Matendo 26
1 Basi, Agripa akamwambia Paulo, “Unaruhusiwa kujitetea.” Hapo Paulo alinyosha mkono wake akajitetea hivi:
And Agrippa said to Paul: Thou art permitted to speak in thy own behalf. Then Paul extended his hand, and made defence, saying:
2 “Mfalme Agripa, ninajiona mwenye bahati leo kujitetea mbele yako kuhusu yale mashtaka yote ambayo Wayahudi walikuwa wamesema juu yangu.
In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, king Agrippa, I consider myself highly favored, that I may this day make defence before thee:
3 Hasa kwa vile wewe mwenyewe ni mtaalamu wa desturi za Wayahudi na migogoro yao, ninakuomba basi unisikilize kwa uvumilivu.
especially, as I know thee to be expert in all the controversies and laws of the Jews. I therefore request thee to hear me with indulgence.
4 “Wayahudi wanajua habari za maisha yangu tangu utoto, jinsi nilivyoishi tangu mwanzo kati ya taifa langu huko Yerusalemu.
The Jews themselves, if they would testify, know well my course of life from my childhood, which from the beginning was among my nation and in Jerusalem.
5 Wananifahamu kwa muda mrefu, na wanaweza kushuhudia, kama wakipenda, kwamba tangu mwanzo niliishi kama mmoja wa kikundi chenye siasa kali zaidi katika dini yetu, yaani kikundi cha Mafarisayo.
For they have long been persuaded of me, and have known, that I lived in the princely doctrine of the Pharisees.
6 Na sasa niko hapa nihukumiwe kwa sababu ninaitumainia ile ahadi ambayo Mungu aliwaahidia babu zetu.
And now, for the hope of the promise which was made by God to our fathers, I stand and am judged.
7 Ahadi hiyo ndiyo ileile inayotumainiwa na makabila kumi na mawili ya taifa letu, wakimtumikia Mungu kwa dhati mchana na usiku. Mheshimiwa mfalme, Wayahudi wananishtaki kwa sababu ya tumaini hilo!
To this hope, our twelve tribes hope to come, with earnest prayers by day and by night: and for this same hope, king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.
8 Kwa nini ninyi mnaona shida sana kuamini kwamba Mungu huwafufua wafu?
How judge ye? Are we not to believe, that God will raise the dead?
9 Kwa kweli mimi mwenyewe niliamini kwamba ni wajibu wangu kufanya mambo mengi kulipinga jina la Yesu wa Nazareti.
For I myself, at first, resolved in my own mind, that I would perpetrate many adverse things against the name of Jesus the Nazarean.
10 Mambo hayo ndiyo niliyoyafanya huko Yerusalemu. Mimi binafsi, nikiwa nimepewa mamlaka kutoka kwa makuhani wakuu, nilipata kuwatia gerezani wengi wa watu wa Mungu. Nao walipohukumiwa kuuawa, nilipiga kura ya kukubali.
Which I also did at Jerusalem; and by the authority I received from the chief priests, I cast many of the saints into prison and when they were put to death by them, I took part with those that condemned them.
11 Mara nyingi niliwafanya waadhibiwe katika masunagogi yote nikiwashurutisha waikane imani yao. Hasira yangu kwao ilikuwa kubwa hata nikawasaka mpaka miji ya mbali.
And in every synagogue I tortured them, while I pressed them to become revilers of the name of Jesus. And in the great wrath, with which I was filled against them, I also went to other cities to persecute them.
12 “Kwa mujibu huohuo, nilikwenda Damasko wakati mmoja, nikiwa na mamlaka na maagizo kutoka kwa makuhani wakuu.
And, as I was going for this purpose to Damascus, with the authority and license of the chief priests,
13 Mheshimiwa, wakati nilipokuwa njiani, saa sita mchana, niliona mwanga mkubwa kuliko wa jua ukiangaza kutoka mbinguni, ukanizunguka mimi na wale wasafiri wenzangu.
at mid-day, on the road, I saw, O king, a light exceeding that of the sun, beaming from heaven upon me, and upon all those with me.
14 Sisi sote tulianguka chini, nami nikasikia sauti ikiniambia kwa Kiebrania: Saulo, Saulo! Kwa nini unanitesa? Unajiumiza bure kama punda anayepiga teke fimbo ya bwana wake.
And we all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice, which said to me, in Hebrew: Saul, Saul! why persecutest thou me? It will be a hard thing for thee to kick against the goads.
15 Mimi nikauliza: Ni nani wewe Bwana? Naye Bwana akajibu: Mimi ni Yesu ambaye wewe unamtesa.
And I said: My Lord, who art thou? And our Lord said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest.
16 Haidhuru, inuka sasa; simama wima. Nimekutokea ili nikuweke rasmi kuwa mtumishi wangu. Utawathibitishia watu wengine mambo uliyoyaona leo na yale ambayo bado nitakuonyesha.
