Mahi 26
1 Na ko te meatanga a Akaripa ki a Paora, E ahei ana koe kia korero i au korero. Katahi ka totoro te ringa o Paora, a ka korero ia:
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 He koanga ngakau tenei ki ahau, e Kingi Akaripa, kia korerotia e ahau ki a koe aianei nga mea katoa e whakawakia nei ahau e nga Hurai:
“I am delighted, King Agrippa, to make my defense before you today regarding everything I am accused of by the Jews,
3 He mohio rawa hoki koe ki nga ritenga katoa, ki nga tautohe hoki ano a nga Hurai: na reira kia pai koe ki te whakarongo marie ki ahau.
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 Ko taku whakahaere mai o toku tamarikitanga, no te timatanga mai ra ano i roto i toku iwi, i Hiruharama hoki, e mohio ana nga Hurai katoa;
All the Jews know my life story—from my earliest days beginning in my own country and then in Jerusalem.
5 Mohio tonu ratou ki ahau o mua iho, me i pai ratou ki te whakaatu; ko taku mahi, i whai i ta te titorehanga pakeke rawa o to tatou karakia, i ta te Parihi.
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 Tenei ahau te tu nei i konei, te whakawakia nei mo te tumanako ki te mea i korerotia e te Atua i mua ki o tatou matua:
Now I am standing here to be judged regarding the promised hope God gave to our fathers
7 E tumanako nei o tatou iwi kotahi tekau ma rua kia uru ki tenei, i a ratou e mahi tonu nei ki te Atua i te ao, i te po. Ko tenei e tumanakohia atu nei e te kingi, te mea e whakawakia nei ahau e nga Hurai.
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 He aha rawa kia kore e whakaponohia e koutou, ki te mea ka whakaara ake te Atua i te hunga mate?
Why should any of you think it's unbelievable that God raises the dead?
9 Ko ahau nei, i whakaaro ahau kia maha tonu nga mea e mahia e ahau hei pehi mo te ingoa o Ihu o Nahareta.
Previously I was sincerely convinced I should do as much as I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 Ae, i meinga ano tenei e ahau ki Hiruharama: he tokomaha ano te hunga tapu i uakina e ahau ki nga whare herehere, he mea tuku mai hoki nga tikanga na nga tohunga nui ki ahau; a, i te whakamatenga i a ratou, i whakaae ahau kia peratia ratou.
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 He maha ano aku whiunga i a ratou i roto i nga whare karakia katoa, i meinga ano ratou e ahau kia kohukohu; heoi haurangi noa iho ahau ki a ratou, whaia ana e ahau, a taea noatia nga pa o tawhiti.
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 Nawai a, i ahau e haere ana ki Ramahiku, me nga tikanga, me te kupu whakaae a nga tohunga nui,
That's why one day I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and orders from the chief priests.
13 I te poutumarotanga, e te kingi, ka kitea e ahau i te ara he marama i te rangi e tiaho ana ki ahau, ki oku hoa haere ano, tera atu i te marama o te ra.
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 Heoi hinga ana matou katoa ki te whenua, ka rongo ahau i te reo e korero ana ki ahau, no nga Hiperu ano hoki te reo, e mea ana, E Haora, e Haora, he aha tau e whakatoi nei i ahau? ehara tau te whana ki nga koikoi.
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 Ano ra ko ahau, Ko wai koe, e te Ariki? Ka mea ia, Ko Ihu ahau e whakatoia nei e koe.
‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, the one you're persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
16 Otira whakatika, e tu ou waewae ki runga: ko te mea tenei i puta ai ahau ki a koe, kia meinga koe hei kaimahi, hei kaiwhakaatu mo nga mea i kite nei koe, mo nga mea ano e kitea ai ahau e koe.
‘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 Ka whakaorangia koe i te iwi, i nga Tauiwi, ka tonoa nei koe e ahau ki a ratou.
I will save you from your own people and from the foreigners. I am sending you to them
18 Hei whakatitiro i o ratou kanohi, hei whakatahuri i a ratou i te pouri ki te marama, i te kaha o Hatana ki te Atua, kia whiwhi ai ratou ki te murunga hara, ki tetahi wahi ano i roto i te hunga ka oti te whakatapu i runga i te whakapono ki ahau.
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 No reira, kihai ahau i whakatuturi, e Kingi Akaripa, ki to te rangi kitenga:
Clearly, King Agrippa, I could not disobey this vision from heaven.
20 Heoi i korero ahau ki te hunga i Ramahiku i te tuatahi, a i Hiruharama, ki te whenua katoa ano o Huria, ki nga Tauiwi hoki, kia ripeneta, kia tahuri ki te Atua, me te mahi ano i nga mahi tika o te ripeneta.
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 No reira nga Hurai i hopu ai i ahau i te temepara, i whai ai ki te whakamate i ahau.
That's why the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.
22 Heoi ka awhinatia mai ahau e te Atua, ka tu tonu nei ahau, a mohoa noa nei, me te korero ki te iti, ki te rahi, kahore aku kupu ke ake i ta nga poropiti ratou ko Mohi i mea ai meake puta:
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 Ara ko te Karaiti kia mate, ko ia te matamua o te aranga o te hunga mate, mana ano e whakapuaki te marama ki te iwi, ki nga Tauiwi.
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 I a ia e korero ana i enei mea, nui atu te reo o Petuha ki te karanga, E Paora, he haurangi koe; na te nui o tau korero pukapuka i haurangi ai koe.
Festus interrupted Paul as he made his defense, shouting out, “Paul, you've gone mad! All your knowledge is driving you insane!”
25 Ano ra ko ia, Kahore oku haurangi, e Petuha, e te tangata pai rawa; engari he pono, he whai whakaaro, aku kupu e whakapuaki nei.
“I'm not mad, Festus your Excellency,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and makes sense.
26 E matau ana hoki te kingi ki enei mea, i maia ai ahau ki te korero ki a ia: e mea ana hoki ahau, kahore tetahi o enei mea i ngaro i a ia; kihai hoki tenei mea i mahia i te kokonga.
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 E whakapono ana ranei koe ki nga poropiti, e Kingi Akaripa? e mea ana ahau, tenei koe te whakapono nei.
King Agrippa, do you believe what the prophets said? I'm sure you do!”
28 Ano ra ko Akaripa? ki a Paora, Wahi iti kua riro atu ahau ki tau, ki ta te Karaiti tikanga.
“Do you think you can convince me to become a Christian so quickly?” Agrippa asked Paul.
29 Na ko te meatanga a Paora, Pai tonu kia inoi ahau ki te Atua kia kaua e iti, engari kia tino nui, kia kaua ano e waiho i tou kotahi, engari kia tino rite ki ahau te hunga katoa e whakarongo nei ki ahau inaianei: ko enei mekameka ia kia kore.
“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 Na ka whakatika te kingi, me te kawana, me Pereniki, me te hunga i noho tahi ratou:
The king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice, and everyone who had been sitting with them.
31 Na, i a ratou ka wehe ke, ka korerorero ki a ratou ano, ka mea, Kahore he hanga a tenei tangata e tika ai te mate, te here ranei.
They conferred together after they had left. “This man hasn't done anything that deserves death or imprisonment,” they concluded.
32 Katahi ka mea a Akaripa ki a Petuha, Ka tukua tenei tangata kia haere, me i kaua ia te karanga ki a Hiha.
Agrippa told Festus, “He could have been freed if he hadn't appealed to Caesar.”
