Mabasa 26

¹Zvino Agripa akati kuna Pauro: Unotenderwa kuzvidavirira. Ipapo Pauro akatambanudza ruvoko rwake, akazvidavirira, achiti;Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

²Mambo Agripa, ndinozvikorokotedza, zvandingazvidavirira nhasi pamberi penyu pamusoro pezvose zvandinokwirirwa nazvo navaJudha;I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

³zvikuru nokuti munoziva tsika dzose namashoko ose pakati pavaJudha; naizvozvo ndinokumbira kwamuri, kuti mundinzwe nomoyo murefu.Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

⁴VaJudha vose vanoziva mufambire wangu, kubva pavuduku bwangu, waiva pakati porudzi rwangu napaJerusarema kubva pakutanga;My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

⁵vakandiziva kare kana vachida kupupura, kuti ndaiva muFarise, nedzidziso yokupira kwedu yakaisvorurama.Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

⁶Nazvino ndinomira pano, kuti nditongwe nokuda kwokutarira chipikirwa chakapikirwa madzibaba edu naMwari.And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

⁷Marudzi edu anegumi namaviri anoshumira Mwari vusiku namasikati, achiti achasvika pachipikirwa icho.Pamusoro pokutarira uku, imi mambo, ndinokwirirwa navaJudha.Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

⁸Munofungireiko imi kuti hazvingatendwi kuti Mwari ungamutsa vakafa?Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

⁹Zvino neni ndaiti ndinofanira kuita zvinhu zvizhinji zvinopesana nezita raJesu weNazareta.I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

¹⁰Ndakazviita vo paJerusarema, ndikapfigira vatsvene vazhinji mutorongo, ndapiwa simba navaPirisita vakuru; vuye kana vaivurawa, neni ndaibvumiravo.Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

¹¹Nomumasinagoge ose ndaivatambudza, ndichivaroverera kuti vamhure Mwari; ndikanyanya kuvapengera, ndikavatambudza kusvikira kumaguta ari kure nenyika ino.And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

¹²Ndakati ndichaita izvozvi, ndikaenda Dhamaseko nesimba vuye nomurairo wavaPirisita vakuru,Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

¹³zvino, mambo masikati makuru, ndiri munzira, ndikavona chiedza chaibva kudenga, chaikunda kupenya kwezuva, chichindipenyera kumativi ose navandaifamba navo.At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

¹⁴Zvino takati tawira pasi tose, ndikanzwa izwi richiti kwandiri norurimi rwechiHebheru: Sauro! Sauro! Unonditambudzireiko? Zvinokuremera kupfura zvibayiso.And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

¹⁵Ndakati: Ndimi aniko, Ishe akati: Ndini Jesu, waunotambudza.And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶Asi simuka, umire namakumbo ako; nokuti ndazviratidza kwauri nezvizvi, kuti ndikuite munyai nechapupu chezvawakavona, nezvandichazviratidza nazvo kwauri;But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

¹⁷ndichakurwira kuvanhu nokuvahedheni, vandinokutumira kwavari;Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

¹⁸kuti usvinudze meso avo, vabve murima, vaende kuchiedza, nokubva pasimba raSatani, vaende kunaMwari. Kuti vagamuchire kanganwiro yezvivi zvavo, nenhaka pakati pavakaitwa vatsvene, nokutenda kwandiri.To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

¹⁹Naizvozvo, mambo Agripa handina kuramba kuterera chiratidzo chokudenga;Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

²⁰asi ndakatanga kuparidza kuna veDhamaseko, nokunaveJerusarema, nenyika yose yeJudhea, nokuvahedheni, kuti vatendevuke, varingire kunaMwari, vaite mabasa akafanira kutendevuka.But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

²¹Pamusoro paizvozvi vaJudha vakandibata mutembere, vakaidza kundivuraya.For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

²²Asi ndakabatsirwa naMwari, ndikamira kusvikira zuva ranhasi, ndichipupurira vaduku navakuru, ndisingarevi zvimwe zvinhu asi zvakataurwa navaporofita naMosesi, kuti zvichaitika;Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

²³zvokuti Kristu wakafanira kutambudzika, vuye kuti ave wokutanga kumuka kuvakafa, aparidzire vanhu navahedheni chiedza.That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

²⁴Zvino wakati achizvidavirira saizvozvo Festo akati nenzwi guru: Pauro, unopenga; kudzidza kwako kukuru kunokupenza.And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

²⁵Asi Pauro akati: Handipengi, Festo wakakurumbira; asi ndinotaura mashoko amazvokwadi novuchenjeri.But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

²⁶Nokuti mambo wandinotaura naye ndisingatyi, unoziva izvozvi, nokuti ndinoziva kuti hapane chinhu chaizvozvo chakavanzika kwaari, nokuti chinhu ichi hachina kuitwa pakavanda.For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

²⁷Mambo Agripa, munotenda vaporofita here? Ndinoziva kuti munotenda.King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

²⁸Agripa akati kunaPauro: Unenge unoda kundiita mukristu nenguva duku.Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

²⁹Pauro akati: ndinonyengetera kunaMwari kana nenguva duku, kana nehuru, kuti musava imi moga, asi vose vanondinzwa nhasi, vaitwe seni, asi vasinezvisungo izvi.And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

³⁰Ipapo mambo akasimuka, nomubati naBerinike, navakanga vagere navo;And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:

³¹vakabuda vakataurirana, vakati: Munhu uyu haaiti chinhu chakafanira rufu kana kusungwa.And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

³²Ipapo Agripa akati kunaFesto: Munhu uyu dai asina kuzviisa kuna Kesari ungadai asunungurwa.Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.