Asomafoɔ 22
1 “Anuanom ne agyanom, montie mʼanoyie yi.”
“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I am about to make.”
2 Wɔtee sɛ ɔka Arameike no, wɔyɛɛ komm koraa. Paulo toaa so sɛ,
When they heard that he was speaking to them in Hebrew, they were still more quiet; and Paul went on:
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 a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, but I was brought up in this city under the teaching of Gamaliel, and educated in accordance with the strict system of our ancestral Law. I was as zealous in God’s service as any of you who are here today.
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.
In my persecution of this Way I did not stop even at the taking of life. I put in chains, and imprisoned, men and women alike –
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.
And to that the high priest himself and all the council of elders can testify. For I had letters of introduction from them to our fellow Jews at Damascus, and I was on my way to that place, to bring those whom I might find there prisoners to Jerusalem for punishment.
6 “Owigyinaeɛ a mereyɛ maduru Damasko no, prɛko pɛ, hann bi twa faa me ho.
While I was still on my way, just as I was getting close to Damascus, about midday, suddenly there flashed from the heavens a great light all around me.
7 Metwa hwee fam, na metee nne bi a ɛrebisa me sɛ, ‘Saulo! Saulo! Adɛn enti na wotaa me?’
I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8 “Mebisaa sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ wo hwan, Awurade?’ “Ɛnne no buaa me sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ me Nasareni Yesu a wotaa me no.’
‘Who are you, Lord?’ I replied. Then the voice said ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’
9 Nnipa a na wɔne me nam no hunuu hann no de, nanso wɔante nne a ɛkasa kyerɛɛ me no.
The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the speaker’s voice.
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.’
Then I said ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ The Lord said to me, ‘and there you will be told all that you have been appointed 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.
In consequence of that dazzling light I could not see, but my companions held me by the hand, until I reached 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.
There a man named Ananias, a strict observer of our Law, well spoken of by all the Jewish inhabitants, came to see me.
13 Ɔbaa me nkyɛn bɛkaa sɛ, ‘Onua Saulo, hunu adeɛ bio!’
Standing close to me, he said ‘Saul, my brother, recover your sight.’ And then and there I recovered my sight and looked up at 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.
Then he said ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed you to learn his will, and to see the righteous one, and to hear words from his lips;
15 Wobɛdi adanseɛ afa biribiara a woahunu na woate wɔ Awurade ho no akyerɛ nnipa nyinaa.
for you will be a witness for him to all the world of what you have just 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 wait any longer, Be baptized at once, wash away your sins, and invoke his name.’
17 “Mesane mekɔɔ Yerusalem na merebɔ mpaeɛ wɔ asɔredan mu no,
After my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying one day in the Temple, 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 Jesus saying to me ‘Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
19 “Mekaa sɛ, ‘Awurade, wɔn nyinaa nim pefee sɛ mekɔɔ hyiadan mu kɔkyekyeree asuafoɔ, boroo wɔn.
‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, in synagogue after synagogue, those who believed in you;
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 your martyr, Stephen, was being shed, I was myself standing by, approving of his death, and took charge of the clothes of those who were murdering him.’
21 “Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Sɔre na kɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, mɛsoma wo akɔ akyirikyiri, amanamanmufoɔ nkyɛn!’”
But Jesus said to me ‘Go; for I will send you to the Gentiles far away’.”
22 Ɛberɛ a Paulo kaa sɛ wɔasoma no amanamanmufoɔ nkyɛn pɛ, ɛdɔm no hyɛɛ aseɛ teateaam denden sɛ, “Monkum no! Ɔmfata sɛ ɔtena ewiase!”
Up to this point the people had been listening to Paul, but at these words they called out, “Kill him! A fellow like this ought not to have been allowed to live!”
23 Nnipa no kɔɔ so teateaam, hugyaa wɔn ntoma, saa mfuturo, to petee ewiem.
As they were shouting, tearing off their clothes, and throwing dust in 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 commanding officer ordered Paul to be taken into the Fort, and directed that he should be examined under the lash so that he might find out the reason for their outcry 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 just as they had tied him up to be scourged, Paul said to the centurion standing near, “Is it legal for you to scourge a Roman citizen, unconvicted?”
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!”
On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commanding officer. “Do you know what you are doing?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”
27 Afei, ɔsafohene no kɔɔ Paulo nkyɛn kɔbisaa no sɛ, “Woyɛ Romani anaa?” Paulo buaa no sɛ, “Aane meyɛ Romani.”
So the commanding officer went up to Paul and said, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” replied Paul.
28 Ɔsafohene no kaa sɛ, “Metuaa sika bebree na mede tɔɔ me Roma manbayɛ.” Paulo nso kaa sɛ, “Me de wɔwoo me sɛ Romani.”
“I had to pay a heavy price for my position as citizen,” said the officer. “I am one by birth,” rejoined Paul.
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.
The men who were to have examined Paul immediately drew back, and the officer, finding that Paul was a Roman citizen, was alarmed at having put him in chains.
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 next day the commanding officer, wishing to find out the real reason why Paul was denounced by the Jewish leaders, had his chains taken off, and directed the chief priests and the whole of the High Council to assemble, and then took Paul down and brought him before them.
