imeghe anya ha mee ka ha si nʼọchịchịrị lọghachi banye nʼìhè, sikwa nʼike nke ekwensu lọghachikwute Chineke. Ka ha site nʼokwukwe ha nwere nʼebe m nọ nata mgbaghara mmehie ha, ketakwa oke ahụ dị ngọzị nʼetiti ndị e doro nsọ.’
to open their eyes so they can turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, and so that they can receive forgiveness for their sins and a place with those who are set right as they trust in me.’
19 “Ya mere, eze Agripa, enupughị m isi nʼọhụ nke eluigwe ahụ.
Clearly, King Agrippa, I could not disobey this vision from heaven.
20 Ebidoro m izisa oziọma a na Damaskọs. Emekwara m otu a na Jerusalem na nʼime Judịa niile na nʼetiti ndị mba ọzọ. Ana m ekwusa mkpa ọ dị ka mmadụ niile nwee nchegharị lọghachikwute Chineke. Ka ha gosikwa nchegharị ha site nʼezi ọrụ nke ha na-arụ.
First in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and then all over Judea and also to the foreigners I shared the message of repentance: how they should turn to God, demonstrating their repentance through their actions.
21 Ọ bụ nʼihi nke a ka ndị Juu jiri nwụchie m nʼụlọnsọ ukwu ahụ ma chọsiekwa ụzọ ike ịnapụ m ndụ m.
That's why the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.
22 Ma Chineke chebere m mee ka m bụrụ onye dị ndụ taa, ịkọrọ mmadụ niile akụkọ a, ndị ukwu na ndị nta. Ihe m na-ekwu bụkwa ihe ndị amụma na Mosis kwuru na ọ ga-emezu,
God has looked after me so I can stand here today as a witness to everyone, both to ordinary people and to those who are important. I am only repeating what Moses and the prophets said would happen—
23 na Kraịst ahụ ga-ahụ ahụhụ, bụrụkwa onye mbụ ga-esi nʼọnwụ bilie, iwetara ndị Juu na ndị mba ọzọ ìhè.”
how the Messiah had to suffer, and that by being the first to rise from the dead he would announce the light of God's salvation to both Jews and foreigners.”
24 Mgbe ọ na-agọpụ onwe ya, Festọs tiri mkpu, “Pọl, ị bụ onye isi mebiri! Oke mmụta gị emebiela gị isi.”
Festus interrupted Paul as he made his defense, shouting out, “Paul, you've gone mad! All your knowledge is driving you insane!”
25 Ma Pọl sịrị, “Isi emebighị m, ezigbo nna anyị Festọs. Ihe m na-ekwu nʼanya udo bụ naanị eziokwu.
“I'm not mad, Festus your Excellency,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and makes sense.
26 Eze nʼonwe ya makwaara ihe ndị a niile, nʼihi ya ejighị m egwu ọbụla agwa ya okwu a. Ekwenyere m na ọ dịghị ihe ọbụla nʼime ihe ndị a merenụ nke ezonarịrị ya, nʼihi na o nweghị nke mere na nzuzo.
The king recognizes this, and I'm explaining it very clearly. I am sure that he is aware of what's been happening, because none of this took place as if it were hidden in a corner.
27 Gị eze Agripa, i kwenyeghị na ndị amụma? Amaara m na i kweere.”
King Agrippa, do you believe what the prophets said? I'm sure you do!”
28 Mgbe ahụ Agripa sịrị, “Pọl, ị na-achọ nʼime ntakịrị oge a ịkwagide m ka m bụrụ onye kwere na Kraịst?”
“Do you think you can convince me to become a Christian so quickly?” Agrippa asked Paul.
29 Ma Pọl sịrị, “Ọ gaara atọ m ụtọ ma ọ bụrụ na Chineke ga-ekwe, mee ka gị na ndị niile nọ nʼebe a bụrụ ihe mụ onwe m bụ nʼime Kraịst ma ewezuga agbụ ndị a.”
“Whether it takes a short time or a long time doesn't matter,” Paul answered. “But my prayer to God is that not just you, but everybody listening to me today would become like me—except for these chains!”
30 Mgbe ahụ eze biliri ọtọ, ya na Festọs na Benaisi nwunye ya na ndị ọzọ niile ya na ha nọ nʼoche.
The king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice, and everyone who had been sitting with them.
31 Mgbe ha na-apụ, ha kwurịtara nʼonwe ha, “Nwoke a emeghị ihe ọbụla kwesiri ọnwụ maọbụ ịga mkpọrọ.”
They conferred together after they had left. “This man hasn't done anything that deserves death or imprisonment,” they concluded.
32 Agripa gwara Festọs, “A gaara a hapụ nwoke a ma ọ bụrụ na o nyefeghị Siza ikpe ya.”
Agrippa told Festus, “He could have been freed if he hadn't appealed to Caesar.”