And he said to me: Stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared to thee, for this purpose, to constitute thee a minister and a witness of this thy seeing me, and of thy seeing me hereafter.
17 Nitakuokoa na watu wa Israeli na watu wa mataifa mengine ambao mimi ninakutuma kwao.
And I will deliver thee from the people of the Jews, and from other nations; to whom I send thee,
18 Utayafumbua macho yao na kuwawezesha watoke gizani na kuingia katika mwanga; watoke katika utawala wa Shetani, wamgeukie Mungu; ili kwa kuamini, wapate kusamehewa dhambi na kuchukua nafasi yao kati ya wale ambao wamepata kuwa watu wa Mungu.
to open their eyes; that they may turn from darkness to the light, and from the dominion of Satan unto God; and may receive remission of sins, and a portion with the saints, by faith in me.
19 “Hivyo, mfalme Agripa, sikuweza kuwa mkaidi kwa maono hilo la mbinguni.
Wherefore, king Agrippa, I did not contumaciously withstand the heavenly vision:
20 Ila nilianza kuhubiri kwanza kwa watu wa Damasko, halafu kwa wale wa Yerusalemu na nchi yote ya Yudea, na pia kwa watu wa mataifa mengine. Niliwahimiza wamgeukie Mungu na kuonyesha kwa vitendo kwamba wamebadilisha mioyo yao.
but I preached from the first to them in Damascus, and to them in Jerusalem and in all the villages of Judaea; and I preached also to the Gentiles, that they should repent, and should turn to God, and should do the works suitable to repentance.
21 Kwa sababu hiyo, Wayahudi walinikamata nikiwa Hekaluni, wakajaribu kuniua.
And on account of these things, the Jews seized me in the temple, and sought to kill me.
22 Lakini Mungu alinisaidia; na hivyo mpaka siku ya leo nimesimama imara nikitoa ushuhuda kwa wote, wakubwa na wadogo. Ninayosema ni yale ambayo manabii na Mose walisema yatatukia;
But unto this day God hath helped me; and lo, I stand and bear testimony, to the small and to the great; yet saying nothing aside from Moses and the prophets, but the very things which they declared were to take place:
23 yaani ilimpasa Kristo ateseke na kuwa wa kwanza kufufuka kutoka wafu, ili atangaze kwamba mwanga wa ukombozi unawaangazia sasa watu wote, Wayahudi na pia watu wa mataifa mengine.”
namely, that Messiah would suffer, and would become the first fruits of the resurrection from the dead; and that he would proclaim light to the people and to the Gentiles.
24 Paulo alipofika hapa katika kujitetea kwake, Festo alisema kwa sauti kubwa, “Paulo! Una wazimu! Kusoma kwako kwingi kunakutia wazimu!”
And when Paul had extended his defence thus far, Festus cried, with a loud voice: Paul, thou art deranged: much study hath deranged thee.
25 Lakini Paulo akasema, “Sina wazimu mheshimiwa Festo: Ninachosema ni ukweli mtupu.
Paul replied to him: I am not deranged, excellent Festus; but speak words of truth and rectitude.
26 Wewe Mfalme unayafahamu mambo haya, kwa hiyo ninaweza kuongea bila uoga mbele yako. Sina mashaka kwamba matukio hayo yanajulikana kwako maana jambo hili halikutendeka mafichoni.
And king Agrippa is also well acquainted with these things; and I therefore speak confidently before him, because I suppose not one of these things hath escaped his knowledge; for they were not done in secret.
27 Mfalme Agripa, je, una imani na manabii? Najua kwamba unaamini.”
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28 Agripa akamjibu Paulo, “Kidogo tu utanifanya Mkristo!”
King Agrippa said to him: Almost, thou persuadest me to become a Christian.
29 Paulo akamjibu, “Namwomba Mungu kwamba, kwa muda mfupi au mrefu, si wewe tu bali wote wanaonisikia leo wapate kuwa kama nilivyo mimi, lakini bila hii minyororo.”
And Paul said: I would to God, that not only thou, but likewise all that hear me this day, were almost, and altogether, as I am, aside from these bonds.
30 Hapo mfalme Agripa, mkuu wa mkoa, Bernike na wale wote waliokuwa pamoja nao, walisimama.
And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
31 Walipokwisha ondoka, waliambiana, “Mtu huyu hakufanya chochote kinachostahili adhabu ya kifo au kifungo.”
And when they had gone out, they conversed with one another, and said: This man hath done nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32 Naye Agripa akamwambia Festo, “Mtu huyu angeweza kufunguliwa kama asingalikuwa amekata rufani kwa Kaisari.”
And Agrippa said to Festus: The man might be set at liberty, if he had not announced an appeal to Caesar.
