Imbombo zya Atume 26
1 U Agripa wabhuula uPaulo, `Uruhusiwe ahwitetele. 'U Paulo wabhusya ukhono gwakwe wahwitetela.
Turning to Paul, Agrippa said, “You are at liberty to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.
2 “Ehwilola endi nu luseshelo, wu Mfumu Agripa, alole enongwa yane elongwa nawe hwibha bhabhandonga Ayahudi.
“I have been congratulating myself, King Agrippa,” he said, “that it is before you that I have to make my defense today, with regard to all the charges brought against me by my own people,
3 Nantele awe uli taalamu hu destuli zya Ayahudi na maswali eshi elabha untelejezye.
especially as you are so well-versed in all the customs and questions of the Jewish world. I beg you therefore to give me a patient hearing.
4 Lyoli Ayahudi bhaminye shanakhiye afume huwana wane hwitaifa lyane hula hu Yerusalemu.
My life, then, from youth upwards, was passed, from the very first, among my own nation, and in Jerusalem, and is within the knowledge of all Jews;
5 Bhaminye ahwande hali nantele bhahwanziwa ahwitishe huje ane nali Farisayo, idhahabu lyalili nu msimamo ukhali hu dini yetu.
and they have always known – if they choose to give evidence – that, in accordance with the very strictest form of our religion, I lived a true Pharisee.
6 Eshi inemeleye epa elongwa hu sababu lulagano lwabhaise bhetu lwabhalagine nu Ngulubhi aliifanya na baba zetu.
Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial –
7 Olulagano olu lwemakabila getu ilongo nazibhili, bhasubhila nkashele bhaihuputa Ungulubhi humwoyo gwonti usiku na pasanya, nongwa yelusubhilo olu Ayahudi bhandonga na nshitaki wu mfumu Agripa.
A promise which our twelve tribes, by earnest service night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused – and by Jews themselves!
8 Eshi amwe yeenu sigamusibha huje Ungulubhi azyusya abhantu bhabhafwiye?
Why do you all hold it incredible that God should raise the dead?
9 Lumo isibha huje ingabhombile zimo hwitawa lya Yesu wa hu Nazareti.
I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way the name of Jesus of Nazareth;
10 Nabhombile ezi hu Yerusalemu; Nabhafunjile mwijela, nahali ne mamlaka afume hwa gosi bheshibhanza abhombe isho; nabhabhabudaga nabhakhomiye ekura aje bhabudwe.
and I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the chief priests, I myself threw many of the people of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it.
11 Nabhapiye eadhabu mumasinagogi gonti nantele nabhasababisizye huje bhakhane ulwitiho lwabho, naali ni lyoyo nabho, nabhabhinjile ata hu jenyi.
Time after time, in every synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders.
12 isho, nabhalile hu Dameski, endi na mamlaka afume hwa gosi bheshibhanza;
It was while I was traveling to Damascus on an errand of this kind, entrusted with full powers by the chief priests,
13 nahwabha pasanya, Mfumu, nahalulola ulukhozyo ulukhali ashile ulwisanya, lwahatizyungula tenti.
that at midday, your Majesty, I saw right in my path, coming from the heavens, a light brighter than the glare of the sun, which shone all around me and those traveling with me.
14 Tenti tahagwa pansi ane nahumvwa izu lifuma humwanya liyiga Sauli, Sauli! Yeenu uhumvisya? Awe sigaubhajiye apane neteke elimvwa.
We all fell to the ground, and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew – ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? By kicking against the goad you are punishing yourself.’
15 Ane nabhuuzya, 'Awe nanu, Ngosi?' Umwene waga, 'Ane ne Yesu wuntesa.
‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;
16 Eshi imilila na manama gaho; ane embonishe huliwe, isaluye huje ubhe bhomba mbombo wanena, ubhe keti wane hugaala gugalolile na gamwabho gembahulanje pamande;
but get up and stand upright; for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you a servant and a witness of those revelations of me which you have already had, and of those in which I will yet appear to you,
17 ane Embahuhwokole na bhantu, abhantu bha huula hwa Mataifa hwehutuma,
since I am choosing you out from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,
18 bhigushe amaso bhepemunkisi bhenze hulukhozyo bhepe hwikhone lya shetani bhagalushile Ungulubhi; ili bhaposhele uusajile wawe mbibhi na bhaposhele ugaale wembabhishiye bhala bhembasaluye hulwitiho lwaluli huline.
to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may receive pardon for their sins, and a place among those who have become God’s people, by faith in me.’
