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.
The Case against Paul
1 Five days later the High Priest Ananias went to Caesarea with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. They appeared before Governor Felix and made their charges against Paul. 2 Then Paul was called in, and Tertullus began to make his accusation, as follows:
“Your Excellency! Your wise leadership has brought us a long period of peace, and many necessary reforms are being made for the good of our country. 3 We welcome this everywhere and at all times, and we are deeply grateful to you. 4 I do not want to take up too much of your time, however, so I beg you to be kind and listen to our brief account. 5 We found this man to be a dangerous nuisance; he starts riots among Jews all over the world and is a leader of the party of the Nazarenes. 6 He also tried to defile the Temple, and we arrested him. 8 If you question this man, you yourself will be able to learn from him all the things that we are accusing him of.” 9 The Jews joined in the accusation and said that all this was true.
Paul's Defense before Felix
10 The governor then motioned to Paul to speak, and Paul said,
“I know that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, and so I am happy to defend myself before you. 11 As you can find out for yourself, it was no more than twelve days ago that I went to Jerusalem to worship. 12 The Jews did not find me arguing with anyone in the Temple, nor did they find me stirring up the people, either in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. 13 Nor can they give you proof of the accusations they now bring against me. 14 I do admit this to you: I worship the God of our ancestors by following that Way which they say is false. But I also believe in everything written in the Law of Moses and the books of the prophets. 15 I have the same hope in God that these themselves have, namely, that all people, both the good and the bad, will rise from death. 16 And so I do my best always to have a clear conscience before God and people.
17 “After being away from Jerusalem for several years, I went there to take some money to my own people and to offer sacrifices. 18 It was while I was doing this that they found me in the Temple after I had completed the ceremony of purification. There was no crowd with me and no disorder. 19 But some Jews from the province of Asia were there; they themselves ought to come before you and make their accusations if they have anything against me. 20 Or let these who are here tell what crime they found me guilty of when I stood before the Council— 21 except for the one thing I called out when I stood before them: ‘I am being tried by you today for believing that the dead will rise to life.’”
22 Then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, brought the hearing to a close. “When the commander Lysias arrives,” he told them, “I will decide your case.” 23 He ordered the officer in charge of Paul to keep him under guard, but to give him some freedom and allow his friends to provide for his needs.
Paul before Felix and Drusilla
24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he talked about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 But as Paul went on discussing about goodness, self-control, and the coming Day of Judgment, Felix was afraid and said, “You may leave now. I will call you again when I get the chance.” 26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would give him some money; and for this reason he would call for him often and talk with him.
27 After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix as governor. Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jews so he left Paul in prison.