Veprat e Apostujve 22
1 “Vëllezër dhe etër, dëgjoni çfarë ju them tani për mbrojtjen time”.
Paul said, “[Jewish] elders and my other fellow Jews, listen to me now while I reply to [those who are accusing me]!”
2 Kur dëgjuan se u fliste atyre në gjuhën hebraike, heshtën edhe më shumë. Pastaj ai tha:
When the crowd of people heard Paul speaking to them in [their own] Hebrew language, they became even more quiet and really listened. Then Paul said to them,
3 “Në të vërtetë unë jam një Jude, lindur në Tars të Kilikisë dhe rritur në këtë qytet te këmbët e Gamalielit, edukuar me përpikërinë e ligjit të etërve tanë, plot me zell për Perëndinë, sikurse jeni ju të gjithë sot;
“I am a Jew, [as are all of you]. I was born in Tarsus [city], in Cilicia [province], but I grew up here in Jerusalem. [When I was young, for many years] I studied the laws [that Moses gave to our ancestors]. I was taught by [the famous teacher] Gamaliel [MTY] {[The famous teacher] Gamaliel taught [MTY] me}. [I have] carefully [obeyed those laws, because] I have wanted to obey God. I [am sure that] many of you also carefully obey [those laws].
4 unë kam përndjekur këtë Udhë deri në vdekje, duke lidhur dhe duke futur në burg burra dhe gra,
[That is why] I previously persecuted those who believe the message [that people call] the Way [that Jesus taught. I continually looked for ways] to kill [them. Whenever I found] men or women [who believed that message], I [commanded that] they should be seized and thrown {[people to] seize them and throw them} into jail.
5 sikurse jep dëshmi për mua kryeprifti dhe gjithë sinedri i pleqve, prej të cilëve mora edhe letra për vëllezërit dhe shkova në Damask për të sjellë të lidhur në Jeruzalem ata që ishin atje, që të ndëshkoheshin.
The supreme priest knows this, and so do the [other respected men who belong to our Jewish] Council. They gave me letters to [take to] their fellow Jews in Damascus [city. By means of those letters, they authorized me to] go to there and find people who believed in [Jesus. They had written in the letters that I was to bring those people] as prisoners to Jerusalem, so that they would be punished here {[the leaders here] could punish them}. [So I went on my way to Damascus].
6 Dhe më ndodhi që, kur isha duke udhëtuar dhe po i afrohesha Damaskut, aty nga mesi i ditës, papritmas një dritë e madhe nga qielli vetëtiu rreth meje.
About noon, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.
7 Dhe unë rashë përdhe dhe dëgjova një zë që po më thoshte: “Saul, Saul, përse më përndjek?”.
[The light was so bright that] I fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice [of someone] speaking to me [from up in the sky. The one who was speaking to me said], ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you [(sg)] do things to harm me?’
8 Dhe unë u përgjigja: “Kush je ti, o Zot?” Edhe ai më tha: “Unë jam Jezus Nazareasi, të cilin ti e përndjek”.
I answered, ‘Who are you?’ He replied, ‘I am Jesus from Nazareth. I [am the one] whom you [(sg)] are harming [by doing things to harm my followers].’
9 Edhe ata që ishin me mua e panë dritën dhe u trembën, por nuk dëgjuan zërin e atij që më fliste.
The men who were [traveling] with me saw the [very bright] light, [and they heard a voice], but they did not understand what the voice said to me.
10 Unë thashë: “O Zot, ç’duhet të bëj?”. Zoti më tha: “Çohu dhe shko në Damask! Atje do të të thuhet çfarë të është urdhëruar të bësh”.
Then I asked, ‘Lord, what [do you want] me to do?’ The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus! [A man] there will tell you [(sg)] all that I have planned for you to do.’
11 Dhe, mbasi unë nuk shihja asgjë për shkak të shkëlqimit të asaj drite, më morën për dore ata që ishin me mua; dhe hyra në Damask.
[After that, I could not see], because the [very bright] light had caused me to become blind. So my companions took me by the hand and led me until [we(exc) arrived] in Damascus.
12 Dhe njëfarë Anania, njeri i perëndishëm sipas ligjit, për të cilin jepnin dëshmi të gjithë Judenjtë që banonin aty,
[A couple of days] later, a man whose name was Ananias came to [see] me. He was a man who [greatly respected God and] carefully obeyed [our Jewish] laws. All the Jews living in Damascus said good things about him.
13 erdhi tek unë, dhe duke qëndruar pranë meje, tha: “O vëlla Saul, shiko përsëri!”. Dhe në atë çast unë fitova përsëri dritën e syve dhe e shikova.
He came and stood beside me and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, see [again]!’ Instantly I could see! I saw Ananias [standing there beside me].
14 Pastaj vazhdoi: “Perëndia i etërve tanë të ka paracaktuar të njohësh vullnetin e tij, ta shohësh të Drejtin dhe të dëgjosh një zë nga goja e tij.
Then he said: ‘The God whom [we(inc) worship and] whom our ancestors [worshipped] has chosen you and will show you what he wants [you to do. He has allowed you] to see the righteous one, [the Messiah], and you have heard him speaking [to you].
15 Sepse ti duhet të dëshmosh për të tek të gjithë njerëzit për ato që ke parë dhe ke dëgjuar.
He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard [from him].
16 Dhe tani ç’pret? Çohu dhe ji i pagëzuar dhe i larë nga mëkatet e tua, duke thirrur emrin e Zotit”.
So now (do not delay!/why delay?) [RHQ] Stand up, let [me] baptize you, and by praying to the Lord [Jesus ask God] to forgive you [(sg)] for your sins!’”
