Acts 22
1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense which I will now make to you.”
“Fofonyewo kple nɔvinyewo, to kukuɖeɖe me, miɖo tom ne maɖe ɖokuinye nu miase.”
2 When the crowd heard Paul speak to them in the Hebrew language, they became quiet. He said,
Esi ameawo se be enɔ Hebrigbe gblɔm la, wogazi ɖoɖoe ɖe edzi wu tsã. Paulo yi edzi be,
3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel. I was instructed according to the strict ways of the law of our fathers. I am zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
“Yuda vidzidzi ŋutɔŋutɔe menye tso Tarso le Kilikia nuto me. Ke Yerusalem afi siae mede suku le, eye nye nufialae nye Gamaliel, ame si hem be mawɔ ɖe Yudatɔwo ƒe sewo kple kɔnuwo dzi pɛpɛpɛ abe ale si dze ene. Enye nye didi vevie ɣe ma ɣi be made bubu Mawu ŋu le nu sia nu si mawɔ la me abe ale si miawo hã miele ewɔm fifia ene.
4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding up and delivering them to prison both men and women,
Meti Kristotɔwo yome. Mewɔ funyafunya wo, wu wo, lé ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo siaa de gaxɔ me.
5 as the high priest and all the elders can bear witness. I received letters from them for the brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring them back in bonds to Jerusalem in order for them to be punished.
Yudatɔwo ƒe nunɔlagã kple amegã ɖe sia ɖe ate ŋu aɖi ɖase na mi le nya siawo ŋu, elabena mexɔ agbalẽ tɔxɛ tso wo gbɔ le Yerusalem si na ŋusẽm be mayi wo nɔviwo Yudatɔwo ƒe amegãwo gbɔ le Damasko, eye woakpe ɖe ŋunye be malé Kristotɔ siwo katã le dua me la, akplɔ wo va Yerusalem be woahe to na wo.
6 It happened that when I was traveling and nearing Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light from heaven began to shine around me.
“Ke esime wòsusɔ vie maɖo Damasko dua me, le ŋdɔ ga wuieve me lɔƒo la, keklẽ gã aɖe tso dziƒo klẽ ƒo xlãm.
7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
Ale medze anyi. Enumake mese ame aɖe ƒe gbe be, ‘Saulo, Saulo, nu ka ta nèle yonyeme tim ale mahã?’
8 I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.'
“Mebia be, ‘Aƒetɔ, wò ame kae le nu ƒom nam?’ “Gbea ɖo eŋu be, ‘Nyee nye Yesu, Nazaretitɔ, ame si yome tim nèle.’
9 Those who were with me saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who spoke to me.
Ame siwo nɔ ŋunye la se nuƒoa pɛpɛpɛ, gake womese nu si wògblɔ la gɔme o.
10 I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Arise and go into Damascus; there you will be told everything that you must do.'
“Meyi edzi gabiae be, ‘Aƒetɔ nu ka mawɔ?’ “Aƒetɔ la gblɔ nam be, ‘Tsi tsitre nàyi Damasko dua me, eye ame aɖe agblɔ nu siwo wɔ ge nàla le ƒe siwo gbɔna me la na wo.’
11 I could not see because of that light's brightness, and being led by the hands of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
“Ke esi metso le anyigba la, mede dzesii be nyemegate ŋu nɔ nu kpɔm o le kekeli gã ma ta eya ta ame siwo le ŋunye la lém ɖɔɖɔɖɔ hekplɔm yi Damasko.
12 There I met a man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there.
“Le afi ma la, ŋutsu aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Anania la va gbɔnye. Anania nye Yudatɔ, ame si mefena kple Yudatɔwo ƒe sewo o, ale Yudatɔ siwo katã le Damasko la tsɔ bubu tɔxɛ nɛ.
13 He came to me, stood by me, and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' In that very hour I saw him.
Ame sia va tsi tsitre ɖe gbɔnye, eye wògblɔ nam be, ‘Nɔvinye Saulo, ʋu ŋku nàkpɔ nu!’ Enumake nye ŋkuwo ʋu, eye megakpɔ nu.
14 Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the voice coming from his own mouth.
“Anania yi edzi gblɔ nam be, ‘Mía tɔgbuiwo ƒe Mawu la tia wò be nànya nu si nye eƒe lɔlɔ̃nu, ase eƒe gbe, eye nàkpɔ Dzɔdzɔetɔ la, ase eƒe nuƒo hã.
15 For you shall be a witness for him to all men about what you have seen and heard.
Hekpe ɖe esia ŋu la, ele be nànye eƒe ɖaseɖila na amewo katã, eye nàgblɔ nu siwo nèkpɔ kple nu siwo nèse la hã na amewo.
