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

¹`Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defence now unto you;` —

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

²and they having heard that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, gave the more silence, and he saith, —

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.

³`I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day.

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

⁴`And this way I persecuted unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women,

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.

⁵as also the chief priest doth testify to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished,

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

⁶and it came to pass, in my going on and coming nigh to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of the heaven there shone a great light round about me,

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

⁷I fell also to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?

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

⁸`And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom thou dost persecute —

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

⁹and they who are with me the light did see, and became afraid, and the voice they heard not of him who is speaking to me —

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

¹⁰and I said, What shall I do, Lord? and the Lord said unto me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things that have been appointed for thee to do.

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

¹¹`And when I did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are with me, I came to Damascus,

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

¹²and a certain one, Ananias, a pious man according to the law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling [there],

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

¹³having come unto me and stood by [me], said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and I the same hour did look up to him;

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

¹⁴and he said, The God of our fathers did choose thee beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of his mouth,

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

¹⁵because thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard;

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

¹⁶and now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

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

¹⁷`And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance,

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

¹⁸and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;

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

¹⁹and I said, Lord, they — they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee;

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

²⁰and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was being poured forth, I also was standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death;

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

²¹and he said unto me, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.`

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

²²And they were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, `Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.`

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

²³And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing dust into the air,

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

²⁴the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, saying, `By scourges let him be examined;` that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him.

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

²⁵And as he was stretching him with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who was standing by, `A man, a Roman, uncondemned — is it lawful to you to scourge;`

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

²⁶and the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, `Take heed what thou art about to do, for this man is a Roman;`

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

²⁷and the chief captain having come near, said to him, `Tell me, art thou a Roman?` and he said, `Yes;`

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

²⁸and the chief captain answered, `I, with a great sum, did obtain this citizenship;` but Paul said, `But I have been even born [so].`

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.

²⁹Immediately, therefore, they departed from him who are about to examine him, and the chief captain also was afraid, having learned that he is a Roman, and because he had bound him,

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.

³⁰and on the morrow, intending to know the certainty wherefore he is accused by the Jews, he did loose him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrim to come, and having brought down Paul, he set [him] before them.