1 Paul looked straight at the Council and said, “My fellow Israelites! My conscience is perfectly clear about the way in which I have lived before God to this very day.” 2 The High Priest Ananias ordered those who were standing close to Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Paul said to him, “God will certainly strike you—you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the Law, yet you break the Law by ordering them to strike me!”
4 The men close to Paul said to him, “You are insulting God's High Priest!”
5 Paul answered, “My fellow Israelites, I did not know that he was the High Priest. The scripture says, ‘You must not speak evil of the ruler of your people.’”
6 When Paul saw that some of the group were Sadducees and the others were Pharisees, he called out in the Council, “Fellow Israelites! I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees. I am on trial here because of the hope I have that the dead will rise to life!”
7 As soon as he said this, the Pharisees and Sadducees started to quarrel, and the group was divided. ( 8 For the Sadducees say that people will not rise from death and that there are no angels or spirits; but the Pharisees believe in all three.) 9 The shouting became louder, and some of the teachers of the Law who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and protested strongly: “We cannot find a thing wrong with this man! Perhaps a spirit or an angel really did speak to him!”
10 The argument became so violent that the commander was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces. So he ordered his soldiers to go down into the group, get Paul away from them, and take him into the fort.
11 That night the Lord stood by Paul and said, “Don't be afraid! You have given your witness for me here in Jerusalem, and you must also do the same in Rome.”
The Plot against Paul's Life
12 The next morning some Jews met together and made a plan. They took a vow that they would not eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who planned this together. 14 Then they went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have taken a solemn vow together not to eat a thing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Council send word to the Roman commander to bring Paul down to you, pretending that you want to get more accurate information about him. But we will be ready to kill him before he ever gets here.”
16 But the son of Paul's sister heard about the plot; so he went to the fort and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the officers and said to him, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” 18 The officer took him, led him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to say to you.”
19 The commander took him by the hand, led him off by himself, and asked him, “What do you have to tell me?”
20 He said, “The Jewish authorities have agreed to ask you tomorrow to take Paul down to the Council, pretending that the Council wants to get more accurate information about him. 21 But don't listen to them, because there are more than forty men who will be hiding and waiting for him. They have taken a vow not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are now ready to do it and are waiting for your decision.”
22 The commander said, “Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me.” And he sent the young man away.
Paul Is Sent to Governor Felix
23 Then the commander called two of his officers and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, together with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, and be ready to leave by nine o'clock tonight. 24 Provide some horses for Paul to ride and get him safely through to Governor Felix.” 25 Then the commander wrote a letter that went like this:
26 “Claudius Lysias to His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings. 27 The Jews seized this man and were about to kill him. I learned that he is a Roman citizen, so I went with my soldiers and rescued him. 28 I wanted to know what they were accusing him of, so I took him down to their Council. 29 I found out that he had not done a thing for which he deserved to die or be put in prison; the accusation against him had to do with questions about their own law. 30 And when I was informed that there was a plot against him, at once I decided to send him to you. I have told his accusers to make their charges against him before you.”
31 The soldiers carried out their orders. They got Paul and took him that night as far as Antipatris. 32 The next day the foot soldiers returned to the fort and left the horsemen to go on with him. 33 They took him to Caesarea, delivered the letter to the governor, and turned Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the letter and asked Paul what province he was from. When he found out that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will hear you when your accusers arrive.” Then he gave orders for Paul to be kept under guard in the governor's headquarters.
1 Nu Paulus wa siririka omeho we mOtjira tjOvajuda na tja: “Vaisrael ovakwetu! Omeritjiviro wandje womorukoro owo omakohoke tjiri momuhingo mbu mba kara na wo komurungu wa Ndjambi nga ku ndinondi.” 2 Omupristeri Otjiuru Ananias wa rakiza ovandu mba mba kuramene pu Paulus kutja ve mu tone kotjinyo. 3 Paulus a tja ku ye: “Ndjambi, tjiri, mee ku tono, ove kamunatjavivi! Ove wa haama mbo okundjipangura otja kOmatwako, nungwari ove mo katuka Omatwako indu tji motja nga tonwe!”
4 Ovarumendu, mba kuramene meṋe ya Paulus arire tji va tja ku ye: “Ove mo yamburura Omupristeri Otjiuru wa Ndjambi nao!”
5 Paulus a ziri a tja: “Vaisrael ovakwetu, ami hi tjivirwe kutja eye Omupristeri Otjiuru. Omatjangwa maye tja: ‘Ove ko nokusokuyamburura omunane wotjiwaṋa tjeṋu.’ ”
6 Paulus tja muna kutja ovandu tjiva motjira Ovasaduke nu tjiva Ovafarisei arire tja ravaere motjira a tja: “Vaisrael ovakwetu! Ami owami Omufarisei, omukwatwa wOvafarisei. Ami nai me pangurirwa omaundjiro ngu mbi na wo wokutja ovakoke mave pendurwa komuinyo!”
7 Tjimanga Paulus tja za nokuhungira omambo nga, Ovafarisei nOvasaduke ave utu okupatasana, notjira atji haṋika pevari. 8 Orondu Ovasaduke ve tja kape nombendukiro yovakoke, nokutja kape novaengeri nozombepo; nungwari imba Ovafarisei ve kambura moviṋa aviyetatu mbi. 9 Nu pa kara ondokohero onene, nozonongo zomambo tjiva vomukuma wOvafarisei va sekama nave patasana tjinene ave tja: “Eṱe katu nokumuna ondjo momurumendu ngwi! Ngahino ombepo poo omuengeri ngwa hungire na ye!”