19 Eshi, awe mfumu Agripa, ane siga imbajiye akhane embonesyo ezya humwanya,
After that, King Agrippa, I did not fail to obey the heavenly vision;
20 bhaala bhabhli hu Yerusalemu na hunsi yonti eya hu Yudea, na huula hwa bhantu bha mataifa aganji, nabhalumbiliye huje bhabhombe enyinza zyazibhoneha huje bhalambile.
on the contrary, first to those at Damascus and Jerusalem, and then through the whole of Judea, and to the Gentiles as well, I began to preach repentance and conversion to God, and a life befitting that repentance.
21 Hwilyo Ayahudi bhahata mushibhanza, bhalinga ambude.
This is why some men seized me in the Temple, and made attempts on my life.
22 Eshi Ungulubhi amavwizye paka enfishile epa, eshi ihwimilila nayanje hwa bhantu bhekawaida na hwabhaala agosi ayanje zilazyabhayanjile akuwa nu Musa bhayanjile huje zyaifumila ne siyo eshenje;
However I have received help from God to this very day, and so stand here, and bear my testimony to high and low alike – without adding a word to what the prophets, as well as Moses, declared should happen –
23 huje uKilisti ailabha na aibha wa hwande azyushe afume hwa bhafwe na tangazye ulukhozyo hwa Yahudi na hwa bhantu abha mataifa.
That the Christ must suffer, and that, by rising from the dead, he was destined to be the first to bring news of light, not only to our nation, but also to the Gentiles.”
24 U Paulo nawamala ahwitetele, u Festo wabhula, 'u Paulo, huje awe ulipelusu embazyo zyaho zibhishile huje ubhe pelusu.
While Paul was making this defense, Festus called out loudly, “You are mad, Paul; your great learning is driving you mad.”
25 Lelo uPaulo waga ane siga endipelusu ane eyanga ezyelyoli wene.
“I am not mad, your Excellency,” he replied. “On the contrary, the statements that I am making are true and sober.
26 Umfumu umwene azimenye ezi; ane eyanga nuwaushe wonti ane emenye huje nalimo lyalyubhile hwamwene ega gonti sigagabhombishe panshenje.
Indeed, the king knows about these matters, so I speak before him without constraint. I am sure that there is nothing whatever of what I have been telling him that has escaped his attention; for all this has not been done in a corner.
27 Eshi awe Mfumu ubhitiha akuwa lelo emenye huje ubhitiha. '
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 U Agripa wabhuzya uPaulo, 'Sheshi nanali ubhajiye ambishe nanii huje imbe Mkristo?
But Agrippa said to Paul, “You are soon trying to make a Christian of me!”
29 U Paulo waga, “'Ibhesheshi awe patalii ihulaabha Ungulubhi huje amwe mwenti mubhe neshi ane, lelo siga ilaabha huje mupinywe neshi ane na manyoro ga mwijela.
“Whether it is soon or late,” answered Paul, “I pray to God that not only you, but all who are listening to me, might today become just what I am myself – except for these chains!”
30 Umfumu wimilila, nu liwali, nu Bernike na bhamwabho bhonti bhabhali nabho,
Then the king rose, with the Governor and Bernice and those who had been sitting with them,
31 nabhasogola bhayangana bheene bhaga, 'Umuntu unu sigatulile enongwa zya huje afwe wala afungwe.'
and, after retiring, discussed the case among themselves. “There is nothing,” they said, “deserving death or imprisonment in this man’s conduct”;
32 U Agripa wabhuula uFesto, “Huje umuntu tenzaga huleshele handasiga akasile ulufaa hwa Kaisari.”
and, speaking to Festus, Agrippa added, “The man might have been discharged, if he had not appealed to the Emperor.”
