¹And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand answered in his defence:

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

²I count myself happy, king Agrippa, in having to answer to-day before thee concerning all of which I am accused by the Jews,

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

³especially because thou art acquainted with all the 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 then from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews,

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

⁵who knew me before from the outset [of my life], if they would bear witness, that according to the strictest 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 to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

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

⁷to which our whole twelve tribes serving incessantly day and night hope to arrive; about which hope, O king, 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 judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead?

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

⁹*I* indeed myself thought that I ought to do much against the name of Jesus the Nazaraean.

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

¹⁰Which also I did in Jerusalem, and myself shut up in prisons many of the saints, having received the authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote.

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 often punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And, being exceedingly furious against them, I persecuted them even to cities out [of our own land].

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

¹²And when, [engaged] in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests,

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

¹³at mid-day, on the way, I saw, O king, a light above the brightness of the sun, shining from heaven round about me and those who were journeying 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 ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick against goads.

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 the Lord said, *I* am Jesus whom *thou* persecutest:

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

¹⁶but rise up and stand on thy feet; for, for this purpose have I appeared to thee, to appoint thee to be a servant and a witness both of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall appear to thee in,

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

¹⁷taking thee out from among the people, and the nations, to whom *I* send thee,

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

¹⁸to 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 inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith 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, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;

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

²⁰but have, first to those both in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judaea, and to the nations, announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of 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.

²¹On account of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, attempted to lay hands on and destroy me.

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

²²Having therefore met with [the] help which is from God, I have stood firm unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing else than those things which both the prophets and Moses have said should happen,

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;

²³[namely,] whether Christ should suffer; whether he first, through resurrection of [the] dead, should announce light both to the people and to the nations.

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 answered for his defence with these things, Festus says with a loud voice, Thou art mad, Paul; much learning turns thee to madness.

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

²⁵But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness;

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

²⁶for the king is informed about these things, to whom also I speak with all freedom. For I am persuaded that of these things nothing is hidden from him; for this 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."

²⁸And Agrippa [said] to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

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

²⁹And Paul [said], I would to God, both in little and in much, that not only thou, but all who have heard me this day, should become such as *I* also 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 the king stood up, and the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them,

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

³¹and having gone apart, they spoke to one another saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

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

³²And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been let go if he had not appealed to Caesar.

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