Asomafoɔ 22
1 “Anuanom ne agyanom, montie mʼanoyie yi.”
Brethren and fathers, hear my defence, which I now make to you.
2 Wɔtee sɛ ɔka Arameike no, wɔyɛɛ komm koraa. Paulo toaa so sɛ,
And on hearing him speak to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence. And he saith:
3 “Meyɛ Yudani a wɔwoo me wɔ Tarso a ɛwɔ Kilikia. Wɔtetee me wɔ Yerusalem wɔ Gamaliel nan ase. Mesuaa sɛdeɛ wɔdi Yudafoɔ mmara ne wɔn amanneɛ so pɛpɛɛpɛ. Mebɔɔ mmɔden sɛ biribiara a meyɛ no, mede bɛhyɛ Onyankopɔn animuonyam sɛdeɛ mo nyinaa nso reyɛ ɛnnɛ yi.
I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, hut brought up in this city, taught at the feet of Gamaliel in the strictness of the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye all are this day.
4 Metaa nnipa a wɔka ekuo a wɔfrɛ no Ɛkwan no ho no nyinaa ma wɔkunkumm wɔn. Mekyeree mmaa ne mmarima de wɔn guu afiase.
And I persecuted this way [[of belief]] even to death, binding and putting into prisons both men and women,
5 Ɔsɔfopanin ne agyinatufoɔ no nyinaa di me adanseɛ sɛ, asɛm a mereka yi yɛ nokorɛ. Wɔn nkyɛn mpo na megyee tumi nwoma sɛ mede rekɔma anuanom Yudafoɔ a wɔwɔ Damasko no. Saa nwoma no na anka mɛgyina so makyekyere nnipa a wɔdi Awurade asɛm so no agu wɔn nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn, de wɔn aba Yerusalem na wɔatwe wɔn aso.
as also the high-priest beareth me witness, and all the elderhood; from whom I received letters to the brethren, and was on my way to Damascus to bring those also that were there, bound, to Jerusalem, that they might be punished.
6 “Owigyinaeɛ a mereyɛ maduru Damasko no, prɛko pɛ, hann bi twa faa me ho.
But it came to pass, as I was on my way, and approaching Damascus, that about noon there suddenly shone around me a great light from heaven;
7 Metwa hwee fam, na metee nne bi a ɛrebisa me sɛ, ‘Saulo! Saulo! Adɛn enti na wotaa me?’
and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?
8 “Mebisaa sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ wo hwan, Awurade?’ “Ɛnne no buaa me sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ me Nasareni Yesu a wotaa me no.’
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecutest.
9 Nnipa a na wɔne me nam no hunuu hann no de, nanso wɔante nne a ɛkasa kyerɛɛ me no.
And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but the voice of him that spoke to me they did not hear.
10 “Mebisaa sɛ, ‘Ɛdeɛn na menyɛ, Awurade?’ “Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Sɔre na kɔ Damasko, na ɛhɔ na mɛkyerɛ wo biribiara a mepɛ sɛ woyɛ.’
And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there thou wilt be told of all which it hath been appointed thee to do.
11 Hann no hyerɛn ano den maa mʼani firaeɛ enti nnipa a na me ne wɔn rekɔ no sosɔɔ me nsa de me kɔɔ Damasko.
And as I could not see by reason of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand of those that were with me, and came into Damascus.
12 “Na Onipa bi a wɔfrɛ no Anania a ɔdi Mose mmara so a na Yudafoɔ nyinaa di no ni no te Damasko hɔ.
But one Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, well spoken of by all the Jews who dwelt there,
13 Ɔbaa me nkyɛn bɛkaa sɛ, ‘Onua Saulo, hunu adeɛ bio!’
came to me, and standing over me said, Brother Saul, receive sight. And I immediately looked up upon him.
14 “Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Yɛn nananom Onyankopɔn ayi wo sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wobɛyɛ nʼapɛdeɛ na woahunu ɔteneneeni no, na wobɛte nʼankasa ne nne sɛ ɛkasa kyerɛ wo.
And he said, The God of our fathers chose thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth;
15 Wobɛdi adanseɛ afa biribiara a woahunu na woate wɔ Awurade ho no akyerɛ nnipa nyinaa.
for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16 Afei, ɛdeɛn na woretwɛn bio? Sɔre na ma wɔmmɔ wo asu nhohoro wo bɔne wɔ Yesu din mu.’
