1 E oku tuakana, e oku matua, whakarongo ki tenei korero aku ki a koutou.

“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”

2 A , ka rongo ratou ko te reo Hiperu tana i korero ai ki a ratou, katahi ka mutu rawa te kiki; a ka mea ia,

And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent. Then he said:

3 H e Hurai ahau, i whanau ki Tarahu o Kirikia, i whakatupuria i roto i tenei pa ki nga waewae o Kamariere, i ata whakaakona ki te tino tikanga o te ture o nga matua, i uaua ano ahau mo te Atua, i pena me koutou katoa inaianei.

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

4 A whakatoia ana e ahau nga tangata o tenei tikanga, tae ana ki te mate; herea ana e ahau nga tane me nga wahine, a tukua ana ki nga whare herehere.

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

5 M a te tohunga nui tenei korero aku e whakatika, ma te huihui hoki o nga kaumatua katoa: i riro mai hoki i ahau a ratou pukapuka ki nga teina, a haere ana ahau ki Ramahiku, kia herea, kia arahina mai hoki te hunga o reira ki Hiruharama kia whakama maetia.

as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 N a, i ahau e haere ana, e whakatata ana ki Ramahiku, i te poutumarotanga, ka whiti whakarere mai ki ahau he marama nui no te rangi.

“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.

7 A hinga ana ahau ki te whenua, ka rangona he reo e mea ana ki ahau, E Haora, e Haora, he aha tau e whakatoi nei i ahau?

And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’

8 N a ka whakahokia e ahau, Ko wai koe, e te Ariki? Ka mea ia ki ahau, Ko Ihu ahau o Nahareta, e whakatoia nei e koe.

So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’

9 I kite ano oku hoa i te marama, otira kihai i rongo i te reo ona i korero ki ahau.

“And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.

10 K a mea ahau, Me aha ahau, e te Ariki? Ka mea te Ariki ki ahau, Whakatika, haere ki Ramahiku; a ka korerotia ki a koe i reira nga mea katoa kua whakaritea kia meinga e koe.

So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’

11 H eoi, i te mea kahore ahau i kite, na te kororia hoki o taua marama, ka arahina a ringatia ahau e oku hoa haere, ka tae ki Ramahiku.

And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 N a ko tetahi tangata, ko Anania, he tangata karakia, i rite tonu nei ki ta te ture ana mahi, a e korerotia paitia ana e nga Hurai katoa e noho ana i reira,

“Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,

13 H aere mai ana ia ki ahau, a tu ana i toku taha, ka mea mai ki ahau, E toku teina, e Haora, titiro ake. A i taua haora ano ka titiro ahau ki a ia.

came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him.

14 I mea ano ia, Na te Atua o o tatou matua koe i whiriwhiri, kia matau ki tana e pai ai, kia kite i a te Tika, kia rongo hoki i te reo o tona mangai.

Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.

15 N o te mea ko koe hei kaiwhakaatu mana ki nga tangata katoa, mo nga mea i kite ai, i rongo ai koe.

For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16 N a, he aha tau e whakaroa nei? whakatika, kia iriiria koe, kia horoia ou hara, me te karanga ano ki te ingoa o te Ariki.

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

17 A , no toku hokinga mai ki Hiruharama, i ahau e inoi ana i roto i te temepara, ka puta te ngakau matakite ki ahau;

“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance

18 A ka kite ahau i a ia e mea ana mai ki ahau, E ahua, kia hohoro te haere atu i Hiruharama: e kore hoki ratou e tango i tau korero moku.

and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’

19 N a ko taku meatanga, E te Ariki, e matau ana ratou, he kaiherehere ahau, he kaiwhiu i roto i nga whare karakia, i te hunga i whakapono ki a koe:

So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.

20 A , i te whakahekenga o nga toto o tou kaiwhakaatu, o Tepene, i reira ahau e tu ana, e whakaae ana, e tiaki ana hoki i nga kakahu o ona kaiwhakamate.

And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

21 N a ko tana meatanga ki ahau, Haere: ka unga hoki koe e ahau ki tawhiti ki nga Tauiwi.

Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ” Paul’s Roman Citizenship

22 A whakarongo ana ratou ki a ia taea noatia tenei kupu, na ka hamama ratou, ka mea, Whakamatea atu te koroke nei i runga i te whenua: e kore hoki e pai kia ora ia.

And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!”

23 H eoi, i a ratou e karanga ana, e rukeruke ana i o ratou kakahu, e akiri ana i te puehu ki te rangi,

Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air,

24 K a whakahau te rangatira kia kawea ia ki te pa, ka mea kia whiua, kia uia; kia matau ai ia ki te mea i penei ai ratou te karanga ki a ia.

the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him.

25 A , ka oti ia te here e ratou ki nga here, ka mea a Paora ki te keneturio e tu ana i reira, he mea tika ranei kia whiua e koutou te tangata, he tangata no Roma, i te mea kahore ano i mau noa tona he?

And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

26 A , no te rongonga o te keneturio, ka haere, ka korero ki te rangatira mano, ka mea, He aha tau e mea ai? no Roma hoki te tangata nei.

When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”

27 N a ka haere mai te rangatira mano, ka mea ki a ia, Korero mai ki ahau, no Roma koe? Ka mea ia, Ae.

Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

28 N a ka whakahoki te rangatira mano, Na te moni nui i whiwhi ai ahau ki tenei taonga, hei tangata whenua no Roma. Ka mea a Paora, Ko ahau i whanau tonu no Roma.

The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen. ”

29 N a whakarerea tonutia iho ia e te hunga e mea ana ki te ui ki a ia: i mataku hoki te rangatira mano, i tona rongonga no Roma ia, mona hoki i here i a ia.

Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. The Sanhedrin Divided

30 N a i te aonga ake ka mea ia kia matau ki te tikanga, ki te mea i whakawakia ai ia e nga Hurai, ka wewete i ona here, ka whakahau kia haere mai nga tohunga nui, me to ratou runanga katoa, a arahina iho ana a Paora, whakaturia ana ki to ratou aroa ro.

The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.