1Agrippa said to Paul, “You may now present your case.”
So Paul motioned with his hand. Then he began to present his case. 2“King Agrippa,” he said, “I am happy to be able to stand here today. I will answer all the charges brought against me by the Jews. 3I am very pleased that you are familiar with Jewish ways. You know the kinds of things they argue about. So I beg you to be patient as you listen to me.
4“The Jewish people all know how I have lived ever since I was a child. They know all about me from the beginning of my life. They know how I lived in my own country and in Jerusalem. 5They have known me for a long time. So if they wanted to, they could tell you how I have lived. I have lived by the rules of the Pharisees. Those rules are harder to obey than those of any other Jewish group. 6Today I am on trial because of the hope I have. I believe in what God promised our people of long ago. 7It is the promise that our 12 tribes are hoping to see come true. Because of this hope they serve God with faithful and honest hearts day and night. King Agrippa, it is also because of this hope that these Jews are bringing charges against me. 8Why should any of you think it is impossible for God to raise the dead?
9“I believed that I should oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. So I did everything I could to oppose his name. 10That’s just what I was doing in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests, I put many of the Lord’s people in prison. I agreed that they should die. 11I often went from one synagogue to another to have them punished. I tried to force them to speak evil things against Jesus. All I wanted to do was hurt them. I even went looking for them in the cities of other lands.
12“On one of these journeys I was on my way to Damascus. I had the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13About noon, King Agrippa, I was on the road. I saw a light coming from heaven. It was brighter than the sun. It was shining around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground. I heard a voice speak to me in the Aramaic language. ‘Saul! Saul!’ it said. ‘Why are you opposing me? It is hard for you to go against what you know is right.’
15“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“ ‘I am Jesus,’ the Lord replied. ‘I am the one you are opposing. 16Now get up. Stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you to serve me. And you must tell other people about me. You must tell others that you have seen me today. You must also tell them that I will show myself to you again. 17I will save you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes. I want you to turn them from darkness to light. I want you to turn them from Satan’s power to God. I want their sins to be forgiven. They will be forgiven when they believe in me. They will have their place among God’s people.’
19“So then, King Agrippa, I obeyed the vision that appeared from heaven. 20First I preached to people in Damascus. Then I preached in Jerusalem and in all Judea. And then I preached to the Gentiles. I told them to turn away from their sins to God. The way they live must show that they have turned away from their sins. 21That’s why some Jews grabbed me in the temple courtyard and tried to kill me. 22But God has helped me to this day. So I stand here and tell you what is true. I tell it to everyone, both small and great. I have been saying nothing different from what the prophets and Moses said would happen. 23They said the Messiah would suffer. He would be the first to rise from the dead. He would bring the message of God’s light. He would bring it to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
24While Paul was still presenting his case, Festus interrupted. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you crazy!”
25“I am not crazy, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26The king is familiar with these things. So I can speak openly to him. I am certain he knows everything that has been going on. After all, it was not done in secret. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28Then Agrippa spoke to Paul. “Are you trying to talk me into becoming a Christian?” he said. “Do you think you can do that in such a short time?”
29Paul replied, “I don’t care if it takes a short time or a long time. I pray to God for you and all who are listening to me today. I pray that you may become like me, except for these chains.”
30The king stood up. The governor and Bernice and those sitting with them stood up too. 31They left the room and began to talk with one another. “Why should this man die or be put in prison?” they said. “He has done nothing worthy of that!”
32Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free. But he has made an appeal to Caesar.”
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.”
