Acts 26
1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.
Ndipo Agripa akamwambia Paulo, “Unayo ruhusa kujitetea.” Hivyo Paulo akawaashiria kwa mkono wake, akaanza kujitetea, akasema:
2 “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews,
“Mfalme Agripa, najiona kuwa na heri kusimama mbele yako leo ninapojitetea kuhusu mashtaka yote ya Wayahudi,
3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
hasa kwa sababu unajua vyema desturi zote za Kiyahudi na ya kuwa wewe unajua kwa undani mila na masuala ya mabishano. Kwa hiyo, nakusihi unisikilize kwa uvumilivu.
4 “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;
“Wayahudi wote wanajua jinsi nilivyoishi tangu nilipokuwa mtoto, kuanzia mwanzo wa maisha yangu katika nchi yangu na pia huko Yerusalemu.
5 having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
Wao wamefahamu kwa muda mrefu na wanaweza kushuhudia kama wakipenda, ya kwamba kutokana na misimamo mikali sana ya dhehebu letu kwenye dini yetu, niliishi nikiwa Farisayo.
6 Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
Nami sasa ni kwa sababu ya tumaini langu katika kile ambacho Mungu aliwaahidi baba zetu, ninashtakiwa leo.
7 which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!
Hii ndiyo ahadi ambayo makabila yetu kumi na mawili yanatarajia kuiona ikitimizwa wanapomtumikia Mungu kwa bidii usiku na mchana. Ee mfalme, ninashtakiwa na Wayahudi kwa ajili ya tumaini hili.
8 Why is it judged incredible with you if God does raise the dead?
Kwa nini yeyote miongoni mwenu afikiri kwamba ni jambo lisilosadikika Mungu kufufua wafu?
9 “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
“Mimi pia nilikuwa nimeshawishika kwamba imenipasa kufanya yote yale yaliyowezekana kupinga Jina la Yesu wa Nazareti.
10 I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.
Nami hayo ndiyo niliyoyafanya huko Yerusalemu. Kwa mamlaka ya viongozi wa makuhani, niliwatia wengi wa watakatifu gerezani na walipokuwa wakiuawa, nilipiga kura yangu kuunga mkono.
11 Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Mara nyingi nilikwenda kutoka sinagogi moja hadi ingine nikiamuru waadhibiwe, nami nilijaribu kuwalazimisha wakufuru. Katika shauku yangu dhidi yao, hata nilikwenda miji ya kigeni ili kuwatesa.
12 “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,
“Siku moja nilipokuwa katika mojawapo ya safari hizi nikiwa ninakwenda Dameski, nilikuwa na mamlaka na agizo kutoka kwa kiongozi wa makuhani.
13 at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.
Ilikuwa yapata adhuhuri, ee mfalme, nilipokuwa njiani, niliona nuru kutoka mbinguni kali kuliko jua, ikingʼaa kunizunguka pande zote mimi na wale niliokuwa pamoja nao.
14 When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
Wote tulipokuwa tumeanguka chini, nikasikia sauti ikisema nami kwa lugha ya Kiebrania, ‘Sauli, Sauli, mbona unanitesa? Ni vigumu kwako kuupiga teke mchokoo.’
15 “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
“Nikauliza, ‘Ni nani wewe, Bwana?’ “Naye Bwana akajibu, ‘Ni Mimi Yesu unayemtesa.
16 But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you;
Sasa inuka usimame kwa miguu yako. Nimekutokea ili nikuteue uwe mtumishi na shahidi wa mambo ambayo umeyaona, na yale nitakayokuonyesha.
17 delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
Nitakuokoa kutoka kwa watu wako na watu wa Mataifa ambao ninakutuma kwao,
18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
uyafumbue macho yao ili wageuke kutoka gizani waingie nuruni, na kutoka kwenye nguvu za Shetani wamgeukie Mungu, ili wapate msamaha wa dhambi na sehemu miongoni mwa wale waliotakaswa kwa kuniamini mimi.’
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
“Hivyo basi, Mfalme Agripa, sikuacha kuyatii yale maono yaliyotoka mbinguni,
20 but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
bali niliyatangaza kwanza kwa wale wa Dameski, kisha Yerusalemu na katika vijiji vyote vya Uyahudi na pia kwa watu wa Mataifa, kwamba inawapasa kutubu na kumgeukia Mungu na kuthibitisha toba yao kwa matendo yao.
21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
Ni kwa sababu hii Wayahudi walinikamata nilipokuwa Hekaluni, wakataka kuniua.
22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,
Hadi leo nimepata msaada kutoka kwa Mungu, na hivyo nasimama hapa nikishuhudia kwa wakubwa na wadogo. Sisemi chochote zaidi ya yale ambayo manabii na Mose walisema yatatukia:
23 how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”
kwamba Kristo atateswa, na kwamba yeye atakuwa wa kwanza kufufuka kutoka kwa wafu, na atatangaza nuru kwa watu wake na kwa watu wa Mataifa.”
24 As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
Paulo alipokuwa akifanya utetezi huu, Festo akasema kwa sauti kubwa, “Paulo, wewe umerukwa na akili! Kusoma kwingi kunakufanya uwe kichaa!”
25 But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.
Lakini Paulo akajibu, “Mimi sijarukwa na akili, mtukufu sana Festo, bali nanena kweli nikiwa na akili zangu timamu.
26 For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.
Naam, Mfalme anajua kuhusu mambo haya yote, nami nasema naye kwa uhuru. Kwa sababu nina hakika kwamba hakuna hata mojawapo ya mambo haya asilolijua, kwa kuwa hayakufanyika mafichoni.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
Mfalme Agripa, je, unaamini manabii? Najua kuwa unaamini.”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”
Agripa akamwambia Paulo, “Je, unanishawishi kwa haraka namna hii niwe Mkristo?”
29 Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”
Paulo akasema, “Ikiwa ni kwa haraka au la, namwomba Mungu, si wewe peke yako bali pia wale wote wanaonisikiliza leo, wawe kama mimi nilivyo, kasoro minyororo hii.”
30 The king rose up with the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
Baada ya kusema hayo, mfalme akainuka pamoja na mtawala na Bernike na wale waliokuwa wameketi pamoja nao.
31 When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”
Walipokuwa wakiondoka, wakaambiana, “Mtu huyu hafanyi jambo lolote linalostahili kufa au kufungwa.”
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Agripa akamwambia Festo, “Mtu huyu angeachwa huru kama hangekuwa amekata rufaa kwa Kaisari.”
