¹Brethren and fathers, hear my defence which I now make to you.

¹"Ndugu zangu na akina baba, nisikilizeni sasa nikijitetea mbele yenu!"

²And hearing that he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more quiet; and he says,

²Waliposikia akiongea nao kwa Kiebrania wakazidi kukaa kimya zaidi kuliko hapo awali. Naye Paulo akaendelea kusema,

³*I* am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to [the] exactness of the law of [our] fathers, being zealous for God, as *ye* are all this day;

³"Mimi ni Myahudi, mzaliwa wa Tarso katika Kilikia. Lakini nililelewa papa hapa mjini Yerusalemu chini ya mkufunzi Gamalieli. Nilifundishwa kufuata kwa uthabiti Sheria ya wazee wetu. Nilijitolea kwa moyo wote kwa Mungu kama ninyi wenyewe mlivyo hivi leo.

⁴who have persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women;

⁴Niliwatesa hata kuwaua wale watu waliofuata Njia hii. Niliwatia nguvuni wanaume kwa wanawake na kuwafunga gerezani.

⁵as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood: from whom also, having received letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus to bring those also who were there, bound, to Jerusalem, to be punished.

⁵Kuhani Mkuu na baraza lote la wazee wanaweza kushuhudia jambo hilo. Kutoka kwao nilipokea barua walioandikiwa wale ndugu Wayahudi waliokuwa huko Damasko. Nilikwenda Damasko ili niwatie nguvuni watu hao na kuwaleta wamefungwa mpaka Yerusalemu ili waadhibiwe.

⁶And it came to pass, as I was journeying and drawing near to Damascus, that, about mid-day, there suddenly shone out of heaven a great light round about me.

⁶"Basi, nilipokuwa njiani karibu kufika Damasko, yapata saa sita mchana, mwangu mkubwa kutoka mbinguni ulitokea ghafla ukaniangazia pande zote.

⁷And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

⁷Hapo nilianguka chini, nikasikia sauti ikiniambia: Saulo, Saulo! Kwa nini unanitesa?

⁸And *I* answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, *I* am Jesus the Nazaraean, whom *thou* persecutest.

⁸Nami nikauliza: Nani wewe, Bwana? Naye akaniambia: Mimi ni Yesu wa Nazareti ambaye wewe unamtesa.

⁹But they that were with me beheld the light, [and were filled with fear], but heard not the voice of him that was speaking to me.

⁹Wale wenzangu waliuona ule mwanga lakini hawakusikia sauti ya yule aliyeongea nami.

¹⁰And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do.

¹⁰Basi, mimi nikauliza: Nifanye nini Bwana? Naye Bwana akaniambia: Simama, nenda Damasko na huko utaambiwa yote ambayo umepangiwa kufanya.

¹¹And as I could not see, through the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.

¹¹Kutokana na ule mwanga mkali sikuweza kuona na hivyo iliwabidi wale wenzangu kuniongoza kwa kunishika mkono mpaka nikafika Damasko.

¹²And a certain Ananias, a pious man according to the law, borne witness to by all the Jews who dwelt [there],

¹²"Huko kulikuwa na mtu mmoja aitwaye Anania, mtu mcha Mungu, mwenye kuitii Sheria yetu na aliyeheshimika sana mbele ya Wayahudi waliokuwa wanaishi Damasko.

¹³coming to me and standing by me, said to me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And *I*, in the same hour, received my sight and saw him.

¹³Yeye alikuja kuniona, akasimama karibu nami, akasema: Ndugu Saulo! Ona tena. Papo hapo nikaona tena, nikamwangalia.

¹⁴And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee beforehand to know his will, and to see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth;

¹⁴Halafu Anania akasema: Mungu wa babu zetu amekuchagua upate kujua matakwa yake na kumwona yule mtumishi wake mwadilifu na kumsikia yeye mwenyewe akiongea.

¹⁵for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

¹⁵Kwa maana utamshuhudia kwa watu wote ukiwaambia yale uliyoyaona na kuyasikia.

¹⁶And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.

¹⁶Sasa basi, ya nini kukawia zaidi? Simama ubatizwe na uondolewe dhambi zako kwa kuliungama jina lake.

