Paulo unobong'wa nlandu nge Bajuta
1 Shule kwe mazhuba mashanu Ntungamili we bapirisiti Ananiyasi kayenda ku Sizariya ana bamwe bakulu ne mmilili wakabe eyi Tetulo. Bakabudza mbusi milandu yabanotilika Paulo. 2 Ipapo Paulo kadanigwa mukati, ngono Tetulo katangisa kubika sahwoku:
“Nge kwenyu totjilila mu mbakiso kakale nge butjenjedu gwenyu mbilimangenje Felikisi, dwililo mbeli yakazhisiwa mu itjaba itjetji. 3 Nge zila dzose kakale pamwe ne pamwe, ikoku tokuamutjila nge mboko. 4 Anditoshaka kutjinya tjibaka tjenyu, ndizo ndomukumbila kuti mube ne nzhazho kuhwilila mbiko yedu fupi. 5 Iswi takawana nlume iwoyu ali mbatsha; unomusa phipiti pakati kwe Bajuta bose mu shango yose kakale ntungamili we bhiko le Banazareta. 6 Wakagwisa kulonga shambgwa Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, koga tikambhata. [Iswi takalangana kunsumikilisa nge nlayo wedu. 7 Koga Lisiyasi Nkulu we babhayani kazha, ngono nge masimba makulu kantola mutili. 8 Ipapo Lisiyasi kalaya kuti basumikilisi babe bazhe mbeli kwenyu.] Ha mumbhuzwa iwoyu nlume, imwi nge kwenyu mowotubula kuziba munli zwithu zose zwatinombona nlandu muzwili.” 9 Bajuta bakadumabo kuti zwithu izwezo malebeswa.
Kuzwimila kwa Paulo mbeli kwa Felikisi
10 Mbusi kadwa Paulo kuti alebeleke, ngono Paulo kati:
“Ndoziba kuti makabe nsumikilisi we itjaba itjetji makole manjinji, ndizo ndakashatha kuzwimila mbeli kwenyu. 11 Sekwa mungaziba nge kwenyu, ate mazhuba anopinda gumi lina mabili ndakayenda ku Jerusalema kunonamata Ndzimu. 12 Bajuta abazondiwana ndinyanyayidzana ne mmwe mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu kene kuli kundiwana ndidzonga bathu, mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu kene mu ng'umba dze mitembezelo kene kumwe nzi. 13 Na iko abangape butendeki guzhele gwe milandu yabanondipa. 14 Tjandinoduma etji: Ndonamata Ndzimu wa bobatategulu bedu kuyendidzana nge Zila ye Ndzimu ibo yabanoti manyepkhwa. Koga ndogalamoyo tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakakwagwa mu nlayo ne mu hwalo dze balebesambeli. 15 Ndina kugalabgwe iko kwabanako ibaba nge kwabo mu Ndzimu, kuti bathu bose, bakalulwama ne babi banowomuka mu lufu. 16 Ndizo ndoshinga ne matatabuko angu wose misi yose kube ne hana mbuyanana mbeli kwe Ndzimu na mbeli kwe bathu.
17 “Ndakabuya ku Jerusalema shule kwe makole manjinji ndowopa itjaba tja kanyi kwedu zwipo zwe bashayi ne zwibhayilo. 18 Ndakati nditjashinga ikoku bakandiwana mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu ndapedza nshingo we kuzwitjenapadza. Kwakabe kusina mbunga wakabe unami, kusina phipiti. 19 Koga bamwe Bajuta bakabe bedwa ku ntuthu we Ezhiya bakabe bali ipapo; ibo nge kwabo bakafanila kuzha mbeli kwenyu balebe milandu yangu ha banayo. 20 Kene letja balume ibaba balebe jinyo labakandibona nlandu ndilo pandakama mbeli kwe Gulukota, 21 kuzhe kwe tjithu tjing'ompela tjandakaleba pandakama mbeli kwabo nditi, ‘Ndimile mbeli kwenyu nasi ndisumikilisigwa kumuka kwe bafi.’ ”
22 Ipapo Felikisi, iye wakabe ana zibo hwulu ngekwe Zila ye Ndzimu kamisa ndebo. Kabadwa kati, “Kowoti Lisiyasi Nkulu we babhayani azha ndowopedza ndebo yenyu.” 23 Kalaya nlauli wakalinda Paulo kun'gadza akalindiwa, koga abe ne sununguko ne kuti kakale aletje bazwalani babe kumpa zwaanosheta.
