Mabasa 26
1 Zvino Agripa akati kuna Pauro: Unotenderwa kuzvitaurira. Ipapo Pauro akatandavadza ruoko, akazvipindurira achiti:
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You [(sg)] are permitted [now] to speak [to defend] yourself.” Paul stretched out his hand ([dramatically/to salute the king]) and began to defend himself. He said,
2 Pane zvese zvandakamhan'arirwa neVaJudha, mambo Agripa, ndinoona ndichifara kuti ndodozvidavirira pamberi penyu nhasi;
“King Agrippa, I consider that I am fortunate that today, while you [(sg)] listen, I can defend myself from all the things about which the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] are accusing me.
3 zvikuru nokuti ndinoziva kuti mune ruzivo rwetsika dzese nemakakava ari pakati peVaJudha; naizvozvo ndinokukumbirai, kuti mundinzwe nemoyo murefu.
I am really fortunate, because you [(sg)] know all about the customs of us Jews and the questions that we [(exc)] argue about. So I ask you, please listen patiently to what I say.”
4 Naizvozvo mufambiro wangu kubva paudiki, waiva kubva pakutanga pakati perudzi rwangu paJerusarema, VaJudha vese vanoziva,
“Many [HYP] of my fellow Jews know about how I have conducted my life, from the time I was a child. They know how I lived in the area where I [was born] and [also later] in Jerusalem.
5 vaindiziva kubva pakutanga kana vachida kupupura, kuti nenzira yakasimba yeboka rechitendero chedu ndairarama ndiri muFarisi.
They have known for many years, and they could tell you, if they wanted to, that [since I was very young] I obeyed the customs of our religion very carefully, just like the [other] Pharisees do.
6 Uye ikozvino ndimire ndichitongwa nekuda kwetariro yechivimbiso chakaitwa naMwari kumadzibaba,
Today I am being put on trial {[they] are putting me on trial} because I am confidently expecting that God will do what he promised our [(exc)] ancestors.
7 marudzi edu gumi nemaviri achishumira akasimba siku nesikati vachitarisira kusvika pachiri. Nekuda kwetariro iyi, mambo Agripa, ndinopiwa mhosva neVaJudha.
Our twelve tribes are [also] confidently waiting for God to do [for us what he promised], as they respectfully worship him, day and night. [Respected] king, I confidently expect [that God will do what he promised, and they also believe that! But that is the reason] that these Jewish leaders [SYN] are accusing me!
8 Sei zvichifungwa kuti zvinhu zvisingatendeseki kwamuri, kana Mwari achimutsa vakafa?
They believe that God can cause those who have died to become alive again, so (why [do any of you refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead?/none of you should refuse to believe that he raised Jesus from the dead!]) [RHQ]”
9 Naizvozvo ini ndaifunga ndomene kuti ndinofanira kuita zvinhu zvizhinji zvinopesana nezita raJesu weNazareta;
“[Formerly] I, too, was sure that I should do everything that I could to oppose Jesus [MTY], the man from Nazareth [town].
10 neni zvandakaita muJerusarema, uye ini ndakapfigira vazhinji vevatsvene mumatirongo, ndagamuchira simba kubva kuvapristi vakuru; nepavaiurawa ndaizvisarudza.
So that is what I did [when I lived] in Jerusalem. I put many of the believers in jail, as the chief priests there had authorized me [to do]. When [the Jewish leaders wanted] those Christians killed {someone to kill those [Christians]}, I voted [for that].
11 Uye ndaivaranga kazhinji mumasinagoge ese, ndichivaroverera kuti vanyombe; zvino ndichinyanya kuvapengera, ndakavashusha kusvikira nekumaguta ekunze.
Many times I punished the believers [whom I found] in Jewish meeting places. [By punishing them], I tried to force them to speak evil [about Jesus]. I was so angry with the followers of Jesus that I even traveled to other cities to [find them and] do things to harm them.”
12 Ndipo neni ndichienda kuDhamasiko nesimba uye nekutumwa kubva kuvapristi vakuru,
“[One day], I was on my way to Damascus [city] to do that. The chief priests [in Jerusalem] had authorized and sent me [to seize the believers there].
13 pamasikati makuru, mambo, ndakaona munzira chiedza chichibva kudenga, chaikunda kupenya kwezuva, chichipenya chakandipoteredza nevaifamba neni.
[My respected] king, [while I was going] along the road, at about noon I saw a [bright] light in the sky. It was even brighter than the sun! It shone all around me, and also around the men who were traveling with me.
14 Zvino takati tese tawira pasi pavhu, ndakanzwa izwi richitaura kwandiri richiti nerurimi rwechiHebheru: Sauro, Sauro, unondishushirei? Zvinokuremera kukavana nezvibayo.
We [(exc)] all fell to the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking to me in my own Hebrew language [MTY]. He said ‘Saul, Saul, (stop causing me to suffer!/why are you causing me to suffer?) [RHQ] You [(sg)] are [hurting yourself by trying to hurt me] [MET], [like an ox] kicking against [its owner’s] goad.’
15 Zvino ini ndikati: Ndimwi ani, Ishe? Akatiwo: Ndini Jesu waunoshusha iwe.
Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘I am Jesus. You [(sg)] are harming me [by harming my followers].
16 Asi simuka, uye umire netsoka dzako; nokuti ndazviratidzira izvi kwauri, ndikuite mushumiri nechapupu zvese chezvinhu zvawakaona nezvandichazviratidza nazvo kwauri,
But instead [of continuing to do that], stand up now! I have appeared to you [(sg)] to tell you that I have chosen you to serve me. You must tell people about [what I am showing you] as you are seeing me [now], and about what I [will show you when] I will [later] appear to you.
