Mabasa 22
1 Varume, hama, nemadzibaba, inzwai kuzvidavirira kwangu ikozvino kwamuri.
Brethren, and fathers, hearken to my defence before you.
2 Vakati vachinzwa kuti anotaura nerurimi rwechiHebheru kwavari, vakanyanya kunyarara, zvino akati:
And when they perceived that he addressed them in Hebrew, they were the more quiet: and he said to them:
3 Ini ndiri zvirokwazvo murume muJudha, wakaberekerwa muTaso yeKirikia, akarerwa muguta rino pamakumbo aGamarieri, ndikadzidziswa zvakasimba maererano nemurairo wemadzibaba, mushingairiri waMwari, sezvamuri mese nhasi;
I am a man who am a Jew; and I was born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but was brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, and instructed perfectly in the law of our fathers; and I was zealous for God, as ye also all are.
4 waishusha nzira iyi kusvikira parufu, ndichisunga nekukumikidza mutirongo vese varume nevakadzi,
And I persecuted this way, even to death; for I bound, and delivered up to prison, both men and women.
5 nemupristi mukuru sezvaanondipupurira, nedare rese remakurukota evakuru, kwandakagamuchirawo kwavari tsamba kuhama, ndikaenda kuDhamasiko kuti ndiuise kuJerusarema avo vaivapowo vakasungwa, kuti varangwe.
As the high priest is my witness, and likewise all the Elders; from whom I received letters, that I might go to the brethren in Damascus, and bring those who were there prisoners to Jerusalem, to receive capital punishment.
6 Zvino zvakaitika kuti ndichifamba ndoswedera Dhamasiko, anenge masikati, pakarepo kwakapenya kubva kudenga chiedza chikuru chakandipoteredza.
And as I travelled and began to approach Damascus, at noonday, from amidst tranquillity, a great light from heaven burst upon me.
7 Zvino ndakawira pasi, ndokunzwa inzwi richiti kwandiri: Sauro, Sauro, unondishushirei?
And I fell to the earth: and I heard a voice, which said to me: Saul, Saul! why persecutest thou me?
8 Ini ndikapindura, ndikati: Ndimwi ani, Ishe? Akati kwandiri: Ndini Jesu weNazareta waunoshusha iwe.
And I answered and said: Who art thou, my Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest.
9 Zvino avo vaiva neni vakaona chiedza, uye vakatya; asi havana kunzwisisa inzwi rewakataura neni.
And the men who were with me, saw the light, but heard not the voice that talked with me.
10 Zvino ndikati: Ndoita chii, Ishe? Ishe ndokuti kwandiri: Simuka uende kuDhamasiko; uye ikoko uchaudzwa maererano nezvinhu zvese zvakatarirwa iwe kuti uite.
And I said: My Lord, what must I do? And our Lord said to me: Arise, go to Damascus; and there will be told thee, all that it is commanded thee to do.
11 Zvino zvandakange ndisingaoni nekubwinya kwechiedza icho, ndakatungamirirwa neruoko nevaiva neni, ndikasvika kuDhamasiko.
And as I could see nothing, because of the glory of that light, those with me took me by the hand, and I entered Damascus.
12 Zvino umwe Ananiasi, murume waishingaira pakunamata zvinoenderana nemurairo, waipupurirwa zvakanaka neVaJudha vese vakange vagerepo,
And a certain man, Ananias, who was upright according to the law, as all the Jews there testified concerning him, came to me.
13 akauya kwandiri ndokumira padivi pangu akati kwandiri: Sauro hama, chionazve. Neni nenguva iyo ndikamuona.
And he said to me: My brother Saul! open thine eyes. And instantly my eyes were opened; and I looked upon him.
14 Zvino akati: Mwari wemadzibaba edu wakagara akusarudza kuti uzive chido chake, nekuona Wakarurama, uye unzwe inzwi rinobva mumuromo wake.
And he said to me: The God of our fathers hath ordained thee to know his will, and to behold the Just One, and to hear the voice of his mouth.
15 Nokuti uchava chapupu chake kuvanhu vese chezvawakaona nekunzwa.
And thou shalt be a witness for him before all men, concerning all that thou hast seen and heard.