10 Ozombata za ririra ko ozonḓeu tjinene nga omuhongore wovita tja tira kutja owo mave nyondorora Paulus. Eye opa rakizira ovarwe ve wovita kutja ve kahakane Paulus mokati kotjira nu ve mu tware komaturiro wawo.
11 Nu mouṱuku mbo Muhona wa kuramene pu Paulus na tja: “O tira! Ove we ndji hongonona muno mOjerusalem, nu wina katjite tjingetjo mOroma.”
Omerikutirokumwe wokuvanga okuzepa Paulus
12 Nomuhuka wependukirwa Ovajuda tjiva va woronganene nave ripura pamwe. Owo va yanasanena kutja kave nokurya nokunwa nga tji va zepa Paulus. 13 Ovarumendu mbe ripura pamwe otjiṋa hi va ri kombanda yomirongo vine. 14 Tjazumba arire tji va i kovapristeri oviuru novanene ave katja: “Eṱe twa yanasanena kutja kamaatu ri otjikurya nga tji twa zepa Paulus. 15 Nambano eṋe nOtjira tjOvajuda hindeye ombuze komuhongore wovita wa Roma yokutja a ete Paulus nguno ku eṱe, aayo tjimuna eṋe mamu vanga okutjiwa nawa komeho, tjiri, ongarero ye. Neṱe matu rirongerere okumuzepa ngunda e hiya vaza mba.”
16 Nungwari omusya wa Paulus wa zuvire omerikutirokumwe nga; neye opa ira komaturiro wovarwe wovita okukaraera Paulus. 17 Paulus arire tja isana omukarere umwe na tja ku ye: “Twara omuzandona ngwi komuhongore wovita; eye u nembo okukemuraera.” 18 Omukarere we mu toora e mu twara komuhongore wovita na tja: “Omupandekwa Paulus we ndji isana ne ndji ningire kutja mbi ete omuzandona ngwi kove, eye tjinga e nembo okuhungira kove.”
19 Omuhongore wovita arire tje mu kambura pokuoko e mu twara peke ne kemupura nai: “Otjikwatjike tji movanga okundjiraera?”
20 Eye wa tja: “Ovahona vOvajuda va itavere okukuningira muhuka kutja u tware Paulus kOtjira tjOvajuda rukwao, aayo ihi Otjira matji vanga okutjiwa nawa, tjiri, indji ongarero ye. 21 Nungwari o ha puratene ko ku wo, tjinga ape novarumendu mba kapita omirongo vine mbu mave mu rarere mondjira. Owo va yanasana kutja kamaave ri nokunwa nga tji va zepa Paulus. Nambano owo ve rirongerere okutjita tjingetjo nu mave undju kove u ve yandjere.”
22 Omuhongore wovita arire tja tja: “O raere omundu kutja ove we ndji tjivisa otjiṋa tji tja sana ngwi.” Tjazumba a hindi ingwi omuzandona kutja a yende.
Paulus ma hindwa komuhonapare Feliks
23 Omuhongore wovita wa isana ovanane vevari na tja: “Woronganiseye ovarwe wovita omasere yevari ve rirongerere okuyenda kOsesarea puna ovakavire voukambe omirongo hambombari novayumbe vouta omasere yevari momuvyu wouṱuku mbunombwi. 24 Yandjeye oukambe tjiva ku Paulus a kavire nu mu mu tware nokuhinooma kongooneya Feliks.” 25 Okuzambo omuhongore wovita arire tja tjanga orutuu rwomambo ngu maye tja nai:
26 “Ami ngu mbi ri Klaudius Lisias
me minike ongooneya
omutjuṋikwa tjinene Feliks.
27 Ovajuda va kambura omurumendu ngwi
nu ave hara okumuzepa.
Ami mba tjiukisiwa kutja eye omukwatera wa Roma,
notji mba ya puna ovarwe vandje wovita okukemuyama.
28 Ami mba vanga okutjiwa kutja owo mave mu pere tjike ondjo,
nopu mbe mu twarera kOtjira tjawo tjOvajuda.
29 Mba muna kutja eye ke notjiṋa tja tjita pa pwire okuṱa
poo okuyumbwa motjovakamburwa;
omakuminino ngu ve na wo na ye,
ye notjiṋa nomatwako wawo oveni.
30 Nu tji mba raerwa kutja pe nomerikutirokomwe nga tjama na ye,
tjimanga arire tji mbe ripura okumuhinda kove.
Ami mba raera ovemukuminine kutja
omarondororero ngu ve na wo na ye,
ngave yete komurungu woye.”
31 Ovarwe wovita va yenenisa omarakiza ngu va perwe. Owo va toora Paulus nu mouṱuku mbo ave mu twara nga kOantipatris. 32 Mependukirwa ovarwe wovita vopehi va yaruka komaturiro wawo nave esa ovakavire voukambe ve yende puna Paulus. 33 Owo ve mu twara kOsesarea, ave ka yandja indwi orutuu kongooneya nave kakuramisa Paulus komurungu we. 34 Ongooneya ya resa orutuu ndwi na pura Paulus kutja eye owehi riṋe. Nu tja tjiwa kutja Paulus owehi ra Silisie, 35 arire tja tja: “Ami me ku zuvire indu ovekukuminine tji ve ya.” Tjazumba a rakiza kutja Paulus a tjevererwe mondjuwo youhona ya Herodes.
