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,

And Agrippa said to Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand and made his defence:

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 defence this day before thee concerning all things of which 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 as thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions among the Jews. Wherefore I beseech thee 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.

My manner of life, then, from my youth, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, all Jews know:

5 Sɛ wɔbɛka nokware a, wonim sɛ meyɛ Farisini a midi Yudafo mmara ne wɔn som so pɛpɛɛpɛ.

and they know, if they are willing to testify, that from the first, according to 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.

And now I stand on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to the 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 God day and night, hope to obtain; concerning which hope, O king, I am accused by Jews.

8 Adɛn nti na mo Yudafo nnye nni sɛ Onyankopɔn nyan awufo?

Why is it judged incredible with you if God raiseth 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 indeed thought with myself that I ought to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

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.

Which I also did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I myself shut up in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice 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.”

And I punished them often in all the synagogues, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

12 “Saa ɔtaa yi nti na mikogyee tumi nhoma fii asɔfo mpanyin nkyɛn sɛ mede rekɔ Damasko no.

And as I was going to Damascus on this business, with authority and a 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 mid-day, on the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying 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.’

And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.

15 “Mibisae se, ‘Ɛyɛ wo hena, Awurade?’ “Awurade buae se, ‘Ɛyɛ me Yesu a wotaa me no.

And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest.

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 upon thy feet; for I have appeared to thee for this purpose, to prepare thee as a minister and a witness both of the things which thou sawest, and of those on account of which I will appear to thee;

17 Megye wo afi Israelfo ne amanamanmufo a wɔresoma wo akɔ wɔn nkyɛn no nsam.

delivering thee from the people, and from the gentiles, to whom I send thee,

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 forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among the sanctified, by faith in me.

19 “Ɛno nti Ɔhene Agripa, meyɛɛ osetie maa nne a efi ɔsoro no.

Wherefore, O 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 first to those in Damascus, and Jerusalem, and to all the country of Judaea, and then to the gentiles, I proclaimed 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 these causes the Jews seized me in the temple, and attempted 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, however, obtained help from God, I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing except those things which the Prophets and Moses said were to come to pass;

23 ɛsɛ sɛ Agyenkwa no hu amane na wadi awufo sɔre mu kan, na wɔaka hann ho asɛm akyerɛ Yudafo ne amanamanmufo.”

that the Christ should suffer, and that, as first of those raised from the dead, he was to proclaim light both to the 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.”

And as he was thus speaking in his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning is making thee mad.

25 Nanso Paulo buae se, “Daasebrɛ, memmɔɔ dam ɛ. Nsɛm a mereka no yɛ nokware a aba wɔ mu.

But he saith, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness.

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 knoweth about these things well; to whom also I speak boldly; for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him: for this was not done in a corner.

27 Ɔhene Agripa, wugye adiyifo no di ana? Minim sɛ wugye wɔn di.”

King Agrippa, believest thou the Prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 Agripa bisaa Paulo se, “Wugye di sɛ wubetumi adan mʼadwene ama mayɛ Kristoni saa bere tiaa yi mu ana?”

Then Agrippa said to Paul, With little effort thou thinkest to persuade me to become 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.”

And Paul said, I would to God, that with little effort or with great, not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, might be made such as I am, except these bonds.

30 Afei ɔhene no ne Amrado ne Berenike ne wɔn a wɔahyia hɔ no nyinaa sɔree.

And the king rose up and 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.”

and going aside they talked with each other, saying, This man is doing nothing deserving death, or bonds.

32 Ɔhene Agripa ka kyerɛɛ Festo se, “Sɛ onipa yi nguan ntoaa Kaesare a anka yebetumi agyaa no.”

And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.