16 Zvino ikozvino uchanonokerei? Simuka ubhabhatidzwe uye usukwe zvivi zvako, uchidana zita raIshe.
And now, why delayest thou? Arise, be baptized, and be cleansed from thy sins, while thou invokest his name.
17 Zvino zvakaitika kuti ndadzokera kuJerusarema, uye ndichinyengetera mutembere, ndikaita chiyeverwa chemweya,
And I returned and came hither to Jerusalem. And I prayed in the temple.
18 ndokumuona achiti kwandiri: Kurumidza uye ubude muJerusarema ikozvino-zvino; nokuti havagamuchiri uchapupu hwako maererano neni.
And I saw him in a vision, when he said to me: Make haste, and get thee out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 Ini ndikati: Ishe, ivo vanoziva kuti ini ndaiisa mutirongo nekurova musinagoge rega-rega avo vaitenda kwamuri;
And I said: My Lord, they well know that I have delivered up to prison, and have scourged in all synagogues, those who believed in thee.
20 uye pakadururwa ropa raSitefano chapupu chenyu, neni ndakange ndimirepo ndichibvumirana nekuurawa kwake, uye ndakachengeta nguvo dzevaimuuraya.
And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing with them, and performed the pleasure of his slayers, and took charge of the garments of those that stoned him.
21 Zvino akati kwandiri: Enda, nokuti ini ndichakutuma kure kuvahedheni.
But he said to me: Depart; for I send thee afar, to preach to the Gentiles.
22 Vakamuteerera kusvikira pashoko iri, ndokusimudza inzwi ravo vachiti: Wakadai ngaabviswe panyika; nokuti hazvina kufanira kuti ararame.
And when they had heard Paul as far as this sentence, they raised their voice, and cried out: Away with such a man from the earth! for he ought not to live!
23 Zvino vachidanidzira, nekurasa nguvo, vachikushira guruva mumhepo,
And as they vociferated, and cast off their garments, and threw dust into the air,
24 mukuru wechuru wakaraira kuti aiswe kuimba yemauto achiti abvunzurudzwe nekurohwa netyava, kuti azive kuti chikonzeroi chavaidanidzira kudai pamusoro pake.
the Chiliarch gave orders, to carry him into the castle: and he commanded, that he should be examined with stripes; that he might know, for what cause they cried out against him.
25 Zvino vakati vamutandavadzira mberi nemakashu, Pauro akati kumukuru wezana wakange amirepo: Zviri pamutemo here kwamuri kurova netyava munhu ari muRoma uye asina kupiwa mhosva?
And as they were stretching him with ropes, Paul said to the centurion who stood over him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man, who is a Roman, and not yet found guilty?
26 Zvino mukuru wezana wakati achizvinzwa, akaswedera akaudza mukuru wechuru achiti: Chenjerai zvamoda kuita; nokuti munhu uyu muRoma.
And when the centurion heard it, he went to the Chiliarch, and said to him: What doest thou? For this man is a Roman.
27 Zvino mukuru wechuru akaswedera akati kwaari: Ndiudze, iwe uri muRoma here? Iye akati: Hongu.
And the Chiliarch came to him, and said to him: Tell me; Art thou a Roman? And he said to him: Yes.
28 Mukuru wechuru ndokupindura akati: Nemutengo mukuru ini ndakawana ugaro uhu. Pauro akati: Asi neni ndakaberekwa nahwo.
The Chiliarch replied and said to him: With much money I acquired Roman citizenship. Paul said to him: And I was born in it.
29 Naizvozvo pakarepo vakabva kwaari ivo vaiva vomubvunzurudza. Nemukuru wechuru wakatyawo aziva kuti iye muRoma, uye nokuti wakange amusunga.
And immediately they who were intending to scourge him, fled from him: and the Chiliarch was afraid, when he learned that he was a Roman, because he had stretched him for scourging.
30 Zvino chifume achida kuziva chokwadi, kuti nemhosva yei aipomerwa neVaJudha, wakamusunungura pazvisungo, akaraira kuti vapristi vakuru nedare ravo remakurukota rese vauye, akaburusira Pauro ndokugadzika pamberi pavo.
And the next day, he wished to know truly what the accusation was, which the Jews brought against him: and he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests, and the whole company of their head-men, to assemble; and he took Paul, and brought him down, and placed him among them.
