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.”
Mawu a Paulo Pamaso pa Mfumu Agripa
1Ndipo Agripa anawuza Paulo kuti, “Takulola kuti unene mawu ako.” Paulo anatambasula dzanja lake nayamba kudziteteza kuti, 2“Mfumu Agripa ine ndikudziyesa wa mwayi kuyima pamaso panu lero lino ndi kudziteteza, kutsutsa zonse zimene Ayuda andinenera, 3ndipo makamaka chifukwa inu mukudziwa bwino miyambo yonse ya Chiyuda ndiponso zonse zimene amatsutsana. Nʼchifukwa chake ndikukupemphani kuti mundimvetsere moleza mtima.
4“Ayuda onse akudziwa za moyo wanga mmene ndakhalira kuyambira ndili mwana, kuchokera pachiyambi cha moyo wanga mʼdziko lathu ndiponso mu Yerusalemu. 5Iwo akundidziwa kuyambira kalekale ndipo angathe kuchitira umboni kuti ndakhala ndili Mfarisi moyo wanga wonse, mmodzi wa gulu limene limasamala chipembedzo chathu koposa. 6Ndipo tsopano ndikuyimbidwa mlandu lero chifukwa cha chiyembekezo changa pa zimene Mulungu analonjeza makolo athu. 7Ili ndi lonjezo limene mafuko athu khumi ndi awiri akuyembekezera kuti likwaniritsidwe pamene akupembedza Mulungu molimbika usana ndi usiku. Wolemekezeka Mfumu, nʼchifukwa cha chiyembekezo chimenechi Ayuda kuti akundiyimba mlandu. 8Nʼchifukwa chiyani ena a inu mukuganiza kuti nʼkosatheka kuti Mulungu aukitse akufa?
9“Inenso ndimaganiza kuti ndimayenera kuchita zinthu zambiri pofuna kuthana ndi dzina la Yesu wa ku Nazareti. 10Ndipo izi ndi zimene ndinazichita ku Yerusalemu. Ndi ulamuliro wa akulu a ansembe, ine ndinayika mʼndende oyera mtima ambiri, ndipo pamene amaphedwa, ine ndimavomereza. 11Nthawi zambiri ndinkapita mʼsunagoge iliyonse kuti alangidwe, ndipo ndinayesera kuwakakamiza kuti achitire chipongwe Mulungu. Mu mkwiyo wangawo, ndimapita ngakhale ku mizinda yachilendo kuti ndikawazunze.
12“Pa ulendo wina wotere, ndikupita ku Damasiko ndi mphamvu ndi ulamuliro ochokera kwa akulu a ansembe, 13Wolemekezeka Mfumu, nthawi ya masana pamene ndimayenda pa msewu, ndinaona kuwala kuchokera kumwamba koposa kuwala kwa dzuwa kutandizungulira ine pamodzi ndi anzangawo. 14Tonse tinagwa pansi ndipo ndinamva mawu mʼChihebri akuti, ‘Saulo, Saulo chifukwa chiyani ukundizunza Ine? Nʼkovuta kulimbikira mtunda wopanda madzi.’ ”
15Ndipo ine ndinafunsa kuti, “Ndinu ndani Ambuye?”
Ambuye anayankha kuti, “Ndine Yesu, amene iwe ukumuzunza. 16Tsopano dzuka ndipo imirira. Ine ndaonekera kwa iwe kuti ndikusankhe kuti ukhale mtumiki ndiponso mboni ya zimene waziona za Ine ndiponso zimene ndidzakuonetsa. 17Ine ndidzakulanditsa mʼmanja mwa anthu a mtundu wako ndiponso mwa anthu a mitundu ina. Ine ndikukutuma kwa iwo, 18kuti ukatsekule maso awo kuti atembenuke mtima kuchoka ku mdima ndi kulowa mʼkuwala, kuchoka ku mphamvu za Satana ndi kupita kwa Mulungu, kuti alandire chikhululukiro cha machimo awo ndi kukhala mʼgulu la amene akuyeretsedwa chifukwa chokhulupirira Ine.
19“Nʼchifukwa chake Mfumu Agripa, sindinakane kumvera masomphenya wochokera kumwamba. 20Kuyambira kwa anthu a ku Damasiko, a ku Yerusalemu, a ku Yudeya konse ndi kwa anthu a mitundu inanso, ndinalalikira kuti akuyenera kulapa ndi kutembenukira kwa Mulungu ndikuti aonetse kulapa kwawo mwa ntchito zawo. 21Ichi nʼchifukwa chake Ayuda anandigwira mʼbwalo la Nyumba ya Mulungu nafuna kundipha. 22Koma Mulungu wakhala akundithandiza mpaka lero lino. Ine ndayima pano kuti ndichitire umboni kwa anthu onse otchuka ndi anthu wamba. Ine sindikunena zina zowonjezera koma zimene Aneneri ndi Mose ananena kuti zidzachitika. 23Iwo ananena kuti Khristu adzamva zowawa ndipo popeza Iye adzakhala woyamba kuuka kwa akufa, adzalalikira za kuwunika kwa anthu a mtundu wake ndiponso kwa anthu a mitundu ina.”
24Paulo akudziteteza, Festo anakweza mawu nati, “Wazungulira mutu Paulo! Kuphunzira kwako kwakuchititsa misala.”
25Paulo anayankha nati, “Wolemekezeka Festo, sindine wozungulira mutu. Zimene ndikunena ndi zoona ndiponso za nzeru. 26Mfumu ikuzidziwa bwino zinthu izi, ndipo ndikuyankhula momasuka kwa iyo. Ine ndikukhulupirira kuti palibe kanthu nʼkamodzi komwe kamene sukukadziwa, chifukwa izi sizinachike mseri. 27Mfumu Agripa, kodi mumakhulupirira mawu a aneneri? Ine ndikudziwa kuti mumakhulupirira.”
28Kenaka Agripa anati kwa Paulo, “Kodi ukuganiza kuti mʼkanthawi kochepa kotere ungandikope kuti ndikhale Mkhristu?”
29Paulo anayankha kuti, “Ngakhale kanthawi kochepa kapena nthawi yayitali, ine ndikupempha kwa Mulungu kuti osati inu nokha koma aliyense amene akundimva lero lino akhale monga ine, kupatulapo maunyolo okhawa.”
30Mfumu inayimirira pamodzi ndi bwanamkubwa ndi Bernisi ndiponso anthu onse amene anakhala nawo pamodzi. 31Inatuluka mʼchipindamo, ndipo pamene imayankhula inati, “Munthu uyu sanachite kanthu koyenera kuphedwa kapena kumangidwa.”
32Agripa anati kwa Festo, “Munthu uyu akanamasulidwa akanakhala kuti sanapemphe zokaonekera kwa Kaisara.”
