¹Zvino Agripa akati kuna Pauro: Unotenderwa kuzvidavirira. Ipapo Pauro akatambanudza ruoko, akazvipindurira, achiti:

¹And Agrippa said unto Paul, `It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself;` then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defence:

²Pane zvose zvandakamhan'arirwa nevaJudha, Mambo Agripa, ndinoona ndichifara kuti ndodozvidavirira pamberi penyu nhasi;

²`Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, king Agrippa, I have thought myself happy, being about to make a defence before thee to-day,

³zvikuru imwi mune ruzivo rwetsika dzose nemakakava ari pakati pevaJudha; naizvozvo ndinokukumbirai kuti mundinzwe nemoyo murefu.

³especially knowing thee to be acquainted with all things — both customs and questions — among Jews; wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently to hear me.

⁴Mufambiro wangu kubva pauduku, waiva pakutanga pakati porudzi rwangu paJerusarema, vaJudha vose vanoziva,

⁴`The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth — which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem — know do all the Jews,

⁵vaindiziva kubva pakutanga, kana vachida kupupura kuti nenzira chaiyo yeboka rechitendero chedu, ndairarama ndiri muFarisi.

⁵knowing me before from the first, (if they may be willing to testify,) that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee;

⁶Nazvino ndimire ndichitongwa nekuda kwetariro yechivimbiso chakaitwa naMwari kumadzibaba edu,

⁶and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,

⁷mairi marudzi edu gumi nemaviri anoramba achishumira siku nesikati vachitarisira kuti inouya. Nekuda kwetariro iyi mambo Agripa, ndinopiwa mhosva nevaJudha.

⁷to which our twelve tribes, intently night and day serving, do hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, king Agrippa, by the Jews;

⁸Zvinofungwa sei kuti zvinhu zvisingatendeseki kwamuri, kana Mwari achimutsa vakafa?

⁸why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?

⁹Ini zvirokwazvo ndaifunga ndomene kuti ndinofanira kuita zvinhu zvizhinji zvinopesana nezita raJesu weNazareta.

⁹`I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved [me] many things to do,

¹⁰Ndizvo zvandakaitawo paJerusarema, nevazhinji vevatsvene ndakapfigira mutirongo ndagamuchira simba kubva kuvapristi vakuru; uye nepavaiurawa neni ndaibvumira.

¹⁰which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,

¹¹Uye ndaivaranga nguva zhinji musinagoge rimwe nerimwe, ndichivaroverera kuti vanyombe; zvino ndichinyanya kuvapengera, ndakavashusha kusvikira kumaguta evahedheni.

¹¹and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even unto strange cities.

¹²Ndipo ndichienda Dhamasiko nesimba uye nekutumwa kubva kuvapristi vakuru,

¹²`In which things, also, going on to Damascus — with authority and commission from the chief priests —

¹³pamasikati makuru, mambo, ndakaona munzira chiedza chichibva kudenga, chaikunda kupenya kwezuva, chichipenyera chakandipoteredza nevaifamba neni.

¹³at mid-day, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me a light — and those going on with me;

¹⁴Zvino takati tose tawira pasi, ndakanzwa izwi richitaura kwandiri richiti nerurimi rwechiHebheru: Sauro, Sauro, Unondishushirei? Zvinokuremera kukava zvibayo.

¹⁴and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute? hard for thee against pricks to kick!

¹⁵Zvino ndikati: Ndimwi ani, Ishe? Akati: Ndini Jesu waunotambudza.

¹⁵`And I said, Who art thou, Lord? and he said, I am Jesus whom thou dost persecute;

¹⁶Asi simuka umire nemakumbo ako; nekuti ndazviratidza kwauri nechikonzero ichi, ndikuite mushumiri nechapupu chezvinhu zvose zvawakaona, nezvandichazviratidza nazvo kwauri;

¹⁶but rise, and stand upon thy feet, for for this I appeared to thee, to appoint thee an officer and a witness both of the things thou didst see, and of the things [in which] I will appear to thee,

¹⁷ndichakurwira kuvanhu nevahedheni, vandinokutumira kwavari zvino,

¹⁷delivering thee from the people, and the nations, to whom now I send thee,

¹⁸usvinudze meso avo, kuvatendeusa kubva murima, vaende kuchiedza, nepasimba raSatani, vaende kuna Mwari; kuti vagamuchire kangamwiro yezvivi nenhaka pakati pevakaitwa vatsvene norutendo rwuri mandiri.

