< Mabasa 22 >
1 “Hama nemi madzibaba, teererai kuzvidavirira kwangu zvino.”
"Brethren and fathers," he said, "listen to my defence which I now make before you."
2 Pavakanzwa achitaura kwavari nechiHebheru, vakanyanya kunyarara. Ipapo Pauro akati,
And on hearing him address them in Hebrew, they kept all the more quiet; and he said,
3 “Ini ndiri muJudha, akaberekerwa kuTasasi yeSirisia, asi ndakarerwa muguta rino. Pasi paGamarieri ndakanyatsodzidziswa mutemo wamadzibaba edu uye ndakanga ndichishingairira Mwari sezvamunoita imi nhasi.
"I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I was carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers, and, like all of you to-day, was zealous for God.
4 Ndakatambudza vateveri veNzira iyi kusvikira pakufa kwavo, ndichisunga zvose varume navakadzi ndichivaisa mutorongo,
I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women and throwing them into prison;
5 sezvandingapupurirwawo nomuprista mukuru namakurukota ose. Ndakapiwa matsamba aibva kwavari okuenda nawo kuhama dzavo dzaiva muDhamasiko, ndikaenda ikoko kuti ndinouya navanhu ava kuJerusarema savasungwa kuti vazorangwa.
as the High Priest also and all the Elders can bear me witness. It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus, intending to bring those also who had fled there, in chains to Jerusalem, to be punished.
6 “Nenguva dzinenge dzamasikati pandakanga ndoswedera pedyo neDhamasiko, pakarepo chiedza chakabva kudenga chikandipenyera kumativi ose.
"But on my way, when I was now not far from Damascus, about noon a sudden blaze of light from Heaven shone round me.
7 Ndakawira pasi ndikanzwa inzwi richiti kwandiri, ‘Sauro! Sauro! Unonditambudzireiko?’
I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'
8 “Ndakati, ‘Ndimi aniko, Ishe?’ “Iye akati, ‘Ndini Jesu weNazareta, wauri kutambudza.’
"'Who art thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus, the Nazarene,' He replied, 'whom you are persecuting.'
9 Shamwari dzangu dzakaona chiedza, asi hadzina kunzwa inzwi raiye akanga achitaura neni.
"Now the men who were with me, though they saw the light, did not hear the words of Him who spoke to me.
10 “Ndakabvunza ndikati, ‘Munoda kuti ndiiteiko Ishe?’ “Ishe akati, ‘Simuka, upinde muDhamasiko. Imomo ndimo mauchandoudzwa zvose zvawakatarirwa kuti uite.’
And I asked, "'What am I to do, Lord?' "And the Lord said to me, "'Rise, and go into Damascus. There you shall be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.'
11 Shamwari dzangu dzakandisesedza pakupinda kwangu muDhamasiko, nokuti kuvaima kwechiedza kwakanga kwandipofumadza.
"And as I could not see because the light had been so dazzling, those who were with me had to lead me by the arm, and so I came to Damascus.
12 “Murume ainzi Ananiasi akauya kuzondiona. Akanga akazvipira pakunamata Mwari nokucherechedza murayiro uye aikudzwa zvikuru navaJudha vose vaigaramo.
"And a certain Ananias, a pious man who obeyed the Law and bore a good character with all the Jews of the city,
13 Akamira neni akati, ‘Hama Pauro, chiona!’ uye nenguva yakare iyoyo ndakakwanisa kumuona.
came to me and standing at my side said, "'Brother Saul, recover your sight.' "I instantly regained my sight and looked up at him.
14 “Ipapo akati, ‘Mwari wamadzibaba edu akusarudza iwe kuti uzive kuda kwake uone Iye Akarurama uye unzwe mashoko anobva mumuromo make.
Then he said, 'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the righteous One and hear Him speak.
15 Uchava chapupu chake kuvanhu vose, chezvawakaona nezvawakanzwa.
For you shall be a witness for Him, to all men, of what you have seen and heard.
16 Saka zvino wakamirireiko? Simuka ubhabhatidzwe usukwe zvivi zvako, udane kuzita rake.’
And now why delay? Rise, get yourself baptized, and wash off your sins, calling upon His name.'
