Paul's Defense before Agrippa
1 Agrippa told Paul, “You may now speak for yourself.”
Paul stretched out his hand and said:
2 King Agrippa, I am glad for this chance to defend myself before you today on all these charges my own people have brought against me. 3 You know a lot about our religious customs and the beliefs that divide us. So I ask you to listen patiently to me.
4-5 All the Jews have known me since I was a child. They know what kind of life I have lived in my own country and in Jerusalem. And if they were willing, they could tell you I was a Pharisee, a member of a group that is stricter than any other. 6 Now I am on trial because I believe the promise God made to our people long ago.
7 Day and night our twelve tribes have earnestly served God, waiting for his promised blessings. King Agrippa, because of this hope, some of our leaders have brought charges against me. 8 Why should any of you doubt that God raises the dead to life?
9 I once thought that I should do everything I could to oppose Jesus from Nazareth. 10 I did this first in Jerusalem, and with the authority of the chief priests I put many of God's people in jail. I even voted for them to be killed. 11 I often had them punished in our synagogues, and I tried to make them give up their faith. In fact, I was so angry with them, that I went looking for them in foreign cities.
12 King Agrippa, one day I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and permission of the chief priests. 13 About noon I saw a light brighter than the sun. It flashed from heaven on me and on everyone traveling with me. 14 We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice say to me in Aramaic, “Saul, Saul, why are you so cruel to me? It's foolish to fight against me!”
15 “Who are you?” I asked.
Then the Lord answered, “I am Jesus! I am the one you are so cruel to. 16 Now stand up. I have appeared to you, because I have chosen you to be my servant. You are to tell others what you have learned about me and what I will show you later.”
17 The Lord also said, “I will protect you from the Jews and from the Gentiles that I am sending you to. 18 I want you to open their eyes, so they will turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then their sins will be forgiven, and by faith in me they will become part of God's holy people.”
19 King Agrippa, I obeyed this vision from heaven. 20 First I preached to the people in Damascus, and then I went to Jerusalem and all over Judea. Finally, I went to the Gentiles and said, “Stop sinning and turn to God! Then prove what you have done by the way you live.”
21 That is why some men grabbed me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 But all this time God has helped me, and I have preached both to the rich and to the poor. I have told them only what the prophets and Moses said would happen. 23 I told them how the Messiah would suffer and be the first to be raised from death, so he could bring light to his own people and to the Gentiles.
24 Before Paul finished defending himself, Festus shouted, “Paul, you're crazy! Too much learning has driven you out of your mind.”
25 But Paul replied, “Honorable Festus, I am not crazy. What I am saying is true, and it makes sense. 26 None of these things happened off in a corner somewhere. I am sure that King Agrippa knows what I am talking about. That's why I can speak so plainly to him.”
27 Then Paul said to Agrippa, “Do you believe what the prophets said? I know you do.”
28 Agrippa asked Paul, “In such a short time do you think you can talk me into being a Christian?”
29 Paul answered, “Whether it takes a short time or a long time, I wish you and everyone else who hears me today would become just like me! Except, of course, for these chains.”
30 Then King Agrippa, Governor Festus, Bernice, and everyone who was with them got up. 31 But before they left, they said, “This man isn't guilty of anything. He doesn't deserve to die or to be put in jail.”
32 Agrippa told Festus, “Paul could have been set free, if he had not asked to be tried by the Roman Emperor.”
Paulus ti ipopile koshipala shaAgrippa
1 Agrippa okwa lombwele ihe Paulus a ti: “Ou na ompito yokwiipopila.” Nena Paulus okwa yelutha oshikaha she nokwi ipopile ta ti:
2 “Omukwaniilwa Agrippa! Ondu uvite kutya ngame omunelago, sho nda pitikilwa okwiipopila koshipala shoye omolwiinima ayihe mbyoka Aajuda taa yi tamanekele ndje. 3 Eeno, shika oshoshili, oshoka ngoye owa tseya nawa oohedhi nomapulo gAajuda. Onkee otandi ku indile, u idhidhimike okupulakena ndje.
4 “Okuputuka kwandje akuhe sigo omuugundjuka Aajuda oye ku shi, oshoka okuza petameko sigo onena onda kala moshilongo shaandjetu nomuJerusalem. 5 Ngele oya hala, otaa vulu okuhokolola kutya noshitonale ngame onda kala gumwe gwomaafarisayi, mboka haa dhiginine nuulaadhi auhe eitaalo lyetu. Nongele oya hala oku shi holola, otaa vulu oku shi ninga. 6 Ngashingeyi onda thikama mpaka tandi pangulwa molwaashoka ondi itaala omauvaneko ngoka Kalunga e ga uvanekela ootatekulu. 7 Omolwomauvaneko tuu ngaka omazimo agehe omulongo nagaali gomoshigwana shetu ohaga longele Kalunga omutenya nuusiku, naantu oya tegelele, Kalunga e ge ya gwanithile. Etegameno ndika, omukwaniilwa omusimanekwa, olyo tandi tamanekelwa kAajuda. 8 Omolwashike ano ne Aajuda tamu nyengwa okwiitaala kutya Kalunga ota yumudha aasi?
