Katwa Nono Katwa 22

1 Bulus woro, “Akune na Yahudwa nan nuana ning, dinang atuf ilanza ile imon na nba bellu alenge na idin vurzi nliru nene!”

Paul said, “[Jewish] elders and my other fellow Jews, listen to me now while I reply to [those who are accusing me]!”

2 Na ligozin nanite lanza Bulus nlirina nin lilem in Ibranaci, ita tik, itunna nlazughe. Bulus nin woro nani,

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 “Meng wang ku Ibraniyawa, nafo anunghe. Iwa marue kipin Tarsus, nanya kusarin Sisiliya, Ama nna kunjo kikane in Urshalima. A ndutu gono, iwa yinnin ti duka to na Musa wani an kabite ku. Gamaliyari wadi unan dursuzui. Nwa dortu ti duka tone bara na nwadi nin su ndortu uliru Kutelle, meng tutung yiru anung vat wang din dortun toni ti duke.

“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 Unare wati meng fo kidowo nkpazu nalenge na iyinna nin kadura Kutelle kitenen Yesu. Nwa pisuru tibau nmolsu nani. Vat kubi ko na nse nalilime sa awani alenge na yinna nin kadure, asa nta ito nani kilari licin.

[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 Udya na Prieste wa yiru nani, nanere wang inung anit alenge na iwadi nanya kudaru kudya na Yahudawa wa yiru. Iwa ni iyerte ndomun kiti nuana mine a Yahudawa na iwa di kipin in Damaskus. Mani ma yerte wa ni likara nwo ndo kikane nkifo kogha ku na ayinna nin Yesu. Asa nkifo nani, nnin yauna nani nafo acin udu Urushalima, inin di funuan.

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 Inin nya udu u Damaskos. Na nda kupopo Ndamaskus, kubi nikoro likure nin naba nwui, nmong nkanang tunna minuzu kitene susut ninmi.

About noon, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.

7 Nkanaghe wadii kang ntunna ndeu kutiin. Ntunna nlanzaa liwui nmong din liru ninmi piit kitene kani, adin du, 'Shawulu! Shawulu! iyaghari nta udin yoyi?'

[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 In kawaghe, 'Feghari Cikilari?' A worei, 'Menghari Yesu un Nazeret, ulenge na udin yoghe.'

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 Anit ale na iwa di nin mi yene nkananghe, ama na ilanza imon ilenge na liwuye wadin belle ba.

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 Meng tirino, 'Iyaghari udi ninsu nsufi Cikilari?' Cikilare worei, 'Fita upiru nanyan Damaskus. Umong unit di kikane na ama bellin fi vat imon ilenge na uma su.'

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 Nkanang mone wadi kang na nkuru yene kiti ba, nkanang wati iduu. Inung anite naa iwa di nin mi kifo ucara ning inin wonu udu nanyan Daskuse.

[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 Umong unit na lissame wadi Hananiyas da nda yeni. Ame unitari na awadin lanzu fiu Kutelle nin dortu tiduka na Yahudawa. Vat a Yahudawa na iwa sosin Damaskuse belle imon icine kitene me.

[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 Ada adayissina kupo ning anin woro, 'udondon ning Shawulu, 'tunna nyenju tutung!' Ntunna yenju, nyeneghe ayissin kupo ning.

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 Atunna aworoi: 'Kutelle kurika nati dighe nsujada, a kurika na acif bite na sughe usujada na fere fi amanin dursu fi imon ile naa adi nin su usu.

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 A dursofi unan katwa kalau warum, Yesu Umasiya, Uminin kuru ulanzaghe din liru litime.

He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard [from him].

16 Bara nani nene yenje uwa molu kubi? Fita nshitinfi nmyen ushitinu ulau, unin su nlira nanya lissan Yesu Cikilari utiringhe akusufi alapi fe!'”

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 Na nkpilla Urushalima. Nlonliri ndo kutii nlira kudya, ntunna nlira, na nwadi nanyan lire kikane, nse litining nanya namoro.

“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 Cikilare lirina ninmi, aworoi, 'Yenje uwa so kiti kane! Suna Urushalima nene, bara anite kikane mayinnu nin nimon ile na uma bellu nani liti nighe ba!'

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 Ama meng woroghe, ' Cikilari, iyiru nwo meng nacinu atii nlira adidya kang in pizuru nalenge na iyinna ninfi. Alenge na nse iyinna ninfi, meng wati itiza nani nilari licin, in wadin fonani wang.

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 Idin lizinu nin kubi ko na iwa molu kucin fe Istifanus, meng wayissin kite ndin yenjee nkuru na nani uyinu ning kitene nimon ile na iwadin sue. Meng tutung wang wadi nca nimoon ilenge na anan molume wa kala iceo kusari kurum!'

[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 Ama Cikilare woroi, 'Kayi, yenje uwa so kiti kane! Suna Urushalima, bara meng matufi piit nin kiti kane udu kiti namon anit, na idi a Yahudawa ba!'”

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 Anite wadin lanzu Bulus ku nlire se na iwa lanza Cikilarin toghe kiti namong anit. Itunna ighanan jartuzu, “Molonghe! Na acaun uso nin lai tutung ba!”

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 Na iwa di nanya jaartuze, ikalza altuk kitene mine inin fizza lidau kitene kani, uleli ute din durru tinanayi mine.

While they continued shouting, [“Kill him!”] they took off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, [which showed how angry they were].

24 Udya mine tunna ata iyaun Bulus ku iteghe nanya kilari licin. Aworo nani ikpizu Bulus ku anan belle imon ile na ata inanza a Yahudawa ayi kang nani.

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 Inin tunna inakpa acara me itereghe nnunwo ikpizughe kimal me. Ama Bulus belle kusoja kupome, “Uma patilunu uduka andi ukpizai, kunan Rumawa, urika na umong nsa do ninghe kilarin shara akpaghe nin kulapi ba!”

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 Na kusoje nlanza nani, ado kitin dya mine adi bellinghe. Aworo ndya nasoje, “Ule unite kunan Rumawari! Iyiru dai na uwasa utanari ti kpizoghe ba!”

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 Udya nasoje da ada woroghe, “Belli, fe kunan Rumawari?” Bulus woroghe “e-e.”

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 Udya nasoje kawaghe aworo, “meng se nin nikufun gbardanghari inase uso kunan Rumawa.” Bulus woroghe, “Meng kumat in Rumawari.”

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 Anit ale na iwa cinu udun tirighe tipinpin tunna isughe deidei. Ame udya nadidya nasoje wang fiu wa kifoghe, kube na awal anza Bulus kunan Rumawari, bara na ame wa terughe.

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 Ukurtunun nkuye, udya nasoje wadi nin su alanza kidegen nvurzun liru ule na a Yahudawe dumun' kitenen Bulus. Bara nani abuku time, anin ta udya na Prieste nin vat kudaru me izuro. Anin da nin Bulus aceughe in kitik mine.

[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.