17 “Pandakadzokera kuJerusarema, uye ndichinyengetera ndiri mutemberi, ndakabatwa nomweya
"After my return to Jerusalem, and while praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.
18 ndikaona Ishe achitaura kwandiri achiti, ‘Kurumidza kubva muJerusarema izvozvi, nokuti vanhu havangagamuchiri uchapupu hwako.’
I saw Jesus, and He said to me, "'Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'
19 “Ndakapindura ndikati, ‘Ishe, vanhu ava vanoziva kuti ndakanga ndichienda musinagoge rimwe nerimwe kuti ndinosunga uye ndirove vaya vaitenda kwamuri.
"'Lord,' I replied, 'they themselves well know how active I was in imprisoning, and in flogging in synagogue after synagogue those who believe in Thee;
20 Uye pavakateura ropa raSitefani chapupu chenyu, ndakanga ndimirepo ndichitenderana nazvo uye ndakachengeta nhumbi dzaivo vaimuuraya.’
and when they were shedding the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, I was standing by, fully approving of it, and I held the clothes of those who were killing him.'
21 “Ipapo Ishe akati kwandiri, ‘Enda, nokuti ndichakutuma kure kune veDzimwe Ndudzi.’”
"'Go,' He replied; 'I will send you as an Apostle to nations far away.'"
22 Vanhu vakamuteerera kusvikira ataura izvi. Ipapo vakadanidzira vachiti, “Mubvisei panyika! Haafaniri kurarama!”
Until they heard this last statement the people listened to Paul, but now with a roar of disapproval they cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He ought not to be allowed to live."
23 Pavakanga vachiita mheremhere vachikanda nguo dzavo pasi, uye vachikushira ivhu mudenga,
And when they continued their furious shouts, throwing their clothes into the air and flinging dust about,
24 mukuru wavarwi akarayira kuti Pauro aendeswe kudzimba dzavarwi. Akarayira kuti arohwe uye abvunzwe kuitira kuti vazive kuti nemhaka yei vanhu vakanga vachimupopotera kudai.
the Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and be examined by flogging, in order to ascertain the reason why they thus cried out against him.
25 Pavakamusunga kuti vamurove, Pauro akati kumukuru wezana akanga amirepo, “Munotenderwa here nomutemo kuti murove muRoma, asina kana kutombowanikwa ane mhosva?”
But, when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul said to the Captain who stood by, "Does the Law permit you to flog a Roman citizen--and one too who is uncondemned?"
26 Mukuru wezana akati anzwa izvi, akaenda kumukuru wavarwi akandomuzivisa izvozvo, akati, “Muchaita seiko zvino? Munhu uyu muRoma.”
On hearing this question, the Captain went to report the matter to the Tribune. "What are you intending to do?" he said. "This man is a Roman citizen."
27 Mukuru wavarwi akaenda kuna Pauro akati, “Nditaurire, uri muRoma here iwe?” Akapindura akati, “Hongu, ndiri muRoma.”
So the Tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.
28 Mukuru wehondo akati, “Ini ndakaita zvokutenga nomutengo mukuru kuti ndive muRoma.” Pauro akati, “Ini ndakaberekwa ndiri muRoma.”
"I paid a large sum for my citizenship," said the Tribune. "But I was born free," said Paul.
29 Vaya vakanga voda kumubvunza vakabva varega pakarepo. Mukuru wamauto pachake akatya paakaona kuti akanga asunga Pauro, muRoma, nengetani.
So the men who had been on the point of putting him under torture immediately left him. And the Tribune, too, was frightened when he learnt that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.
30 Zuva rakatevera, sezvo mukuru wavarwi aida kuziva chaizvoizvo kuti sei Pauro akanga achipomerwa mhosva navaJudha, akamusunungura akarayira kuti vaprista vakuru neDare Guru ravaJudha vaungane. Ipapo akatora Pauro akamumisa pamberi pavo.
The next day, wishing to know exactly what charge was being brought against him by the Jews, the Tribune ordered his chains to be removed; and, having sent word to the High Priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble, he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.