¹⁷And it came to pass when I had returned to Jerusalem, and as I was praying in the temple, that I became in ecstasy,

¹⁷"Basi, nilirudi Yerusalemu, na nilipokuwa nikisali Hekaluni, niliona maono.

¹⁸and saw him saying to me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

¹⁸Nilimwona Bwana akiniambia: Haraka! Ondoka Yerusalemu upesi kwa maana watu wa hapa binadamu hawataukubali ushuhuda wako juu yangu.

¹⁹And *I* said, Lord, they themselves know that *I* was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those that believe on thee;

¹⁹Nami nikamjibu: Bwana, wao wanajua wazi kwamba mimi ni yule aliyekuwa anapitapita katika masunagogi na kuwatia nguvuni na kuwapiga wale waliokuwa wanakuamini.

²⁰and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was shed, I also myself was standing by and consenting, and kept the clothes of them who killed him.

²⁰Na kwamba wakati shahidi wako Stefano alipouawa, mimi binafsi nilikuwako pale nikakubaliana na kitendo hicho na kuyalinda makoti ya wale waliokuwa wanamuua.

²¹And he said to me, Go, for *I* will send thee to the nations afar off.

²¹Naye Bwana akaniambia: Nenda; ninakutuma mbali kwa mataifa mengine."

²²And they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a one as that from the earth, for it was not fit he should live.

²²Mpaka hapa, wale watu walikuwa wanamsikiza, lakini aliposema maneno haya, walianza kusema kwa sauti kubwa, "Mwondoe duniani! Mtu wa namna hiyo hastahili kuishi."

²³And as they were crying, and throwing away their clothes, and casting dust into the air,

²³Waliendelea kupayukapayuka huku wakitikisa makoti yao na kurusha vumbi angani.

²⁴the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain for what cause they cried thus against him.

²⁴Mkuu wa jeshi aliwaamuru watu wake wampeleke Paulo ndani ya ngome, akawaambia wamchape viboko ili wapate kujua kisa cha Wayahudi kumpigia kelele.

²⁵But as they stretched him forward with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood [by], Is it lawful for you to scourge a man [who is] a Roman and uncondemned?

²⁵Lakini walipokwisha mfunga ili wamchape viboko, Paulo alimwuliza jemadari mmoja aliyesimama hapo, "Je, ni halali kwenu kumpiga viboko raia wa Roma kabla hajahukumiwa?"

²⁶And the centurion, having heard it, went and reported it to the chiliarch, saying, What art thou going to do? for this man is a Roman.

²⁶Yule jemadari aliposikia hayo, alimpasha habari mkuu wa jeshi akisema, "Unataka kufanya nini? Mtu huyu ni raia wa Roma!"

²⁷And the chiliarch coming up said to him, Tell me, Art *thou* a Roman? And he said, Yes.

²⁷Basi, mkuu wa jeshi alimwendea Paulo, akamwambia, "Niambie; je, wewe ni raia wa Roma?" Paulo akamjibu, "Naam."

²⁸And the chiliarch answered, *I*, for a great sum, bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But *I* was also [free] born.

²⁸Mkuu wa jeshi akasema, "Mimi nami nimekuwa raia wa Roma kwa kulipa gharama kubwa." Paulo akasema, "Lakini mimi ni raia wa Roma kwa kuzaliwa."

²⁹Immediately therefore those who were going to examine him left him, and the chiliarch also was afraid when he ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

²⁹Wale watu ambao walikuwa tayari kumchunguza Paulo walitoweka mara. Hata yule mkuu wa jeshi aliogopa alipojua kwamba Paulo ni raia wa Roma na kwamba alikuwa amekwisha mfunga minyororo.

³⁰And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty [of the matter] why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.

³⁰Kesho yake, mkuu wa jeshi alitaka kujua mashtaka kamili ambayo Wayahudi walikuwa wamemwekea Paulo. Hivyo, alimfungua Paulo minyororo, akaamuru makuhani wakuu na Baraza lote wafanye kikao. Kisha alimleta Paulo, akamsimamisha mbele ya Baraza.