Ushuhuda Wa Paulo Kwa Wayahudi Wa Yerusalemu

22 “Ndugu zangu na baba zangu, sikilizeni utetezi wangu.” Waliposikia akisema kwa lugha ya Kiebrania, wakatulia zaidi, naye akasema, “Mimi ni Myahudi, niliyezaliwa Tarso huko Kili kia, lakini nimekulia hapa Yerusalemu, nikiwa mwanafunzi wa Gamalieli. Nilielimishwa kwa kufuata utaratibu maalumu wa sheria za baba zetu, nikiwa na ari ya kumheshimu Mungu kama ninyi mlivyo siku hii ya leo. Niliwatesa wafuasi wa ‘Njia’ mpaka wakafa. Niliwakamata, waume kwa wake, nikawafunga na kuwaweka gerezani. Kuhani mkuu na baraza zima la wazee ni mashahidi wangu kuhusu jambo hili. Wao ndio walionipa barua za kupeleka kwa ndugu zao huko Dameski. Kwa hiyo nilikwenda kuwakamata wafuasi wa ‘Njia’ niwalete Yerusalemu kama wafungwa ili waadhibiwe. Nilipokuwa nimekaribia kufika Dameski, mnamo muda wa kama saa sita mchana, kulitokea mwanga mkali kutoka mbinguni ukaangaza pande zote kuni zunguka. Nikaanguka chini, nikasikia sauti ikiniambia, ‘Sauli! Sauli! Mbona unanitesa?’ Nikajibu, ‘Wewe ni nani Bwana?’ Naye akajibu, ‘Mimi ni Yesu wa Nazareti unayemtesa.’

“Wale watu niliokuwa nikisafiri nao waliona ule mwanga, lakini hawakuelewa ile sauti ya yule aliyekuwa akisema nami. 10 Nikauliza, ‘Nifanye nini Bwana?’ Naye Bwana akaniambia, ‘Inuka uingie Dameski na huko utaambiwa mambo yote uliyopangiwa kufanya.’ 11 Nilikuwa sioni kwa sababu ya ule mwanga mkali kwa hiyo wenzangu wakanishika mkono wakaniongoza na hivyo tukafika Dameski. 12 “Mtu mmoja aitwaye Anania, mtu wa dini, aliyeshika sana sheria zetu, na ambaye aliheshimiwa sana na Wayahudi wote wa Dameski, 13 alinijia akasimama karibu yangu akasema, ‘Ndugu Sauli, pokea tena uwezo wa kuona!’ Na wakati ule ule nikaweza kuona tena, nikamwona Anania. 14 Akasema, ‘Mungu wa baba zetu amekuchagua wewe ufahamu mapenzi yake, umwone yeye Mwenye Haki na usikie akisema nawe kwa sauti yake mwenyewe. 15 Kwa kuwa utakuwa shahidi wake kwa watu wote uwaambie yote uliyoyaona na kuyasikia. 16 Sasa basi, mbona unakawia? Simama ubatizwe, ukaoshwe dhambi zako kwa kuliitia jina lake.” ’

Wito Wa Paulo Kuwahubiri Mataifa

17 “Niliporudi Yerusalemu nikawa naomba Hekaluni 18 nilim wona katika ndoto akiniambia ‘Harakisha uondoke Yerusalemu upesi kwa sababu watu hawa hawatakubali ushuhuda wako juu yangu.’ 19 Nikajibu, ‘Bwana, wanajua jinsi nilivyokuwa nikienda katika masinagogi nikawafunga gerezani na kuwapiga wale waliokuamini wewe. 20 Na hata shahidi wako Stefano alipokuwa anauawa mimi nilikuwa nimesimama kando nikikubaliana na kitendo hicho na nikashika mavazi ya wale waliomwua. 21 Akaniambia, ‘Nenda, kwa maana nitakutuma mbali, kwa watu wa mataifa.”

22 Watu walimsikiliza Paulo mpaka hapo; kisha wakapaaza tena sauti zao wakasema, “Mwondosheni duniani! Mtu kama huyu hasta hili kuishi!” 23 Walipoendelea kupiga kelele na kupeperusha nguo zao na kutupa mavumbi juu hewani, 24 yule jemadari akaamuru wale askari wake wamwingize Paulo katika ngome na wamhoji na kum chapa viboko ili aeleze vizuri kwa nini wale Wayahudi walikuwa wanampigia makelele. 25 Lakini walipokwisha kumfunga kwa kamba za ngozi ili wamchape viboko, Paulo akamwambia askari aliyekuwa karibu naye, “Je, ni halali kumpiga raia wa Kirumi kabla hajahu kumiwa kwa kosa lo lote?” 26 Yule askari aliposikia maneno haya, alimwendea yule jemadari akamwuliza, “Unajua unalolifanya? Huyu mtu ni raia wa Kirumi.” 27 Kwa hiyo yule jemadari akaja akamwuliza Paulo, “Niambie, wewe ni raia wa Kirumi?” Paulo aka jibu, “Ndio.” 28 Yule jemadari akasema, “Mimi nilinunua uraia wangu kwa fedha nyingi.” Paulo akamjibu, ‘ ‘Lakini mimi ni Mrumi wa kuzaliwa.” 29 Wale wote waliokuwa wamejiandaa kumhoji wakaondoka haraka haraka na yule jemadari akaingiwa na hofu, kwa maana alitambua ya kuwa alikuwa amemfunga raia wa Kirumi kinyume cha sheria.

Paulo Apelekwa Mbele Ya Baraza

30 Kesho yake yule jemadari alimfungua Paulo zile kamba ali zofungwa akaamuru makuhani wakuu na baraza lote likutane. Akamleta Paulo mbele yao ili apate kujua kwa nini Wayahudi wali kuwa wanamshtaki.

22 “Brothers and fathers,(A) listen now to my defense.”

When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(B) they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: “I am a Jew,(C) born in Tarsus(D) of Cilicia,(E) but brought up in this city. I studied under(F) Gamaliel(G) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.(H) I was just as zealous(I) for God as any of you are today. I persecuted(J) the followers of this Way(K) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(L) as the high priest and all the Council(M) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates(N) in Damascus,(O) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(P) I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

“‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(Q) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light,(R) but they did not understand the voice(S) of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’(T) 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.(U)

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(V) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(W) 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors(X) has chosen you to know his will and to see(Y) the Righteous One(Z) and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness(AA) to all people of what you have seen(AB) and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized(AC) and wash your sins away,(AD) calling on his name.’(AE)

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem(AF) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance(AG) 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison(AH) and beat(AI) those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’(AJ)

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ (AK)

Paul the Roman Citizen

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!(AL) He’s not fit to live!”(AM)

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks(AN) and flinging dust into the air,(AO) 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.(AP) He directed(AQ) that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”(AR)

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him(AS) withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen,(AT) in chains.(AU)

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.(AV) So the next day he released him(AW) and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin(AX) to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 22:20 Or witness