1 “My fellow Jews, listen to me as I make my defense before you!” 2 When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even quieter; and Paul went on:
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received strict instruction in the Law of our ancestors and was just as dedicated to God as are all of you who are here today. 4 I persecuted to the death the people who followed this Way. I arrested men and women and threw them into prison. 5 The High Priest and the whole Council can prove that I am telling the truth. I received from them letters written to fellow Jews in Damascus, so I went there to arrest these people and bring them back in chains to Jerusalem to be punished.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
(Acts 9.1-19Acts 26.12-18)6 “As I was traveling and coming near Damascus, about midday a bright light from the sky flashed suddenly around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8 ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute,’ he said to me. 9 The men with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 I asked, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ and the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that God has determined for you to do.’ 11 I was blind because of the bright light, and so my companions took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.
12 “In that city was a man named Ananias, a religious man who obeyed our Law and was highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He came to me, stood by me, and said, ‘Brother Saul, see again!’ At that very moment I saw again and looked at him. 14 He said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see his righteous Servant, and to hear him speaking with his own voice. 15 For you will be a witness for him to tell everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 And now, why wait any longer? Get up and be baptized and have your sins washed away by praying to him.’
Paul's Call to Preach to the Gentiles
17 “I went back to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the Temple, I had a vision, 18 in which I saw the Lord, as he said to me, ‘Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your witness about me.’ 19 ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that I went to the synagogues and arrested and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when your witness Stephen was put to death, I myself was there, approving of his murder and taking care of the cloaks of his murderers.’ 21 ‘Go,’ the Lord said to me, ‘for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 The people listened to Paul until he said this; but then they started shouting at the top of their voices, “Away with him! Kill him! He's not fit to live!” 23 They were screaming, waving their clothes, and throwing dust up in the air. 24 The Roman commander ordered his men to take Paul into the fort, and he told them to whip him in order to find out why the Jews were screaming like this against him. 25 But when they had tied him up to be whipped, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it lawful for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried for any crime?”
26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked him, “What are you doing? That man is a Roman citizen!”
27 So the commander went to Paul and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes,” answered Paul.
28 The commander said, “I became one by paying a large amount of money.”
“But I am one by birth,” Paul answered.
29 At once the men who were going to question Paul drew back from him; and the commander was frightened when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had put him in chains.
Paul before the Council
30 The commander wanted to find out for sure what the Jews were accusing Paul of; so the next day he had Paul's chains taken off and ordered the chief priests and the whole Council to meet. Then he took Paul and made him stand before them.
1 “Vakwetu nootate, purateneye komambo wandje ngu me riyeura na wo mba komurungu weṋu!” 2 Nowo tji ve mu zuva ama hungire Otjiheberi ku wo, arire tji va mwinine ko tjinene; nu Paulus wa hungira komurungu a tja:
3 “Owami Omujuda, ngu mba kwaterwa mOtarsus mehi ra Silisie, nungwari ngu mbe kurira muno mOjerusalem e rire omuhongewa wa Gamaliel. Ami mba pewa omahongero omakukutu mOmatwako wootate mukururume nu mba panḓera pokuyenenisa ombango ya Ndjambi otja eṋe amuhe punga amu tjita ndinondi. 4 Ami mba tatumisa ovandu mba mbaa ve kongorere ondjira ndji yovakambure neve yandja kokuṱa. Ami mba kambura ovarumendu novakazendu neve twa motjovakamburwa. 5 Omupristeri Otjiuru novanene avehe votjira tjOvajuda mave hongonona kutja ami me hungire ouatjiri. Owo ve ndji pa otutuu tu twa tjangerwa Ovajuda ovakwao mOdamaskus, nami opu mba ira ngo okukakambura ovakambure nokuveeta kOjerusalem ava pandekwa kutja ve yokuverwa.
Paulus ma serekarere ondanaukiro ye
(Oviu 9:1-19Oviu 26:12-18)6 “Ngunda ame kayenda nambi ri popezu na Damaskus oiri mangara mutenya, tjimanga ondjerera onamasa ndja zire keyuru arire tji ye ndji kondoroka. 7 Ami mba wira pehi nu e zuu eraka nda tjere nai ku ami: ‘Saul, Saul, mo ndji tjerere tjike okundjizepa?’ 8 Ami mba pura e tja: ‘Oove aṋi, Muhona?’ Eye a ziri a tja: ‘Owami Jesus wa Nasaret ngu mo tjere okuzepa.’ 9 Ovarumendu mba ri puna ami va muna indji ondjerera, nungwari owo kave mwine ingwi omundu ngwaa hungire na ami. 10 Ami mba pura e tja: ‘Hi tjite tjike, Muhona?’ Nu Muhona e ndji ziri a tja: ‘Sekama u kahite mOdamaskus, nu ingo oku mo karaererwa avihe Ndjambi mbye ku pa okutjita.’ 11 Nami tjinga amba poṱuparisiwa i ondjerera onamasa, ovendjikongorere otjinga ave ndji kambura pokuoko nave ndji hitisa mOdamaskus.