Paulo mbeli kwa Felikisi na Durusila
24 Shule kwe mazhuba Felikisi kazha ne nkadzi uwe Durusila, wakabe ali Njuta. Kadanigwa Paulo ngono kanhwilila elebeleka ngekwe kugalamoyo muna Kirisiti Jesu. 25 Paulo kati edwilila eleba ngekwe ndulamo nenge kuzwidziba ne zhuba linozha le kusumikilisiwa, Felikisi katja ngono kati, “Ungayendazo ngwenu. Ndowokudana kakale ha ndawana tjibaka.” 26 Wakabe eyemula kuti Paulo ampe mari; ngono ndi ikoku kan'danigwa kanjinji, ngono kalebeleka naye.
27 Shule kwe makole mabili, Porokiyo Fesito katola mamo a Felikisi. Felikisi kashaka kuti athamile Bajuta tjabanoda ndizo kaletja Paulo ali mu ng'umba ye busungwa.
Paul Is Accused in the Court of Felix
1 Five days later Ananias the high priest, together with some of their leaders and a lawyer named Tertullus, went to the governor to present their case against Paul. 2 So Paul was called in, and Tertullus stated the case against him:
Honorable Felix, you have brought our people a long period of peace, and because of your concern our nation is much better off. 3 All of us are always grateful for what you have done. 4 I don't want to bother you, but please be patient with us and listen to me for just a few minutes.
5 This man has been found to be a real pest and troublemaker for our people all over the world. He is also a leader of a group called Nazarenes. 6-8 When he tried to disgrace the temple, we arrested him. If you question him, you will find out for yourself that our charges are true.
9 The Jewish crowd spoke up and agreed with what Tertullus had said.
Paul Defends Himself
10 The governor motioned for Paul to speak, and he began:
I know that you have judged the people of our nation for many years, and I am glad to defend myself in your court.
11 It was no more than twelve days ago that I went to worship in Jerusalem. You can find this out easily enough. 12 Never once did the Jews find me arguing with anyone in the temple. I didn't cause trouble in the synagogues or in the city itself. 13 There is no way that they can prove these charges they are now bringing against me.
14 I admit that their leaders think the Lord's Way which I follow is based on wrong beliefs. But I still worship the same God that my ancestors worshiped. And I believe everything written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets. 15 I am just as sure as these people are that God will raise from death everyone, good or evil. 16 And because I am sure, I try my best to have a clear conscience in whatever I do for God or for people.
17 After being away for several years, I returned here to bring gifts for the poor people of my nation and to offer sacrifices. 18 This is what I was doing when I was found going through a ceremony in the temple. I wasn't with a crowd, and there was no uproar.
19 Some Jews from Asia were there at that time, and if they have anything to say against me, they should be here now. 20 Or ask the ones who are here. They can tell you that they didn't find me guilty of anything when I was tried by their own council. 21 The only charge they can bring against me is what I shouted out in court, when I said, “I am on trial today because I believe that the dead will be raised to life!”
22 Felix knew a lot about the Lord's Way. But he brought the trial to an end and said, “I will make my decision after Lysias the commander arrives.” 23 He then ordered the army officer to keep Paul under guard, but not to lock him up or to stop his friends from helping him.
Paul Is Kept under Guard
24 Several days later Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, went to the place where Paul was kept under guard. They sent for Paul and listened while he spoke to them about having faith in Christ Jesus. 25 But Felix was frightened when Paul started talking to them about doing right, about self-control, and about the coming judgment. So he said to Paul, “That's enough for now. You may go. But when I have time I will send for you.” 26 After this, Felix often sent for Paul and talked with him, because he hoped that Paul would offer him a bribe.
27 Two years later Porcius Festus became governor in place of Felix. But since Felix wanted to do the Jewish leaders a favor, he kept Paul in jail.