Mabasa 22
1 Varume, hama, nemadzibaba, inzwai kuzvidavirira kwangu ikozvino kwamuri.
Paul said, “[Jewish] elders and my other fellow Jews, listen to me now while I reply to [those who are accusing me]!”
2 Vakati vachinzwa kuti anotaura nerurimi rwechiHebheru kwavari, vakanyanya kunyarara, zvino akati:
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 Ini ndiri zvirokwazvo murume muJudha, wakaberekerwa muTaso yeKirikia, akarerwa muguta rino pamakumbo aGamarieri, ndikadzidziswa zvakasimba maererano nemurairo wemadzibaba, mushingairiri waMwari, sezvamuri mese nhasi;
“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 waishusha nzira iyi kusvikira parufu, ndichisunga nekukumikidza mutirongo vese varume nevakadzi,
[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 nemupristi mukuru sezvaanondipupurira, nedare rese remakurukota evakuru, kwandakagamuchirawo kwavari tsamba kuhama, ndikaenda kuDhamasiko kuti ndiuise kuJerusarema avo vaivapowo vakasungwa, kuti varangwe.
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 Zvino zvakaitika kuti ndichifamba ndoswedera Dhamasiko, anenge masikati, pakarepo kwakapenya kubva kudenga chiedza chikuru chakandipoteredza.
About noon, my companions and I were getting near Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from the sky flashed all around me.
7 Zvino ndakawira pasi, ndokunzwa inzwi richiti kwandiri: Sauro, Sauro, unondishushirei?
[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 Ini ndikapindura, ndikati: Ndimwi ani, Ishe? Akati kwandiri: Ndini Jesu weNazareta waunoshusha iwe.
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 Zvino avo vaiva neni vakaona chiedza, uye vakatya; asi havana kunzwisisa inzwi rewakataura neni.
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 Zvino ndikati: Ndoita chii, Ishe? Ishe ndokuti kwandiri: Simuka uende kuDhamasiko; uye ikoko uchaudzwa maererano nezvinhu zvese zvakatarirwa iwe kuti uite.
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 Zvino zvandakange ndisingaoni nekubwinya kwechiedza icho, ndakatungamirirwa neruoko nevaiva neni, ndikasvika kuDhamasiko.
[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 Zvino umwe Ananiasi, murume waishingaira pakunamata zvinoenderana nemurairo, waipupurirwa zvakanaka neVaJudha vese vakange vagerepo,
[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 akauya kwandiri ndokumira padivi pangu akati kwandiri: Sauro hama, chionazve. Neni nenguva iyo ndikamuona.
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 Zvino akati: Mwari wemadzibaba edu wakagara akusarudza kuti uzive chido chake, nekuona Wakarurama, uye unzwe inzwi rinobva mumuromo wake.
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 Nokuti uchava chapupu chake kuvanhu vese chezvawakaona nekunzwa.
He wants you to tell people everywhere what you have seen and heard [from him].
16 Zvino ikozvino uchanonokerei? Simuka ubhabhatidzwe uye usukwe zvivi zvako, uchidana zita raIshe.
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 Zvino zvakaitika kuti ndadzokera kuJerusarema, uye ndichinyengetera mutembere, ndikaita chiyeverwa chemweya,
“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 ndokumuona achiti kwandiri: Kurumidza uye ubude muJerusarema ikozvino-zvino; nokuti havagamuchiri uchapupu hwako maererano neni.
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 Ini ndikati: Ishe, ivo vanoziva kuti ini ndaiisa mutirongo nekurova musinagoge rega-rega avo vaitenda kwamuri;
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 uye pakadururwa ropa raSitefano chapupu chenyu, neni ndakange ndimirepo ndichibvumirana nekuurawa kwake, uye ndakachengeta nguvo dzevaimuuraya.
[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 Zvino akati kwandiri: Enda, nokuti ini ndichakutuma kure kuvahedheni.
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 Vakamuteerera kusvikira pashoko iri, ndokusimudza inzwi ravo vachiti: Wakadai ngaabviswe panyika; nokuti hazvina kufanira kuti ararame.
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 Zvino vachidanidzira, nekurasa nguvo, vachikushira guruva mumhepo,
While they continued shouting, [“Kill him!”] they took off their cloaks and threw dust into the air, [which showed how angry they were].
24 mukuru wechuru wakaraira kuti aiswe kuimba yemauto achiti abvunzurudzwe nekurohwa netyava, kuti azive kuti chikonzeroi chavaidanidzira kudai pamusoro pake.
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 Zvino vakati vamutandavadzira mberi nemakashu, Pauro akati kumukuru wezana wakange amirepo: Zviri pamutemo here kwamuri kurova netyava munhu ari muRoma uye asina kupiwa mhosva?
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 Zvino mukuru wezana wakati achizvinzwa, akaswedera akaudza mukuru wechuru achiti: Chenjerai zvamoda kuita; nokuti munhu uyu muRoma.
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 Zvino mukuru wechuru akaswedera akati kwaari: Ndiudze, iwe uri muRoma here? Iye akati: Hongu.
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 Mukuru wechuru ndokupindura akati: Nemutengo mukuru ini ndakawana ugaro uhu. Pauro akati: Asi neni ndakaberekwa nahwo.
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 Naizvozvo pakarepo vakabva kwaari ivo vaiva vomubvunzurudza. Nemukuru wechuru wakatyawo aziva kuti iye muRoma, uye nokuti wakange amusunga.
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 Zvino chifume achida kuziva chokwadi, kuti nemhosva yei aipomerwa neVaJudha, wakamusunungura pazvisungo, akaraira kuti vapristi vakuru nedare ravo remakurukota rese vauye, akaburusira Pauro ndokugadzika pamberi pavo.
[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.