12 “Motjihuro hi mwa ri omurumendu wena Ananias, omunangamburiro ngwaa ṱakamisa Omatwako wetu, nu ngwa yozikirwe tjinene i Ovajuda avehe mba turire mo. 13 Eye weya ku ami, a kurama meṋe yandje a tja: ‘Mukwetu Saul, muna rukwao!’ Moiri tjingeyo ndji ami mba uta okumuna rukwao nu e tara mu ye. 14 Eye wa tjere nai: ‘Ndjambi wootate mukururume we ku toororera okutjiwa ombango ye, nokumuna Omunausemba nokuzuva ombosiro yeraka re omuini, 15 ove tjinga amo rire omumuhongononene okuraera ovandu avehe imbi mbi wa muna na mbi wa zuva. 16 Nambano mo wombere tjike nai? Sekama u papitisiwe nu u kohwe kourunde woye indu tji wa isana ena re!’
Paulus ma isanenwa okukazuvarisira imba mbe he ri Ovajuda
17 “Ami mba yaruka kOjerusalem, nu ngunda ame kumbu mondjuwo ya Muhona, arire tji mba munu otjirimunikise. 18 Mu tjo mba muna mo Muhona ama tja ku ami: ‘Hakahana u ze mo tjimanga mOjerusalem, ovandu muno tjinga ave hi nokuyakura imbi mbi mo hongonene ami!’ 19 Ami e ziri e tja: ‘Muhona, owo mave tjiwa nawa kutja ami mba ire kozosinagoge okukakambura nokukatona imba mba kambura move. 20 Nomuhongonone woye Stefanus tja ṱa, ami omuini opu mba ri ame nyandere onḓiro ye nu amba ṱiza ozombanda zovemuzepe.’ 21 Muhona arire tja tja ku ami: ‘Twende, orondu ami me ku hindi kokure ku imba mbe he ri Ovajuda.’ ”
22 Ovandu va puratenene ku Paulus nga tja hungire omambo nga aehe; nungwari okuzambo va uta okuravaera neraka enene ave tja: “Nga ze po! Nga ṱe! Eye ka pwire okukara nomuinyo!” 23 Owo va rokoha ave ritaura ozombanda zawo nave yumbu ehi meyuru. 24 Omuhongore wovita Omuroma wa rakiza kovandu ve ve tware Paulus komaturiro wovarwe wovita, nu we ve raera kutja ve kemutone a rire pa tjivirwa po kutja Ovajuda mave mu urire tjike nai. 25 Nungwari owo tji va pandeka Paulus kutja ve mu tone, eye arire tja tja komunane wovita ngwa kuramene mbo: “Eṋe kamu yandjererwe okutona omukwatera wa Roma ngunda e hiya pangurwa namunikwondjo?”
26 Omukarere tja zuvire omambo nga waya komuhongore wovita ne kemupura nai: “Mo vanga okutjita tjike? Omurumendu ngwi omukwatera wa Roma!”
27 Omuhongore wovita opa ira ku Paulus ne kemupura a tja: “Ndji raera, oove omukwatera wa Roma are?”
Paulus e mu ziri a tja: “Ii, owami omukwatera wa Roma.”
28 Omuhongore wovita arire tja tja: “Ami mba suta ovimariva ovingi tjinene okurira Omuroma.”
Paulus wa zirire a tja: “Nungwari ami owami Omuroma okukwatwa.”
29 Tjimanga ovarumendu mba mba vangere okukambura Paulus ave zu po pu ye; nomuhongore wovita wa tira indu tja muna kutja Paulus omukwatera wa Roma, na indu kutja eye we mu pandekisa nouketanga.
Paulus komurungu wotjombanguriro
30 Omuhongore wovita wa vangere okutjiwa ouatjiri wokutja Ovajuda Paulus mave mu pere tjike ondjo; nu mependukirwa eye opa pandurira Paulus na rakiza kovapristeri oviuru na kOtjira atjihe tjOvajuda kutja ve worongane. Tjazumba a eta Paulus ne mu kuramisa komurungu wawo.