And now why dost thou delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.
17 “Mesane mekɔɔ Yerusalem na merebɔ mpaeɛ wɔ asɔredan mu no,
And it came to pass after my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,
18 mehunuu Awurade wɔ anisoadehunu mu na ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Yɛ ntɛm firi Yerusalem ha, ɛfiri sɛ, nnipa a wɔwɔ ha no rentie adanseɛ a wodi fa me ho no.’
and saw him saying to me, Make haste, and go quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
19 “Mekaa sɛ, ‘Awurade, wɔn nyinaa nim pefee sɛ mekɔɔ hyiadan mu kɔkyekyeree asuafoɔ, boroo wɔn.
And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in every synagogue, those that believed in thee;
20 Saa ara nso na ɛberɛ a wɔkumm wo danseni Stefano no, na mewɔ hɔ bi. Mepenee ne kum no so, hwɛɛ awudifoɔ no ntoma so.’
and when the blood of Stephen, thy witness, was shed, I myself was standing by and consenting, and keeping the garments of those who slew him.
21 “Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Sɔre na kɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, mɛsoma wo akɔ akyirikyiri, amanamanmufoɔ nkyɛn!’”
And he said to me, Depart; for I will send thee far hence to the gentiles.
22 Ɛberɛ a Paulo kaa sɛ wɔasoma no amanamanmufoɔ nkyɛn pɛ, ɛdɔm no hyɛɛ aseɛ teateaam denden sɛ, “Monkum no! Ɔmfata sɛ ɔtena ewiase!”
And they listened to him as far as this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth! for it was not fit that he should live.
23 Nnipa no kɔɔ so teateaam, hugyaa wɔn ntoma, saa mfuturo, to petee ewiem.
And as they were crying out, and shaking their garments, and throwing dust into the air,
24 Roma safohene no hyɛɛ sɛ wɔmfa Paulo nkɔ aban mu, nkɔbɔ no mmaa sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a ɔbɛka deɛ enti a nnipa no nyinaa mpɛ sɛ wɔtie nʼasɛm no.
the chief captain ordered him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might ascertain for what cause they were thus crying out against him.
25 Ɛberɛ a wɔkyekyeree no wieeɛ a wɔrebɛbɔ no mmaa no, Paulo bisaa ɔsraani panin a na ɔgyina hɔ no sɛ, “Mowɔ ho ɛkwan sɛ mobɔ Romani a wɔnnii nʼasɛm mmuu no fɔ no mmaa anaa?”
But when they had stretched him out with the cords, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 Ɛberɛ a ɔsraani panin no tee saa asɛm yi no, ɔkɔɔ ɔsafohene no nkyɛn kɔbisaa no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na wopɛ sɛ woyɛ yi? Onipa no yɛ Romani!”
When the centurion heard this, he went and told the chief captain, saying, What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman.
27 Afei, ɔsafohene no kɔɔ Paulo nkyɛn kɔbisaa no sɛ, “Woyɛ Romani anaa?” Paulo buaa no sɛ, “Aane meyɛ Romani.”
Then the chief captain came and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes.
28 Ɔsafohene no kaa sɛ, “Metuaa sika bebree na mede tɔɔ me Roma manbayɛ.” Paulo nso kaa sɛ, “Me de wɔwoo me sɛ Romani.”
The chief captain answered, For a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was born a Roman.
29 Ntɛm ara, nnipa a na wɔrebɛbisa Paulo nsɛm no twee wɔn ho firii ne nkyɛn. Ɔsafohene no tee sɛ Paulo yɛ Romani no, ɔsuroeɛ sɛ wama wɔagu Paulo nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn.
They therefore who were about to examine him left him immediately. And the chief captain also was alarmed when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 Esiane sɛ na ɔsafohene no pɛ sɛ ɔhunu deɛ enti a Yudafoɔ no asɔre atia Paulo no enti, adeɛ kyeeɛ no, ɔhyɛ maa wɔyii Paulo firii nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn mu. Ɔmaa asɔfoɔ mpanin ne agyinatufoɔ no nyinaa hyiaeɛ. Afei, ɔde Paulo kɔeɛ sɛ wɔnhwehwɛ nʼasɛm no mu.
On the morrow, wishing to have certain knowledge why he was accused by the Jews, he released him, and ordered the chief priests and all the council to assemble; and bringing Paul down, he set him before them.
