Imbombo 26

1 Anala, u Agripa akam'bula u Paulo, 'Ghuta kukutanga, pe u Paulo akagholosia uluvoko lwa mwene akitanga ndiki.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:

2 “Nikuvona nili nuluvelo, Untua Agripa, kuuti kuvomba u n'kole pavulongolo palyuve umusyughu amasitaka ghoni agha va Yahudi.

“I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in that I am to make my defense before you this day concerning the things of which I am accused by the Jews,

3 Lino, ulwakuva uve ulin'kagusi ghwa lwigho isa va Yahudi na maswali. Pe nisuma umulikisiaghe mulugudo.

especially because you are expert in all the Jewish customs and issues; therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

4 Kyang'haani, ava Yahudi vooni vakagwile pene nilyale nikukala kuvujelela vwango mukisina kyango kula ku Yerusalemu.

Really, the Jews all know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem,

5 Vang'awile kuhuma kuvwasio luvanoghile kuuti vitike kuuti nikikale ghwene Mfarisayo, ikipugha kiino kilinuvwimo vunyangufu mu lukano lwitu.

since they have known me for a long time, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

6 Lino nimile apa nihighua ulwakuva une nilola ulufingo luno u Nguluve alyavombile nava Nhaata viitu.

And now I stand here being judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

7 Ulu lwe lufingo luno amakabila ghitu ifijigho fivili vihuvila kukwupila ndavule vikun'suma u Nguluve ni ngufu pakilo na pamwisi. Vwa vwimila uvwa luhuvilo ulu, untua u Agripa, kuuti ava Yahudi vikunisitaki.

to which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. It is because of this hope that I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa.

8 Nakiki ghwe ghwoni mulyumue isagha kuuti kidegho kuuti u Nguluve isyusia avafue?

Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

9 Un'siki ghumo nikasaghile june kuuti ngele nivombile amasio minga vwimila vwa litavua lya Yesu ghwa Nazareti.

“However, I myself thought that I had to perpetrate many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Natsorean;

10 Nika ghavombile agha mu Yerusalemu; nikavakungile ava vitiki vinga mu ndinde, kange nilyale nu mutavulilua kuhuma mu vavaha nava tekesi kuvomba anala; unsiki ghuno vaka m'budagha, nilyatovile ikura kuvene.

I actually did this in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.

11 Nakalingi nikavatovile munyumba ija kufunyila jooni kange nikaghelile kuvomba navangitikaghe u lwitiko luvanave. Nilyale ni ng'alasi kyongo kuvana nikavadaghile kange mulikaja ilya kuvuhesia.

Yes, I punished them often in every synagogue, trying to force them to blaspheme; I was so excessively enraged against them that I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12 Unsiki ghuno nilyale nivomba agha, nikalutile ku Dameski, nilyale ni ndaghilo kange nu vatavulilua kuhuma kuvatekesi ava vaha;

“It was on one of those journeys, as I was going to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests,

13 unsiki ghuno nikale musila pa mwisi, Untua, nilyalwaghile ulumuli kuhuma kukyanya luno lukale lumulika kukila ilijuva lukamulike kusyuta une na vaanhu vano vakale vighenda palikimo nune.

at midday, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, blazing around me and those traveling with me.

14 Usue tweni ye twingile paasi, nikapulike ilisio lijova nune liiti mu njovele ija Kiebrania: 'Sauli, Sauli! nakiki ghuku nesa? Kitalamu kulyuve kutova iteke amam'fua.

Well we all fell to the ground and I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 Pe nikati, 'Uve veve veni, Mutwa?' U Mutwa akamula, 'Une nene Yesu juno ghukunipumusia.