17 ndichikununura kuvanhu nevahedheni, vandinokutumira kwavari ikozvino,
I will protect you [from those who will try to harm you, both] your own people and [also] those who are not Jewish. I am sending you to non-Jews
18 kusvinudza meso avo, nekuvatendeusa kubva murima vaende kuchiedza, nepasimba raSatani vaende kuna Mwari, kuti vagamuchire kanganwiro yezvivi, uye nhaka pakati pevakaitwa vatsvene nerutendo rwuri mandiri.
to help them to realize [MTY] what is true and to stop believing what is false [MET]. I am sending you to them so that they may let God control them and not let Satan control them any more. [Then God] will forgive their sins and will accept them as his people because they believe in me.’ [That is what Jesus said to me].”
19 Naizvozvo, mambo Agripa, handina kuramba kuteerera chiratidzo chekudenga;
“So, King Agrippa, I fully obeyed [LIT] what [the Lord Jesus told me to do when he spoke to me] from heaven.
20 asi ndakaparidza kutanga kune veDhamasiko neveJerusarema, nekudunhu rese reJudhiya, nekuvahedheni, kuti vatendeuke, uye vadzokere kuna Mwari, vaite mabasa akafanira kutendeuka.
First, I preached to [the Jews] in Damascus. Then I [preached to the Jews] in Jerusalem and throughout [the rest of] Judea [province]. After that, I also preached to non-Jews. I preached that they must turn away from their sinful behavior and turn their lives over to God. I told them that they must do things that would show that they had truly stopped their sinful behavior.”
21 Nekuda kwezvinhu izvi VaJudha vakandibata mutembere, vakaidza kundiuraya.
“It is because I [preached] this message [that some] [SYN] Jews seized me [when I was] in the Temple [courtyard and] tried to kill me.
22 Naizvozvo ndawana rubatsiro kubva kuna Mwari, ndakamira kusvikira zuva rino, ndichipupura kuvadiki nevakuru, ndisingarevi zvimwe zvinhu kunze kweizvo vaporofita naMozisi zvavakataura kuti zvichaitika,
However, God has been helping me [from that time, and he is still helping me] today. So I stand here and I tell [all of you people], those who are important and those who are not, [who Jesus is]. Everything that I say [about him] is what Moses and the [other] prophets wrote [about long ago, things that they said] would happen.
23 kuti Kristu wakafanira kutambudzika, uye kuti ari wekutanga kumuka kuvakafa, achaparidza chiedza kuvanhu ava nekuvahedheni.
They wrote that [people would cause] the Messiah to suffer and die. They also wrote that he would be the first person to become alive again, to proclaim [the message that would be like] light, [that he would save] both [his own Jewish] people and non-Jewish people.”
24 Zvino wakati achazvidavirira zvinhu izvi, Fesitasi akati nenzwi guru: Pauro, unopenga; kudzidza kukuru kunokupenza.
Before Paul could say anything [further] to defend himself, Festus shouted: “Paul, you are crazy! You have studied too much, and it has made you insane!”
25 Asi wakati: Handipengi, Fesitasi changamire; asi ndinodanidzira mashoko echokwadi uye euchenjeri.
But Paul answered, “Your Excellency, Festus, I am not raving [insanely]. On the contrary, what I am saying is true and sensible!
26 Nokuti mambo vanoziva zvezvinhu izvi ivo vandinotaura pamberi pavowo ndisingatyi; nokuti ndine chokwadi kuti hapana chimwe chezvinhu izvi chakavanzika kwavari, nokuti chinhu ichi hachina kuitwa pachikona.
King Agrippa knows the things [that I have been talking about], and I can speak confidently to him [about them]. I am sure that he knows [LIT] these things, because people everywhere [IDM] have heard [LIT] about what happened [to Jesus].”
27 Mambo Agripa, munotenda vaporofita here? Ndinoziva kuti munotenda.
Then Paul asked, “King Agrippa, do you believe [what] the prophets [wrote]? I know that you [(sg)] believe it.”
28 Agripa ndokuti kuna Pauro: Wasara padiki wandipwisa kuva muKristu.
Then Agrippa [answered] Paul, “([I hope that you(sg)] do not think that by the few things [that you have just now said] you can persuade me to become a Christian!/You do not think, [do you], that by the few things [that you have just now said] you can persuade me to become a Christian?)” [RHQ]
29 Pauro ndokuti: Ndinoshuva kuna Mwari, kunyange nediki uye nehuru musava imwi mega, asi nevese vanondinzwa nhasi, vave vakadai sezvandiri ini, kunze kwezvisungo izvi.
Paul replied, “Whether it takes a short time or a long time, it does not matter. I pray to God that you and also all of the others who are listening to me today will also [believe in Jesus] like I do, but I do not want you to become prisoners [MTY] [like I am].”
30 Zvino wakati ataura zvinhu izvi, mambo akasimuka, nemutungamiriri, naBhenike, nevakange vagere navo;
Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others got up
31 vakati vabuda vakataurirana, vachiti: Munhu uyu haaiti chinhu chakafanira rufu kana zvisungo.
and left [the room. While] they were talking to one another they said to each other, “There is no reason why (the authorities/we) should execute this man, or that he should even be kept in prison [MTY].”
32 Agripa ndokuti kuna Fesitasi: Munhu uyu ungadai asunungurwa dai asina kuikwidza kuna Kesari.
Agrippa said to Festus, “If this man had not asked that the Emperor judge him, he could have been released {[we(inc)] could have released him}.”