¹⁸to open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of the Adversary unto God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified, by faith that [is] toward me.

¹⁹Naizvozvo, mambo Agripa, handina kuramba kuteerera chiratidzo chekudenga;

¹⁹`Whereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

²⁰asi ndakaparidza kutanga kune veDhamasiko, nepaJerusarema, nekudunhu rose reJudhiya nekuvahedheni, kuti vanofanira kutendeuka vadzokere kuna Mwari, vaite mabasa akafanira kutendeuka.

²⁰but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;

²¹Nekuda kwezvinhu izvi vaJudha vakandibata mutembere, vakaidza kundiuraya.

²¹because of these things the Jews — having caught me in the temple — were endeavouring to kill [me].

²²Naizvozvo ndawana rubatsiro kubva kuna Mwari, ndakamira kusvikira zuva rino, ndichipupura kuvaduku nekuvakuru, ndisingarevi zvimwe zvinhu asi zvakataurwa nevaporofita naMozisi kuti zvichaitika;

²²`Having obtained, therefore, help from God, till this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spake of as about to come,

²³zvekuti Kristu wakafanira kutambudzika, uye kuti ave wokutanga kumuka kuvakafa, aparidze chiedza kuvanhu nekuvahedheni.

²³that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a rising from the dead, he is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations.`

²⁴Zvino wakati achizvidavirira saizvozvi Festo akati nenzwi guru: Pauro, unopenga; kudzidza kukuru kunokupenza.

²⁴And, he thus making a defence, Festus with a loud voice said, `Thou art mad, Paul; much learning doth turn thee mad;`

²⁵Asi wakati: Handipengi, Festo makakurumbira; asi ndinotaura mashoko echokwadi akarurama.

²⁵and he saith, `I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness the sayings I speak forth;

²⁶nekuti mambo vanoziva zvinhu izvi ivo vandinotaura pamberi pavo ndisingatyi; nekuti ndine chokwadi kuti hapana chimwe chezvinhu izvi chakavanzika kwaari, nekuti chinhu ichi hachina kuitwa pachikona*.

²⁶for the king doth know concerning these things, before whom also I speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing hath not been done in a corner;

²⁷Mambo Agripa, munotenda vaporofita here? Ndinoziva kuti munotenda.

²⁷thou dost believe, king Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that thou dost believe!`

²⁸Ipapo Agripa akati kuna Pauro: Wasara padiki kundipwisa kuva muKristu.

²⁸And Agrippa said unto Paul, `In a little thou dost persuade me to become a Christian!`

²⁹Pauro akati: Ndinoshuva kuna Mwari kunyange neduku, kana nehuru, musava imwi moga, asi vose vanondinzwa nhasi, vave vose vakadai sezvandiri ini, asi kunze kwezvisungo izvi.

²⁹and Paul said, `I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only thee, but also all those hearing me to-day, to become such as I also am — except these bonds.`

³⁰Zvino wakati ataura saizvozvi, mambo akasimuka, nemutungamiriri naBhenike, nevakange vagere navo;

³⁰And, he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting with them,

³¹vakati vabuda vakataurirana, vachiti: Munhu uyu haaiti chinhu chakafanira rufu kana kusungwa.

³¹and having withdrawn, they were speaking unto one another, saying — `This man doth nothing worthy of death or of bonds;`

³²Ipapo Agripa akati kuna Festo: Munhu uyu ungadai asunungurwa dai asina kuzvipfuuridza kuna Kesari.

³²and Agrippa said to Festus, `This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.`