¹Varume hama, nemadzibaba, inzwai kuzvidavirira kwangu zvino kwamuri.

¹Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you.

²Ivo vakati vachinzwa kuti unotaura nerurimi rwechiHebheru kwavari, vakanyanya kunyarara, iye akati:

²And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet: and he saith,

³Ini ndiri zvirokwazvo murume muJudha, wakaberekerwa muTaso muKirikia, asi ndakarerwa muguta rino pamakumbo aGamarieri, ndikadzidziswa netsika dzakazara dzemurairo wamadzibaba, ndichishingairira Mwari, sezvamuri mose nhasi;

³I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day:

⁴ndikatambudza nzira iyi kusvikira parufu, ndichisunga nekukumikidza mutirongo vose varume nevakadzi;

⁴and I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

⁵nemupristi mukuru sezvaanopupura nezvangu nedare rose remakurukota evatariri; kwavari kwandakagamuchira tsamba kuhama, ndikaenda Dhamasiko kuti ndiuise kuJerusarema avo vaivapo vakasungwa, kuti varangwe.

⁵As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

⁶Zvino zvakaitika kuti ndichifamba, ndoswedera Dhamasiko anenge masikati, pakarepo kwakaonekwa kubva kudenga chiedza chikuru chakandipoteredza.

⁶And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

⁷Zvino ndakawira pasi, ndikanzwa inzwi richiti kwandiri: Sauro, Sauro, unondishushirei?

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

⁸Ndikapindura, ndikati: Ndimwi ani Ishe? Akati kwandiri: Ndini Jesu weNazareta waunoshusha.

⁸And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

⁹Zvino avo vaiva neni vakaona chiedza, vakatya, asi havana kunzwa inzwi rewakataura neni.

⁹And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

¹⁰Zvino ndikati: Ndichaitei, Ishe? Ishe akati kwandiri: Simuka, uende Dhamasiko; apo uchaudzwa zvinhu zvose zvakatarirwa iwe kuti uite.

¹⁰And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

¹¹Zvino zvandakange ndisingagoni kuona nekubwinya kwechiedza icho, ndakatungamirirwa neruoko rwevaiva neni, ndikasvika Dhamasiko.

¹¹And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me I came into Damascus.

¹²Zvino umwe Ananiasi, murume wainamata sezvinoreva murairo, waipupurwa nezvake zvakanaka nevaJudha vose vakange vagerepo,

¹²And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there,

¹³akauya kwandiri akamira padivi pangu, akati kwandiri: Sauro hama, chionazve! Nenguva iyo ndikamuona.

¹³came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.

¹⁴Iye akati: Mwari wemadzibaba edu wakakusarudza, kare kuti uzive kuda kwake, nekuona iye wakarurama, nekunzwa inzwi remuromo wake.

¹⁴And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

¹⁵Nekuti uchava chapupu chake kuvanhu vose chezvawakaona nekunzwa.

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

¹⁶Ikozvino uchanonokerei? Simuka ubhabhatidzwe usukwe zvivi zvako, uchidana zita raIshe.

¹⁶And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.

¹⁷Zvino zvakaitika kuti ndadzokera kuJerusarema, ndichinyengetera mutembere, ndikaita chiyeverwa chemweya,

¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

¹⁸ndikamuona achiti kwandiri: Kurumidza ubve kuJerusarema ikozvino-zvino, nekuti havagamuchiri kupupura kwako maererano neni.

¹⁸and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.

¹⁹Zvino ndikati: Ishe, vanoziva kuti ini ndaiisa mutirongo nekurova musinagoge roga-roga avo vaitenda kwamuri;

¹⁹And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

²⁰nepakadururwa ropa raSitefano chapupu chenyu, neni ndakange ndimirewo ndichibvumirana nekuurawa kwake, ndakachengeta nguvo dzevaimuponda.

²⁰and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.

²¹Zvino akati kwandiri: Enda, nekuti ndichakutuma kure kuvahedheni.

²¹And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles.

²²Vakamuteerera kusvikira pashoko iro; ipapo vakasimudza manzwi avo vachiti: Wakadai ngaabviswe panyika; nekuti hazvina kufanira kuti ararame.

²²And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

²³Zvino vachidanidzira, vachirasha nguvo, vachikushira guruva kudenga,

²³And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,

²⁴mukuru wechuru akaraira, kuti aiswe kuimba yemauto achiti abvunzurudzwe nekurohwa netyava, kuti azive kuti ingavai ravaidanidzira kudai pamusoro pake.

²⁴the chief captain commanded him be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him.

²⁵Zvino vakati vamusunga nemakashu, Pauro akati kumukuru wezana wakange amirepo: Zviri pamutemo here kwamuri kurova netyava munhu ari muRoma asina kutongwa?

²⁵And when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

²⁶Zvino mukuru wezana wakati achizvinzwa, akaenda akandoudza mukuru wechuru achiti: Chenjerai zvamunoita, nekuti munhu uyu muRoma.

²⁶And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, What art thou about to do? for this man is a Roman.

²⁷Zvino mukuru wechuru akauya akati kwaari: Ndiudze, uri muRoma here? Iye akati: Hongu.

²⁷And the chief captain came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yea.

²⁸Mukuru wechuru akapindura akati: Nemutengo mukuru ini ndakawana uRoma uhwu. Pauro akati: Ini ndakaberekwa nahwo.

²⁸And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am [a Roman] born.

²⁹Naizvozvo pakarepo vakabva kwaari ivo vaiva vomubvunzurudza, nemukuru wechuru wakatyawo aziva kuti iye muRoma, uye nekuti wakange amusunga.

²⁹They then that were about to examine him straightway departed from him: and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

³⁰Zvino chifume, achida kuziva chokwadi chaaipomerwa nevaJudha, akamusunungura pazvisungo, akaraira kuti vapristi vakuru nedare remakurukota ose vaungane, akaburusira Pauro, ndokumugadzika pamberi pavo.

³⁰But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.