Asomafo 26
1 Ɔhene Agripa ka kyerɛɛ Paulo se, “Afei mema wo ho kwan sɛ wuyi wo ho ano.” Paulo maa ne nsa so kasae se,
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Yoʋ have permission to speak for yoʋrself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began to make his defense:
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.
“I consider myself fortunate that it is before yoʋ, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense today concerning all the things of which I am being accused by the Jews,
3 Nea ɛma meka saa ne sɛ, wunim Yudafo mmara ne wɔn amanne nyinaa fekɔɔ. Enti mesrɛ wo, tɔ wo bo ase tie me.
especially since yoʋ are acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg yoʋ to listen to me patiently.
4 “Yudafo no nim mʼasetena mu nsɛm nyinaa fi me mmofraase. Wonim mʼasetena mu nsɛm wɔ me kurom ne Yerusalem nso.
“All the Jews know about my manner of life from my youth up, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem.
5 Sɛ wɔbɛka nokware a, wonim sɛ meyɛ Farisini a midi Yudafo mmara ne wɔn som so pɛpɛɛpɛ.
They have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.
6 Na afei esiane bɔ a Onyankopɔn hyɛɛ yɛn nenanom no nti na migyina ha nnɛ na wɔrebu me atɛn yi.
And now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise God made to our fathers,
7 Saa 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.
a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve him night and day. Regarding this hope, King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews.
8 Adɛn nti na mo Yudafo nnye nni sɛ Onyankopɔn nyan awufo?
Why is it deemed unbelievable by you that God raises the dead?
9 “Mmere bi a atwam no, na mʼadwene nyinaa ne sɛ mɛyɛ biribiara a metumi de atia Yesu a ofi Nasaret no din.
“Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 Saa 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.
And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. I locked up many of the saints in prison by the authority I received from the chief priests, and when they were being put to death, I cast my vote against them.
11 Mema 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.”
I also punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. And being furiously enraged against them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
12 “Saa ɔtaa yi nti na mikogyee tumi nhoma fii asɔfo mpanyin nkyɛn sɛ mede rekɔ Damasko no.
“While engaged in such things, I was on my way to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 Daasebrɛ, da bi owigyinae a merekɔ Damasko no hann bi a ɛkyɛn owia hyerɛn fii ɔsoro betwaa me ne wɔn a yɛnam no ho hyiae.
when at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me.
14 Yɛn 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.’
When we had all fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are yoʋ persecuting me? It is hard for yoʋ to kick against the goads.’
15 “Mibisae se, ‘Ɛyɛ wo hena, Awurade?’ “Awurade buae se, ‘Ɛyɛ me Yesu a wotaa me no.
I said, ‘Who are yoʋ, Lord?’ He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom yoʋ are persecuting.
16 Sɔre 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.
But rise and stand on yoʋr feet, for I have appeared to yoʋ for this purpose, to appoint yoʋ as a servant and witness to the things yoʋ have seen and to the things in which I will appear to yoʋ.
17 Megye wo afi Israelfo ne amanamanmufo a wɔresoma wo akɔ wɔn nkyɛn no nsam.
I will rescue yoʋ from yoʋr own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending yoʋ
18 Wubebue 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.’
to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an allotment among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “Ɛno nti Ɔhene Agripa, meyɛɛ osetie maa nne a efi ɔsoro no.
“Consequently, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 Mifii 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.
but first to those in Damascus and then to those in Jerusalem, to all the region of Judea and to the Gentiles, I proclaimed that they should repent and turn to God, doing works consistent with repentance.
21 Saa asɛm yi ara nti na na mewɔ asɔredan mu resom a Yudafo no bɛkyeree me sɛ wɔrekokum me no.
That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me.
22 Nanso 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
But having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the Prophets and Moses said would take place:
23 ɛsɛ sɛ Agyenkwa no hu amane na wadi awufo sɔre mu kan, na wɔaka hann ho asɛm akyerɛ Yudafo ne amanamanmufo.”
that the Christ would suffer and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24 Paulo gu so rekasa no, Festo twaa nʼano se, “Paulo, woabɔ dam! Wo nhomanim bebrebe no abɔ wo dam.”
As Paul was saying these things in his own defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Yoʋ are out of yoʋr mind, Paul. Too much learning is driving yoʋ insane!”
25 Nanso Paulo buae se, “Daasebrɛ, memmɔɔ dam ɛ. Nsɛm a mereka no yɛ nokware a aba wɔ mu.
But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking words of truth and good sense.
26 Ɔhene 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.
For the king knows about these things, to whom I am speaking boldly. I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice at all, for this has not been done in a corner.
27 Ɔhene Agripa, wugye adiyifo no di ana? Minim sɛ wugye wɔn di.”
Do yoʋ believe the Prophets, King Agrippa? I know that yoʋ believe.”
28 Agripa bisaa Paulo se, “Wugye di sɛ wubetumi adan mʼadwene ama mayɛ Kristoni saa bere tiaa yi mu ana?”
Agrippa said to Paul, “Do yoʋ think yoʋ can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”
29 Paulo 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.”
Paul said, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only yoʋ but also all who are listening to me today would become as I am, except for these chains.”
30 Afei ɔhene no ne Amrado ne Berenike ne wɔn a wɔahyia hɔ no nyinaa sɔree.
After Paul said these things, the king stood up, along with the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.
31 Wɔrekɔ 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.”
After leaving the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32 Ɔhene Agripa ka kyerɛɛ Festo se, “Sɛ onipa yi nguan ntoaa Kaesare a anka yebetumi agyaa no.”
And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
