Asomafo 26
1 Ɔhene Agripa ka kyerɛɛ Paulo se, “Afei mema wo ho kwan sɛ wuyi wo ho ano.” Paulo maa ne nsa so kasae se,
Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.
2 “Ɔhene Agripa! Ɛyɛ me anigye sɛ nnɛ manya mu kwan gyina wʼanim ha reyi me ho ano wɔ asɛm a Yudafo aka atia me no ho.
“I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews,
3 Nea ɛma meka saa ne sɛ, wunim Yudafo mmara ne wɔn amanne nyinaa fekɔɔ. Enti mesrɛ wo, tɔ wo bo ase tie me.
especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4 “Yudafo no nim mʼasetena mu nsɛm nyinaa fi me mmofraase. Wonim mʼasetena mu nsɛm wɔ me kurom ne Yerusalem nso.
“Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;
5 Sɛ wɔbɛka nokware a, wonim sɛ meyɛ Farisini a midi Yudafo mmara ne wɔn som so pɛpɛɛpɛ.
having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 Na afei esiane bɔ a Onyankopɔn hyɛɛ yɛn nenanom no nti na migyina ha nnɛ na wɔrebu me atɛn yi.
Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
7 Saa bɔhyɛ yi na yɛn mmusuakuw dumien hwɛ kwan sɛ ɛbɛba mu no nti na wɔsom Onyankopɔn awia ne anadwo no. Ɔhene, saa anidaso yi nti na Yudafo asɔre atia me yi.
which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!
8 Adɛn nti na mo Yudafo nnye nni sɛ Onyankopɔn nyan awufo?
Why is it judged incredible with you if God does raise the dead?
9 “Mmere bi a atwam no, na mʼadwene nyinaa ne sɛ mɛyɛ biribiara a metumi de atia Yesu a ofi Nasaret no din.
“I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 Saa ara na meyɛɛ wɔ Yerusalem. Migyee tumi nhoma fii asɔfo mpanyin nkyɛn gyinaa so kyekyeree Onyankopɔn akyidifo guu afiase; na sɛ wobu wɔn kumfɔ a, midi mu akoten.
I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.
11 Mema wɔtwee wɔn aso mmere pii wɔ hyiadan mu sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wɔbɛpa wɔn gyidi. Mʼani beree wɔn so yiye ma metaa wɔn koduu aman afoforo so.”
Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 “Saa ɔtaa yi nti na mikogyee tumi nhoma fii asɔfo mpanyin nkyɛn sɛ mede rekɔ Damasko no.
“Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 Daasebrɛ, da bi owigyinae a merekɔ Damasko no hann bi a ɛkyɛn owia hyerɛn fii ɔsoro betwaa me ne wɔn a yɛnam no ho hyiae.
at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.
14 Yɛn nyinaa twitwa hwehwee fam na metee nne bi wɔ Arameike kasa mu se, ‘Saulo! Saulo! Adɛn nti na wotaa me? Nea woyɛ yi nyinaa wode rehaw wo ho sɛnea nantwi tu ne nan wɔ ɔkafo pema ano.’
When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 “Mibisae se, ‘Ɛyɛ wo hena, Awurade?’ “Awurade buae se, ‘Ɛyɛ me Yesu a wotaa me no.
“I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
16 Sɔre gyina hɔ. Nnɛ mayi me ho adi akyerɛ wo; mɛma woayɛ me somfo na woadi adanse wɔ nea woahu afa me ho yi ne nea mɛkyerɛ wo nyinaa ho.
But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you;
17 Megye wo afi Israelfo ne amanamanmufo a wɔresoma wo akɔ wɔn nkyɛn no nsam.
delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
18 Wubebue wɔn ani na woatwe wɔn afi sum mu aba hann mu, na woayi wɔn afi ɔbonsam tumi ase aba Onyankopɔn nkyɛn. Na wɔnam wɔn gyidi a wɔwɔ wɔ me mu no so anya bɔnefakyɛ na wɔayɛ Onyankopɔn mma.’
to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “Ɛno nti Ɔhene Agripa, meyɛɛ osetie maa nne a efi ɔsoro no.
“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 Mifii ase kaa asɛmpa no wɔ Damasko ne Yerusalem ne Yudeafo aman nyinaa so ne amanamanmufo mu sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsakra wɔn adwene na wɔde wɔn ho ma Onyankopɔn na wɔmma wɔn nneyɛe nkyerɛ sɛ wɔasakra.
but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21 Saa asɛm yi ara nti na na mewɔ asɔredan mu resom a Yudafo no bɛkyeree me sɛ wɔrekokum me no.
For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
22 Nanso besi nnɛ yi Onyankopɔn abɔ me ho ban nti na migyina ha redi adanse akyerɛ obiara yi. Asɛm koro a Mose ne adiyifo no kae se
Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,
23 ɛsɛ sɛ Agyenkwa no hu amane na wadi awufo sɔre mu kan, na wɔaka hann ho asɛm akyerɛ Yudafo ne amanamanmufo.”
how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”
24 Paulo gu so rekasa no, Festo twaa nʼano se, “Paulo, woabɔ dam! Wo nhomanim bebrebe no abɔ wo dam.”
As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25 Nanso Paulo buae se, “Daasebrɛ, memmɔɔ dam ɛ. Nsɛm a mereka no yɛ nokware a aba wɔ mu.
But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.
26 Ɔhene Agripa, esiane sɛ wunim saa nsɛm yi nyinaa nti, metumi agyina wʼanim de akokoduru akasa. Migye di sɛ biribiara a esii no wunim, efisɛ emu biara nni hɔ a ɛyɛ kokoamsɛm.
For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.
27 Ɔhene Agripa, wugye adiyifo no di ana? Minim sɛ wugye wɔn di.”
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
28 Agripa bisaa Paulo se, “Wugye di sɛ wubetumi adan mʼadwene ama mayɛ Kristoni saa bere tiaa yi mu ana?”
Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”
29 Paulo buae se, “Sɛ nsɛm a mereka no ho hia anaa ɛho nhia no, me mpaebɔ ara ne sɛ, Onyankopɔn bɛma wo ne wɔn a wɔretie me nnɛ yi nyinaa asakra abɛyɛ sɛ me, gye nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn a egu me yi nko ara.”
Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”
30 Afei ɔhene no ne Amrado ne Berenike ne wɔn a wɔahyia hɔ no nyinaa sɔree.
The king rose up with the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
31 Wɔrekɔ no wɔkeka kyerɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho se, “Saa onipa yi nyɛɛ biribiara a ɛsɛ sɛ wogyina so bu no kumfɔ anaasɛ wɔde no to afiase.”
When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”
32 Ɔhene Agripa ka kyerɛɛ Festo se, “Sɛ onipa yi nguan ntoaa Kaesare a anka yebetumi agyaa no.”
Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