9 “Nangame wo onda li ndu uvite kutya ondi na okukondjitha noonkondo adhihe edhina lyaJesus Omunasareti. 10 Osho nda ningile muJerusalem. Onda li nda pewa oonkondo kaayambi aakuluntu nonde edhilile aantu oyendji yaKalunga mondholongo. Nokuli naasho ya tokolelwa eso, onda li nde shi panda. 11 Olwindji onde ya dhengitha moosinagoga adhihe nonda kambadhala oku ya thiminika, yi idhimbike eitaalo lyawo. Onda li nde ya geele noonkondo, onkee onda yi sigo okiilando yokiilongo yilwe oku ya tidhagana.”
Paulus ta hokolola eitedhululo lye
(Iil. 9:1-19Iil. 22:6-16)12 “Nelalakano ndika onda yile kuDamaskus ndi na oonkondo nomapitikilo ga za kaayambi aakuluntu. 13 Ano sho nda li mondjila pokati komutenya, omukwaniilwa omusimanekwa, onda mono uuyelele owindji u vule mboka wetango wa zi kegulu nowa kondeke ndje pamwe naalumentu mboka twa li nayo. 14 Tse atuhe otwi ihata pevi, ngame nondu uvu ewi tali popitha ndje mOshihebeli tali ti: ‘Saulus, Saulus, omolwashike to tidhagana ndje? Ngoye oto ialula ngoye mwene, sho to thanga ondungu yegonga.’ 15 Nena onde mu pula nda ti: ‘Ongoye lye, Omuwa?’ Oye okwa yamukula a ti: ‘Ongame Jesus ngoka to mu tidhagana. 16 Ihe thikama, ikolelela komagulu goye. Ongame onde ku ihololele, opo ndi ku longekidhe, u ninge omuyakuli gwandje. Ongoye ou na okuhokololela aantu yalwe shoka we shi mono nena, naashoka tandi ke ku hololela komeho. 17 Ngame otandi ke ku hupitha miikaha yAaisraeli noyaapagani mboka tandi ku tumu kuyo. 18 Ngoye ou na okutonatitha omeho gawo, opo ya ze mo momilema, ye ye muuyelele, yo ya thige po epangelo lyaSatana, ye ye kuKalunga. Nena omolweitaalo lyawo okwiitaala ndje otaa ka dhiminwa po oondjo dhawo notaa ka pewa eha mongundu yaahogololwa yaKalunga.’
Paulus ta hokolola iilonga ye
19 “Onkee ano, omukwaniilwa Agrippa, ngame onda zimine okuvulika kemoniko lyomegulu. 20 Onkee ondu uvithile tango muDamaskus nomuJerusalem, opo ihe onde shi ningi moshilongo shaJudea ashihe nomokati kaapagani wo. Onde ya lombwele, yi itedhulule, ye ethe uulunde noya galukile kuKalunga, ya longe iilonga mbyoka tayi holola kutya oyi itedhulula. 21 Ano omolwokuuvitha kwa tya ngeyi Aajuda oya kwata ndje, manga nda li motempeli, noya li taa kambadhala okudhipaga ndje. 22 Ihe Kalunga okwa kwatha ndje, onkee sigo onena onda thikama mpaka notandi hololele aantu ayehe, naanamadhina naadhinwa, oshili. Nokuli shoka tandi popi, osho naanaa shoka aahunganeki naMoses ya tile kutya onashi ka ningwa: 23 kokutya Kristus oku na okusa, opo a ninge omutango mokuyumudhwa kuusi ye a uvithile Aajuda naapagani uuyelele wehupitho.”
24 Ano Paulus sho kwa li ti ipopile ngeyi, Festus okwe mu popitha newi enene a ti: “Paulus, oto yi oonkwengu! Elongo lyoye enene notali pilaaleke oondunge dhoye!”
25 Paulus okwe mu yamukula a ti: “Aawe, omusimanekwa Festus, inandi pilaala, ihe otandi popi oohapu dhoshili nodhi shi kwiinekelwa. 26 Omukwaniilwa Agrippa, otandi vulu oku ku hokololela iinima mbika nomukumo aguhe, oshoka ngoye owe yi tseya nawa. Ondi inekela shili kutya iinima mbika ayihe owe yi koneka, oshoka inayi ningilwa meholamo. 27 Omukwaniilwa Agrippa, owi itaale tuu shoka sha nyolwa kaahunganeki? Eeno, ondi shi kutya owe shi itaala.”
28 Nena Agrippa okwa lombwele Paulus a ti: “Oto dhiladhila aniwa kutya oto vulu okuninga ndje omukriste mokathimbo okafupi ke thike mpoka?”
29 Paulus okwe mu yamukula a ti: “Kashi na mbudhi kutya ethimbo ele nenge efupi, ngame otandi galikana ashike Kalunga, opo ngoye pamwe naantu ayehe mboka taa pulakene ndje ngashingeyi, mu ninge aakriste ngangame. Kakele ashike kaashoka kutya inandi hala, mu mangwe.”
30 Nena omukwaniilwa, omuleli gwoshilongo, naBernike naantu yalwe ayehe mboka ya li pamwe nayo, oya thikama e taa yi. 31 Ano mokweenda kwawo oya kundathana taa ti: “Omulumentu nguka ina ninga nando osha shoka sha gwana oku mu dhipagitha nenge oku mu tulitha mondholongo.” 32 Agrippa okwa lombwele ihe Festus a ti: “Omulumentu nguka ando okwa li ini igameka komupangeli Omuroma, ando ota mangululwa ashike.”
