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.”
126:1 Atũm 9:15; Atũm 12:17Nake Agiripa akĩĩra Paũlũ atĩrĩ, “Ũrĩ na rũũtha rwa kwĩyarĩrĩria.”
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Paũlũ agĩtambũrũkia guoko, akĩambĩrĩria kwĩyarĩrĩria, akiuga atĩrĩ, 2“Mũthamaki Agiripa, nĩngũigua ndĩ mũtĩĩku kũrũgama mbere yaku ũmũthĩ ndĩyarĩrĩrie igũrũ rĩa maũndũ mothe marĩa thitangĩirwo nĩ Ayahudi, 326:3 Atũm 26:7; Atũm 25:19na makĩria nĩ tondũ wee nĩũũĩ mĩtugo yothe ya Ayahudi na maũndũ marĩa makararanagĩria. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩndakũhooya ũũthikĩrĩrie ũtegũthethũka.
426:4 Agal 1:13, 14“Ayahudi othe nĩmooĩ ũrĩa ndũũrĩte kuuma ndĩ mwana, kuuma kĩambĩrĩria kĩa mũtũũrĩre wakwa ndĩ bũrũri-inĩ wakwa kĩũmbe, o na ndĩ Jerusalemu. 526:5 Atũm 22:3; Atũm 23:6Nĩmanjũũĩ hĩndĩ ndaaya, na mangĩenda, no maheane ũira wakwa, atĩ kũringana na watho ndaatũũrĩte ndĩ Mũfarisai, ndĩĩrutanĩirie na kĩyo kũrũmia maũndũ mothe ma ndini iitũ. 626:6 Atũm 23:6; Atũm 13:32Na rĩrĩ, ndũgamĩte haha ũmũthĩ njiirithio nĩ ũndũ wa kwĩrĩgĩrĩra kĩĩranĩro kĩrĩa Ngai eerĩire maithe maitũ. 726:7 Jak 1:1; 1Athe 3:10Kĩĩranĩro kĩu no kĩo mĩhĩrĩga ĩrĩa iitũ ikũmi na ĩĩrĩ ĩĩrĩgagĩrĩra kuona gĩkĩhingio, rĩrĩa ĩtungatagĩra Ngai na kĩyo ũtukũ na mũthenya. Na rĩrĩ, wee Mũthamaki, Ayahudi maathitangĩte nĩ ũndũ wa kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro kĩu. 8Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ wanyu atue atĩ nĩ ũndũ ũtangĩĩtĩkio, atĩ Ngai nĩariũkagia arĩa akuũ?
926:9 1Tim 1:13; Joh 16:2“O na niĩ nĩndaiguithĩtio atĩ nĩndagĩrĩirwo nĩ gwĩka ũrĩa wothe ingĩahotire ndegane na rĩĩtwa rĩa Jesũ wa Nazarethi. 1026:10 Atũm 8:3; Atũm 22:20Na ũguo nĩguo ndeekire kũu Jerusalemu. Ngĩikia andũ aingĩ a arĩa aamũre njeera, heetwo rũũtha nĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene, na rĩrĩa andũ acio mooragagwo, nĩndetĩkanagia na ituĩro rĩu. 11Mahinda maingĩ nĩndathiiaga kuuma thunagogi-inĩ ĩmwe nginya ĩrĩa ĩngĩ nĩgeetha ndĩmaneane maherithio, na ngageria kũmahatĩrĩria marume Ngai. Na tondũ wa ũrĩa ndaamarakarĩire mũno nĩndathiiaga kũmanyariira o na matũũra-inĩ marĩa manene ma kũngĩ.
12“Hĩndĩ ĩmwe ndĩ rũgendo-inĩ ta rũu-rĩ, ndaathiiaga Dameski heetwo ũhoti na ngatũmwo nĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa anene. 13Kũrĩ thaa thita cia mũthenya, wee Mũthamaki, ndĩ njĩra-inĩ ngĩona ũtheri mũnene woimĩte igũrũ ũkengete gũkĩra riũa, ũkĩnjarĩra mĩena yothe, niĩ na andũ arĩa twarĩ nao. 14Ithuothe tũkĩgũa thĩ, na niĩ ngĩigua mũgambo ũkĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ na rwario rwa Kĩhibirania, ‘Saũlũ, Saũlũ, ũũnyariiraga nĩkĩ? Nĩ ũndũ ũrĩ hinya harĩwe kũhũũra mĩcengi na haati.’
15“Na niĩ hĩndĩ ĩyo ngĩũria atĩrĩ, ‘Wee nĩwe ũ, Mwathani?’
