¹Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

¹Basi, Agripa akamwambia Paulo, "Unaruhusiwa kujitetea." Hapo Paulo alinyosha mkono wake akajitetea hivi:

²I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

²"Mfalme Agripa, ninajiona mwenye bahati leo kujitetea mbele yako kuhusu yale mashtaka yote ambayo Wayahudi walikuwa wamesema juu yangu.

³Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

³Hasa kwa vile wewe mwenyewe ni mtaalamu wa desturi za Wayahudi na migogoro yao, ninakuomba basi unisikilize kwa uvumilivu.

⁴My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

⁴"Wayahudi wanajua habari za maisha yangu tangu utoto, jinsi nilivyoishi tangu mwanzo kati ya taifa langu huko Yerusalemu.

⁵Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

⁵Wananifahamu kwa muda mrefu, na wanaweza kushuhudia, kama wakipenda, kwamba tangu mwanzo niliishi kama mmoja wa kikundi chenye siasa kali zaidi katika dini yetu, yaani kikundi cha Mafarisayo.

⁶And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers:

⁶Na sasa niko hapa nihukumiwe kwa sababu ninaitumainia ile ahadi ambayo Mungu aliwaahidia babu zetu.

⁷Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

⁷Ahadi hiyo ndiyo ileile inayotumainiwa na makabila kumi na mawili ya taifa letu, wakimtumikia Mungu kwa dhati mchana na usiku. Mheshimiwa mfalme, Wayahudi wananishtaki kwa sababu ya tumaini hilo!

⁸Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

⁸Kwa nini ninyi mnaona shida sana kuamini kwamba Mungu huwafufua wafu?

⁹I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

⁹Kwa kweli mimi mwenyewe niliamini kwamba ni wajibu wangu kufanya mambo mengi kulipinga jina la Yesu wa Nazareti.

¹⁰Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

¹⁰Mambo hayo ndiyo niliyoyafanya huko Yerusalemu. Mimi binafsi, nikiwa nimepewa mamlaka kutoka kwa makuhani wakuu, nilipata kuwatia gerezani wengi wa watu wa Mungu. Nao walipohukumiwa kuuawa, nilipiga kura ya kukubali.

¹¹And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

¹¹Mara nyingi niliwafanya waadhibiwe katika masunagogi yote nikiwashurutisha waikane imani yao. Hasira yangu kwao ilikuwa kubwa hata nikawasaka mpaka miji ya mbali.

¹²Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

¹²"Kwa mujibu huohuo, nilikwenda Damasko wakati mmoja, nikiwa na mamlaka na maagizo kutoka kwa makuhani wakuu.

¹³At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

¹³Mheshimiwa, wakati nilipokuwa njiani, saa sita mchana, niliona mwanga mkubwa kuliko wa jua ukiangaza kutoka mbinguni, ukanizunguka mimi na wale wasafiri wenzangu.

¹⁴And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

¹⁴Sisi sote tulianguka chini, nami nikasikia sauti ikiniambia kwa Kiebrania: Saulo, Saulo! Kwa nini unanitesa? Unajiumiza bure kama punda anayepiga teke fimbo ya bwana wake.

¹⁵And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁵Mimi nikauliza: Ni nani wewe Bwana? Naye Bwana akajibu: Mimi ni Yesu ambaye wewe unamtesa.

¹⁶But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

¹⁶Haidhuru, inuka sasa; simama wima. Nimekutokea ili nikuweke rasmi kuwa mtumishi wangu. Utawathibitishia watu wengine mambo uliyoyaona leo na yale ambayo bado nitakuonyesha.

¹⁷Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

¹⁷Nitakuokoa na watu wa Israeli na watu wa mataifa mengine ambao mimi ninakutuma kwao.

¹⁸To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

¹⁸Utayafumbua macho yao na kuwawezesha watoke gizani na kuingia katika mwanga; watoke katika utawala wa Shetani, wamgeukie Mungu; ili kwa kuamini, wapate kusamehewa dhambi na kuchukua nafasi yao kati ya wale ambao wamepata kuwa watu wa Mungu.

¹⁹Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

¹⁹"Hivyo, mfalme Agripa, sikuweza kuwa mkaidi kwa maono hilo la mbinguni.

²⁰But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

²⁰Ila nilianza kuhubiri kwanza kwa watu wa Damasko, halafu kwa wale wa Yerusalemu na nchi yote ya Yudea, na pia kwa watu wa mataifa mengine. Niliwahimiza wamgeukie Mungu na kuonyesha kwa vitendo kwamba wamebadilisha mioyo yao.

²¹For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

²¹Kwa sababu hiyo, Wayahudi walinikamata nikiwa Hekaluni, wakajaribu kuniua.

²²Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

²²Lakini Mungu alinisaidia; na hivyo mpaka siku ya leo nimesimama imara nikitoa ushuhuda kwa wote, wakubwa na wadogo. Ninayosema ni yale ambayo manabii na Mose walisema yatatukia;

²³That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

²³yaani ilimpasa Kristo ateseke na kuwa wa kwanza kufufuka kutoka wafu, ili atangaze kwamba mwanga wa ukombozi unawaangazia sasa watu wote, Wayahudi na pia watu wa mataifa mengine."

²⁴And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

²⁴Paulo alipofika hapa katika kujitetea kwake, Festo alisema kwa sauti kubwa, "Paulo! Una wazimu! Kusoma kwako kwingi kunakutia wazimu!"

²⁵But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

²⁵Lakini Paulo akasema, "Sina wazimu mheshimiwa Festo: Ninachosema ni ukweli mtupu.

²⁶For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

²⁶Wewe Mfalme unayafahamu mambo haya, kwa hiyo ninaweza kuongea bila uoga mbele yako. Sina mashaka kwamba matukio hayo yanajulikana kwako maana jambo hili halikutendeka mafichoni.

²⁷King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

²⁷Mfalme Agripa, je, una imani na manabii? Najua kwamba unaamini."

²⁸Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

²⁸Agripa akamjibu Paulo, "Kidogo tu utanifanya Mkristo!"

²⁹And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

²⁹Paulo akamjibu, "Namwomba Mungu kwamba, kwa muda mfupi au mrefu, si wewe tu bali wote wanaonisikia leo wapate kuwa kama nilivyo mimi, lakini bila hii minyororo."

³⁰And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

³⁰Hapo mfalme Agripa, mkuu wa mkoa, Bernike na wale wote waliokuwa pamoja nao, walisimama.

³¹And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

³¹Walipokwisha ondoka, waliambiana, "Mtu huyu hakufanya chochote kinachostahili adhabu ya kifo au kifungo."

³²Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

³²Naye Agripa akamwambia Festo, "Mtu huyu angeweza kufunguliwa kama asingalikuwa amekata rufani kwa Kaisari."