16 Now why are you waiting? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'
Azɔ ɣeyiɣigbegblẽ aɖeke megali o. Ɖeko woade mawutsi ta na wò, aklɔ wò nu vɔ̃wo ɖa le Aƒetɔ la ƒe ŋkɔ me.’
17 After I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, it happened that I was given a vision.
“Metrɔ va Yerusalem, eye gbe ɖeka esi menɔ gbe dom ɖa le gbedoxɔ la me la, mekpɔ ŋutega aɖe,
18 I saw him say to me, 'Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'
eye Mawu gblɔ nam be, ‘Wɔ kaba nàdzo le Yerusalem, elabena ne ègblɔ nye nya na amewo la, womaxɔe se o.’
19 I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you in every synagogue.
“Ke meɖo eŋu be, ‘O, Aƒetɔ, ame siawo nya nyuie be ame siwo katã xɔ wò ŋkɔ dzi se la, meléa wo tso ƒuƒoƒe yi ƒuƒoƒe, ƒoa wo, eye medea wo gaxɔ me.
20 When the blood of Stephen your witness was spilled, I also was standing by and agreeing, and I was guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.'
Gawu la, esime wonɔ wò dɔla Stefano ƒe ʋu kɔm ɖi la, nye ŋutɔ meda asi ɖe edzi. Menɔ afi ma, eye mexɔ ame siwo nɔ ewum la ƒe awuwo lé ɖe asi na wo esime wonɔ kpe ƒumee.’
21 But he said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'”
“Gake Mawu gblɔ nam be madzo le dua me godoo, elabena yeaɖom ɖe kekeke ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o gbɔ be magblɔ nya na wo.”
22 They listened to him until he said this. Then they shouted and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not right that he should live.”
Esi wògblɔ nya sia ko la, ameha la ganyra kple ɣli bobobo be, “Mikplɔ ame ma ƒomevi dzoe le anyigba dzi! Miyi ɖawui! Medze be wòanɔ agbe o!”
23 As they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and throwing dust into the air,
Ale woda woƒe awuwo ɖe yame, eye wolɔ ke hlẽ ɖe yame dzikutɔe.
24 the chief captain commanded Paul to be brought into the fortress. He ordered that he should be questioned with scourging, so that he himself might know why they were shouting against him like that.
Ale asrafowo ƒe amegã ɖe gbe be woakplɔ Paulo yi xɔa mee, aƒoe kple atam va se ɖe esime wòato nyateƒe be yenya nu si tututu ta ameha la do dziku ɖe ye ŋu nenema ɖo.
25 When they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and who has not been put on trial?”
Esime wonɔ Paulo blam be yewoaƒoe la, ebia asrafoawo ƒe nunɔla aɖe si nɔ tsitre ɖe egbɔ be, “Ele se nu be miaƒo Romatɔ le esime womedrɔ̃ ʋɔnue oa?”
26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”
Asrafo sia yi eƒe amegã gbɔ enumake ɖagblɔ nɛ be, “Amegã, nu kae nye esia nèbe yeawɔ? Mènya be ame sia la Romatɔ wònye hafi nèbe woaƒoe oa?”
27 The chief captain came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” Paul said, “Yes.”
Asrafowo ƒe amegã la ɖe abla va Paulo gbɔ hebiae be, “Ŋutsu, Romatɔe nènye vavã?” Paulo ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, Romatɔe menye.”
28 The chief captain answered, “It was only with a large amount of money that I acquired citizenship.” But Paul said, “I was born a Roman citizen.”
Asrafowo ƒe amegã la hã gagblɔ nɛ be, “Nye hã Romatɔe menye, gake ga home gbogbo aɖee mena hafi te ŋu zui.” Ke Paulo gblɔ nɛ be, “Nye ya Roma vidzidzie menye.”
29 Then the men who were going to question him left him immediately. The chief captain also was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, because he had tied him up.
Nya sia na be vɔvɔ̃ ɖo asrafowo ƒe amegã la, le esi wòɖe gbe be woabla Paulo ta. Asrafo siwo nɔ dzadzram ɖo ɖe eƒoƒo ŋu la katã bu le afi ma enumake esi wose be Romatɔe wònye.
30 On the next day, the chief captain wanted to know the truth about the Jews' accusations against Paul. So he untied his bonds and ordered the chief priests and all the council to meet. Then he brought Paul down and placed him in their midst.
Le ŋkeke evea gbe la, asrafowo ƒe amegã la ɖe Paulo le gaxɔ me, eye wòyɔ nunɔlagãwo kple Yudatɔwo ƒe amegãwo ƒo ƒu. Azɔ ekplɔ Paulo va wo ŋkume be yease nu si tututu le tɔtɔ sia hem vɛ la gɔme.