“Nake Mwathani akĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ niĩ Jesũ ũrĩa ũnyariiraga. 1626:16 Ezek 2:1; Atũm 22:14-15Rĩu ũkĩra ũrũgame na magũrũ maku. Ndaakuumĩrĩra ngwamũre ũtuĩke ndungata na ũtuĩke mũira wa maũndũ marĩa wonete mangoniĩ na marĩa ngũkuonia. 1726:17 Jer 1:8, 19; Atũm 9:15Nĩngũkũhonokia kuuma kũrĩ andũ anyu na kuuma kũrĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ arĩa ndĩragũtũma kũrĩ o, 1826:18 Isa 42:7, 16ũkamahingũre maitho, na ũmagarũre moime nduma-inĩ mathiĩ ũtheri-inĩ, na ũmarute hinya-inĩ wa Shaitani ũmatware kũrĩ Ngai, nĩgeetha maamũkĩre ũrekanĩri wa mehia, na magĩe na handũ gatagatĩ-inĩ ka andũ arĩa matheretio na ũndũ wa kũnjĩtĩkia.’
19“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, Mũthamaki Agiripa, ndiigana kwaga gwathĩkĩra kĩoneki kĩu kĩoimĩte igũrũ. 2026:20 Atũm 9:19-25; Atũm 9:26-29; Math 3:8Ngĩambĩrĩria kũhunjĩria andũ arĩa maarĩ Dameski, ngĩcooka ngĩhunjĩria andũ a kũu Jerusalemu o na a Judea guothe, na andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ o nao. Ndaahunjagia atĩ nĩmagĩrĩirwo nĩ kwĩrira na magarũrũke kũrĩ Ngai, na moonanie kwĩrira kwao na ũndũ wa ciĩko ciao. 2126:21 Atũm 21:27, 30Kĩu nĩkĩo gĩatũmire Ayahudi maanyiitĩre hekarũ-inĩ, na magerie kũnjũraga. 2226:22 Luk 24:27, 44No nĩngoretwo ndĩ na ũteithio wa Ngai nginya ũmũthĩ ũyũ, na nĩkĩo nũngiĩ haha nĩguo heane ũira kũrĩ andũ arĩa anini na arĩa anene o ũndũ ũmwe. Ndirĩ ũndũ njugaga makĩria ma ũrĩa anabii na Musa moigĩte atĩ nĩũgekĩka, 2326:23 1Akor 15:20, 23; Luk 2:32atĩ Kristũ nĩakanyariirwo, na atuĩke wa mbere kũriũka kuuma kũrĩ arĩa akuũ, nĩguo ahunjie ũhoro wa ũtheri kũrĩ andũ aake kĩũmbe o na kũrĩ andũ-a-Ndũrĩrĩ.”
2426:24 Joh 10:20Fesito aigua ũguo, akĩmũgũthũkĩra akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee Paũlũ nĩkũgũrũka ũgũrũkĩte! Gĩthomo kĩu gĩaku kĩingĩ nĩgĩtũmĩte ũgũrũke.”
2526:25 Atũm 23:26Nake Paũlũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ mũgaathe Fesito, niĩ ndigũrũkĩte. Ũndũ ũrĩa ndĩroiga nĩ wa ma na ti ũgũrũki. 26Mũthamaki nĩoĩ maũndũ maya, na no ndĩmwarĩrie itegwĩtigĩra. Nĩ njũũĩ atĩ gũtirĩ ũndũ o na ũmwe wa maũndũ maya aagĩte kũmenya, tondũ matiekĩirwo hitho-inĩ. 27Mũthamaki Agiripa, wee nĩwĩtĩkĩtie anabii? Nĩnjũũĩ atĩ nĩũmetĩkĩtie.”
28Hĩndĩ ĩyo Agiripa akĩũria Paũlũ atĩrĩ, “Nĩũgwĩciiria atĩ kahinda-inĩ kanini ũguo no ũnjiguithie nduĩke Mũkristiano?”
29Nake Paũlũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “kahinda kanyiihe kana karaihe, ndĩrahooya Ngai atĩ to wee wiki, no o na andũ aya angĩ othe maraathikĩrĩria ũmũthĩ, ndenda matuĩke ta niĩ, tiga o mĩnyororo ĩno.”
3026:30 Atũm 25:23Mũthamaki ũcio agĩũkĩra marĩ hamwe na barũthi, na Berinike, na andũ arĩa maikarĩte hamwe nao. 31Makiuma nyũmba ĩyo, na rĩrĩa maaranagĩria, makiuga atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ũyũ ndarĩ ũndũ ekĩte wa gũtũma ooragwo kana ohwo.”
3226:32 Atũm 25:11Agiripa akĩĩra Fesito atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ũyũ nĩangĩarekererio korwo ndaracooketie ciira riiko kũrĩ Kaisari.”