So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And He said: ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

16 Lino ghwime kumaghulu ghako, ulwakuva nu luhuvilo ulu une nihufisie kulyuve, nukusalwile kuuti uve m'bomba mbombo kange uve mwolesi ghwa masio agha ghukagula vwimila une lino na masio ghano nikukusona ye ghakilile agha;

Now get up and stand on your feet; because I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness both of the things you have seen and of the things I will reveal to you,

17 Nikum'poka kuhuma kuvaanhu kange vaanhu ava panji kuno nikukwomola,

delivering you from ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations, to which I am sending you:

18 kudindula amaso gha vanave napikuvahumia mu ng'iisi kuluta kuvuvalafu nakuluta kungufu isa setano vasyetukile u Nguluve; neke vupile kuhuma kwa Nguluve ululaghilo ulwa vahosi nu vuhasi vuno nivapelile vala vano nivabaghwile nu lwitiko luno lilikulyune.

to open their eyes, so as to bring them back from darkness into light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified, by faith into me.’

19 Pa uluo, Untua u Agripa, nanikanoghile ku galuka inyifunyo isa ku kyanya,

Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision

20 looli, kuvala vano vano vali mu Dameski pavwasio, kange ku Yerusalemu na ku iisi jooni ija ku Yudea, kange na vaanhu ava kufisina ifinge, nikadalikile kuuti valete na kukunsyetukila u Nguluve, vavombe imbombo sino sinoghile ululato.

—first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to all the region of Judea and to the ethnic nations, I still preach: ‘repent and turn back to God, doing works worthy of repentance.’

21 Ulwakuva uluii ava Yahudi vakanin'kolile mu nyumba im'baha inyimike ija ku funyila, pe vakaghela kukum'buda.

That is why the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

22 U Nguluve akanangile kufika lino, pe nikwima na kuvolelela avaanhu va vulevule na kuvala avavaha, vwimila vwa sila sino avaviili nu Musa valyajovile kuuti silihula na sikunua;

So then, having experienced the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing beyond what both the prophets and Moses said would happen

23 Kuuti u Kilisite lasima apumuke kange iiva ghwa kwasia kusyuka kuhuma kuvafue na kupulisia ulumuli ku vayahudi na vaanhu ava panji.

—that the Messiah would suffer; that as the first to rise from the dead He would proclaim light to both ‘the people’ and the ethnic nations.”

24 U Paulo ye amalile pikutanga, u Festo akajova ku lisio ilivaha, 'Paulo, uve uli nyalukwale! amasomo ghako ghakubikile uve nyalukwale.

Well as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

25 Looli u Paulo akaati, une naninyalukwale, mwoghopua Festo; looli kulukangasio nijova amasio agha kya ng'haani ghooni.

So he said: “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus; rather I pronounce words of truth and reasonableness.

26 Ulwakuva untua ikagula vwimila vwa masio agha; pa oluo, nijova nu vwavuke vwa mwene, ulwakuva niili nuvwa kyang'haani kuuti nakwelile lyoni lino lifisime kwa mwene; ulwakuva iili nalivombilue palubale.

For the king knows about these things, before whom I speak freely; for I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, since it was not done in a corner.

27 Vuuli, ghukwitika avaviili, u Ntua u Agripa? nikagula kuuti ghukwitika.'

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”

28 U Agripa akam'bula u Paulo, 'Kunsiki undebe unoghile kukunivula une kange kukumbika nive Mwitiki?

So Agrippa said to Paul, “You will soon persuade me to become a Christian!”

29 U Paulo akaati, “Nikunsuma u Nguluve kuuti, kunsiki n'dbe nambe n'tali, naveve juve kange vooni vano vikunipulika umusyughu, veve ndavule une, looli kange kisila manyororo agha mu ndinde

So Paul said, “Whether sooner or later, I would to God that not only you but also all who are hearing me this day may become such as I am, except for these chains.”

30 Pe untua akima, nhu n'sikali kange nhu Bernike, na vala vano vakikalile palikimo na vene,

Upon his saying this, the king stood up, along with the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them;

31 ye vabukile kuvukumbi, vakajovile vavuo kwa vavuo na kuuti, “Umuunhu uju nanoghile uvufue kange kupinyu,'

and when they had withdrawn they started talking among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”

32 U Agripa akam'bula u Festo, “Umuunhu uju anoghile kuuti ave mwavuke ndavule nakekile i piru kuva Kaisari.”

And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar.”