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

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:

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

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,

³Hasa kwa vile wewe mwenyewe ni mtaalamu wa desturi za Wayahudi na migogoro yao, ninakuomba basi unisikilize kwa uvumilivu.

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

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

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,

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.

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;

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

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

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!

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;

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

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

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

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

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.

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,

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

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.

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

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

¹³Mheshimiwa, wakati nilipokuwa njiani, saa sita mchana, niliona mwanga mkubwa kuliko wa jua ukiangaza kutoka mbinguni, ukanizunguka mimi na wale wasafiri wenzangu.

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;

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.

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!

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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;

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

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

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;

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,

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."

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.`

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

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

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

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

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.

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;

²⁷Mfalme Agripa, je, una imani na manabii? Najua kwamba unaamini."

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

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

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

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."

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.`

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

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

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

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

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

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