Paulo Yi Ne Ho Ano
1Ɔhene Agripa ka kyerɛɛ Paulo se, “Afei mema wo ho kwan sɛ wuyi wo ho ano.”
Paulo maa ne nsa so kasae se, 2“Ɔhene Agripa! Ɛyɛ me anigye sɛ nnɛ manya mu kwan gyina wʼanim ha reyi me ho ano wɔ asɛm a Yudafo aka atia me no ho. 3Nea ɛma meka saa ne sɛ, wunim Yudafo mmara ne wɔn amanne nyinaa fekɔɔ. Enti mesrɛ wo, tɔ wo bo ase tie me.
4“Yudafo no nim mʼasetena mu nsɛm nyinaa fi me mmofraase. Wonim mʼasetena mu nsɛm wɔ me kurom ne Yerusalem nso. 5Sɛ wɔbɛka nokware a, wonim sɛ meyɛ Farisini a midi Yudafo mmara ne wɔn som so pɛpɛɛpɛ. 6Na afei esiane bɔ a Onyankopɔn hyɛɛ yɛn nenanom no nti na migyina ha nnɛ na wɔrebu me atɛn yi. 7Saa bɔhyɛ yi na yɛn mmusuakuw dumien hwɛ kwan sɛ ɛbɛba mu no nti na wɔsom Onyankopɔn awia ne anadwo no. Ɔhene, saa anidaso yi nti na Yudafo asɔre atia me yi. 8Adɛn nti na mo Yudafo nnye nni sɛ Onyankopɔn nyan awufo?
9“Mmere bi a atwam no, na mʼadwene nyinaa ne sɛ mɛyɛ biribiara a metumi de atia Yesu a ofi Nasaret no din. 10Saa ara na meyɛɛ wɔ Yerusalem. Migyee tumi nhoma fii asɔfo mpanyin nkyɛn gyinaa so kyekyeree Onyankopɔn akyidifo guu afiase; na sɛ wobu wɔn kumfɔ a, midi mu akoten. 11Mema wɔtwee wɔn aso mmere pii wɔ hyiadan mu sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wɔbɛpa wɔn gyidi. Mʼani beree wɔn so yiye ma metaa wɔn koduu aman afoforo so.”
Paulo Ka Nʼadwensakra Ho Asɛm
12“Saa ɔtaa yi nti na mikogyee tumi nhoma fii asɔfo mpanyin nkyɛn sɛ mede rekɔ Damasko no. 13Daasebrɛ, da bi owigyinae a merekɔ Damasko no hann bi a ɛkyɛn owia hyerɛn fii ɔsoro betwaa me ne wɔn a yɛnam no ho hyiae. 14Yɛn nyinaa twitwa hwehwee fam na metee nne bi wɔ Arameike kasa mu se, ‘Saulo! Saulo! Adɛn nti na wotaa me? Nea woyɛ yi nyinaa wode rehaw wo ho sɛnea nantwi tu ne nan wɔ ɔkafo pema ano.’
15“Mibisae se, ‘Ɛyɛ wo hena, Awurade?’
“Awurade buae se, ‘Ɛyɛ me Yesu a wotaa me no. 16Sɔre gyina hɔ. Nnɛ mayi me ho adi akyerɛ wo; mɛma woayɛ me somfo na woadi adanse wɔ nea woahu afa me ho yi ne nea mɛkyerɛ wo nyinaa ho. 17Megye wo afi Israelfo ne amanamanmufo a wɔresoma wo akɔ wɔn nkyɛn no nsam. 18Wubebue wɔn ani na woatwe wɔn afi sum mu aba hann mu, na woayi wɔn afi ɔbonsam tumi ase aba Onyankopɔn nkyɛn. Na wɔnam wɔn gyidi a wɔwɔ wɔ me mu no so anya bɔnefakyɛ na wɔayɛ Onyankopɔn mma.’
19“Ɛno nti Ɔhene Agripa, meyɛɛ osetie maa nne a efi ɔsoro no. 20Mifii ase kaa asɛmpa no wɔ Damasko ne Yerusalem ne Yudeafo aman nyinaa so ne amanamanmufo mu sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsakra wɔn adwene na wɔde wɔn ho ma Onyankopɔn na wɔmma wɔn nneyɛe nkyerɛ sɛ wɔasakra. 21Saa asɛm yi ara nti na na mewɔ asɔredan mu resom a Yudafo no bɛkyeree me sɛ wɔrekokum me no. 22Nanso besi nnɛ yi Onyankopɔn abɔ me ho ban nti na migyina ha redi adanse akyerɛ obiara yi. Asɛm koro a Mose ne adiyifo no kae se 23ɛsɛ sɛ Agyenkwa no hu amane na wadi awufo sɔre mu kan, na wɔaka hann ho asɛm akyerɛ Yudafo ne amanamanmufo.”
Festo Bu Paulo Ɔbɔdamfo
24Paulo gu so rekasa no, Festo twaa nʼano se, “Paulo, woabɔ dam! Wo nhomanim bebrebe no abɔ wo dam.”
25Nanso Paulo buae se, “Daasebrɛ, memmɔɔ dam ɛ. Nsɛm a mereka no yɛ nokware a aba wɔ mu. 26Ɔhene Agripa, esiane sɛ wunim saa nsɛm yi nyinaa nti, metumi agyina wʼanim de akokoduru akasa. Migye di sɛ biribiara a esii no wunim, efisɛ emu biara nni hɔ a ɛyɛ kokoamsɛm. 27Ɔhene Agripa, wugye adiyifo no di ana? Minim sɛ wugye wɔn di.”
28Agripa bisaa Paulo se, “Wugye di sɛ wubetumi adan mʼadwene ama mayɛ Kristoni saa bere tiaa yi mu ana?”
29Paulo buae se, “Sɛ nsɛm a mereka no ho hia anaa ɛho nhia no, me mpaebɔ ara ne sɛ, Onyankopɔn bɛma wo ne wɔn a wɔretie me nnɛ yi nyinaa asakra abɛyɛ sɛ me, gye nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn a egu me yi nko ara.”
30Afei ɔhene no ne Amrado ne Berenike ne wɔn a wɔahyia hɔ no nyinaa sɔree. 31Wɔrekɔ no wɔkeka kyerɛɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho se, “Saa onipa yi nyɛɛ biribiara a ɛsɛ sɛ wogyina so bu no kumfɔ anaasɛ wɔde no to afiase.”
32Ɔhene Agripa ka kyerɛɛ Festo se, “Sɛ onipa yi nguan ntoaa Kaesare a anka yebetumi agyaa no.”
1Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You have permission to speak for yourself.’
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defence: 2‘King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defence against all the accusations of the Jews, 3and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4‘The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9‘I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
12‘On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,26:14 Or Hebrew “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
15‘Then I asked, “Who are you, Lord?”
‘ “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” the Lord replied. 16“Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
19‘So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen – 23that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.’
24At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defence. ‘You are out of your mind, Paul!’ he shouted. ‘Your great learning is driving you insane.’
25‘I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied. ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.’
28Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’
29Paul replied, ‘Short time or long – I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.’
30The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31After they left the room, they began saying to one another, ‘This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.’
32Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.’