17 Dhe ndodhi që, kur u ktheva në Jeruzalem dhe isha duke u lutur në tempull, u rrëmbeva në ekstazë,
“Later, I returned to Jerusalem. [One day] I went to the Temple courtyard. While I was praying there, I saw a vision [in which]
18 dhe pashë Zotin që më thoshte: “Nxito dhe dil shpejt nga Jeruzalemi, sepse ata nuk do ta pranojnë dëshminë tënde për mua”.
I saw the Lord speaking to me. He said to me, ‘[Do not stay here]! Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people [here] will not (believe/listen to) what you [(sg)] tell [them] about me!’
19 Atëherë unë thashë: “O Zot, ata e dinë vetë se unë burgosja dhe rrihja nga një sinagogë te tjetra ata që besonin në ty;
But I [protested and] said to him, ‘Lord, they know that I went to many of our meeting houses looking for people who believe in you. I was putting in jail those [whom I found] who believed in you, and I was even beating them.
20 kur u derdh gjaku i Stefanit, dëshmorit tënd, edhe unë isha i pranishëm, e miratoja vdekjen e tij dhe ruaja rrobat e atyre që e vrisnin.
[They remember that] when Stephen was killed [MTY] {when people killed [MTY] Stephen} because he told people about you, I stood there [watching it all] and approving [what they were doing]. I [even] guarded the outer garments that those who were murdering him [had thrown aside. So if I stay here, the fact that I have changed how I think about you will surely impress those leaders of our people].’
21 Por ai më tha: “Shko, sepse unë do të të dërgoj larg midis johebrenjve””.
But the Lord said to me, ‘No, [do not stay here]! Leave [Jerusalem, because] I am going to send you [(sg)] far away [from here] to non-Jewish people!’”
22 Ata e dëgjuan deri në këtë pikë; pastaj ngritën zërin duke thënë: “Hiqe nga bota një njeri të tillë, sepse nuk është i denjë të rrojë!”.
The people listened [quietly] to what Paul was saying until [he mentioned the Lord sending him to non-Jewish people]. Then they began shouting [angrily], “Kill him! [He does not deserve to live any longer]!” [They said that because they could not believe that God would save anyone except Jews].
23 Duke qenë se ata bërtisnin, duke i flakur rrobat e duke ngritur pluhurin në erë,
While they continued shouting, [“Kill him!”] they took off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, [which showed how angry they were].
24 kryemijësi urdhëroi ta çonin Palin në fortesë, duke urdhëruar që ta marrin në pyetje duke e rrahur me kamxhik, që të merrej vesh për çfarë arsye ata bërtisnin kështu kundër tij.
So the commander [commanded] that Paul be taken {[soldiers] to take Paul} into the barracks. He told [the soldiers] that they should strike Paul with a whip [that had pieces of bone/metal on the end of it], in order to make him tell what he had done that made the Jews shout so angrily. [So the soldiers took Paul into the barracks].
25 Por, kur e shtrinë, të lidhur me rripa, Pali i tha centurionit që ishte aty: “A është e ligjshme për ju të rrihni me kamxhik një qytetar romak, ende të pagjykuar?”.
Then they stretched his arms out [and tied them] so that they could whip him [on his back. But] Paul said to the officer who was standing nearby [watching], “[You(sg) should think carefully about this]! You will certainly be [RHQ] acting unlawfully if you whip me, a Roman [citizen whom] no [one has put on trial and] condemned!”
26 Kur e dëgjoi, centurioni shkoi e i tregoi kryemijësit duke thënë: “Çfarë do të bësh? Ky njeri është një qytetar romak!”.
When the officer heard that, he went to the commander and reported it to him. He said [to the commander], “This man is a Roman [citizen] (Surely you would not [command us to whip him]!/Do you really want [us to whip him]?) [RHQ]”
27 Atëherë kryemijësi shkoi te Pali dhe e pyeti: “Më thuaj, a je një qytetar romak?”. Ai tha: “Po, jam!”.
The commander [was surprised when he heard that. He himself] went [into the barracks] and said to Paul, “Tell me, are you [(sg) really] a Roman [citizen]?” Paul answered, “Yes, I [am].”
28 Kryemijësi u përgjigj: “Unë e kam fituar këtë qytetëri me një shumë të madhe”. Pali tha: “Kurse unë e kam qysh prej lindjes!”.
Then the commander said, “[I am also a Roman citizen]. I paid a lot of money to become a [Roman] citizen.” Paul said, “But I was born a [Roman] citizen, [so I did not need to pay anything].”
29 Menjëherë ata që duhet ta merrnin në pyetje u larguan prej tij; dhe vetë kryemijësi, kur mori vesh se ai ishte qytetar romak, pati frikë që e kishte lidhur.
The soldiers [were about to whip Paul and to ask him questions about what he had done. But when they heard what Paul said, they] left him immediately. The commander also became afraid, because he realized that Paul was a Roman [citizen] and that he had [illegally commanded soldiers to] tie up Paul’s [hands].
30 Të nesërmen, duke dashur të marrë vesh me saktësi përse ishte akuzuar nga Judenjtë, e zgjidhi nga prangat dhe urdhëroi krerët e priftërinjve dhe gjithë sinedrin të vinin. Pastaj, si e sollën poshtë Palin, e nxori përpara tyre.
[The commander still] wanted to know exactly why the Jews were accusing Paul. So the next day he [told the soldiers to] take the chains off Paul. He also summoned the chief priests and the [other Jewish] Council [members]. Then he took Paul [to where the Council was meeting] and [commanded] him to stand before them.
