Ndu Manzaniba 17
1 Zizan, niwa ba zren zu ni igbu bi Amphipolis mba Apoloniya, ba ye ri ni kikle gbu Tesalonika, bubu wa synagogue wu Yahudawa a he.
After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica. Here the Jews had a Synagogue;
2 Bulus, toh wa a ta tia, hi ni ba, nda ban vi Sati tra si vu mla ya ni mi nha tre BAchi niba.
and, following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three Sabbaths addressed them, drawing his arguments from the Scriptures.
3 A sia bwu tre Bachi nda ni mla bla ndi a tsra kri ni du Kristi du ti ya nda la lu rhini kwu. A hla ndi “Yesu yi, wa mi d'bu bla ni yiwu a wawuyi hi Kristi.”
He laid before them and explained that the Christ must undergo suffering and rise from the dead; and “It is this man,” he declared, “who is the Christ — this Jesus about whom I am telling you.”
4 Yahudawa bari ba kpanyme nda zontu ni Bulus mba Sila, baba gbugbu ndji bi Greek wa ba kri gbangban ni hu, mba imba bi ninkon, wa bana fii me ngame na.
Some of the people were convinced, and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, as did also a large body of Greeks who were accustomed to join in the Jewish services, and a great number of women belonging to the leading families.
5 I Yahudawa wa bana kpanyime na, nitu ba shu ni ngu, ba vu ndji bari bi meme dri rji ni bubu-leni-kpi wu gbu'a, nda kplu kpaandji ye zontu nda chon gbu'a duba yra gro ni nfu. Ba ri ni nfu kima ni ko Jason, ndi ba wa vu Bulus mba Sila nu ndji ba.
But the Jews, becoming jealous, engaged some worthless fellows from the streets, and, getting a mob together, kept the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason’s house, with the intention of bringing Paul and Silas before the Popular Assembly;
6 Niwa bana to bana, ba gbi Jason baba mri vayi bari ye ni bi ninkon u gbu'a nda ni yii, “Ndji biyi wa ba k'ma gbungblu wawu sran hon grji ba ye ni wayi ngame.
and, not finding them there, they proceeded to drag Jason and some of the Brethren before the City Magistrates, shouting out: “These men, who have turned the world upside down, have now come here,
7 Ndji biyi wa Jason a kpa ba; a; zren mba ni hu nkon nkan ni gbren tre wa Siza a yo'a, ba bla ndi niko chu ri nkan he wa ba yondi Yesu.
and have been harboured by Jason! They say that some one else is king — a man called Jesus!”
8 Ba kpa suron kpaa ndji ba baba bi ninkon gbu'a ti meme ni kpi biyi wa ba wo'a.
On hearing this, the people and the City Magistrates were much concerned;
9 Hu gon wa ba chu Jason baba mbru mba ru ni wo bi lo ba, ba chuba chuwo duba hi.
and, before letting them go, they took bail from Jason and the others.
10 Ni chu kima, mri vayi ba ba tru Bulus mba Sila hi ni Beriya. Niwa ba ri niki, ba ri hi ni mi sinagog wu Yahudawa ba.
That very night the Brethren sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and on reaching that place, they went to the Jewish Synagogue.
11 Zizan ndji biyi bana he nitu mla to zan bi wa ba he ni Tasalonika, ba kpa lan tre'a ni sron ndindi, nda bwu lan nha chachu nda shle si ya nitu duba to ka kpi ba ba tokii.
These Jews of Beroea were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the Message with great readiness, and daily examined the Scriptures to see if what was said was true.
12 Nitu kima, gbugbu mba ba kpanyime, hu ni mba Greek bari wa ba yaba ni nfutu, baba gbugbu lilon bari.
As a consequence, many of them became believers in Christ, besides a considerable number of Greek women of position, and of men also.
13 Niwa Yahudawa bi Tasalonika ba wo ndi Bulus a sia d'bu ni bla lan tre Irji ni Bariya, ba hi niki nda ka chon kpaa ndji ba hwu dri.
But, when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that God’s Message had been delivered by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, exciting and disturbing the minds of the people.
14 Mle, mri vayi ba ba tru Bulus du hi hu nkon wu tu kpaa ma, i Sila mba Timoti ba ki niki.
Immediately upon that, the Brethren sent Paul off on his way to the sea coast, but both Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Beroea.
15 Biwa ba sia tsro Bulus nkon a ba njiwu aren gbron ka tsra ni kikle gbu wu Athens. Niwa ba don Bulus niki, ba kpa tre nitu kpe wuti rji niwu hi ni ba Sila mba Timoti, ndi duba sima ye niwu.
The friends who escorted Paul took him as far as Athens, and, after receiving a message for Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible, they started on their return.
16 Zizan wa Bulus a sia gben ye mba ni Athens, langbiri sron ma a si chon niwa a to gunki ba shu ni kikle gbu'a.
While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his heart was stirred at seeing the whole city full of idols.
17 Niki a si bla ndani k'ma sran ya chachu ni mi sinagog baba Yahudawa baba bari wa babi hu nkon Irji, mba nimi bubu wu leni kpi baba biwa ba heni ki.
So he argued in the Synagogue with the Jews and with those who joined in their worship, as well as daily in the public Square with those who happened to be there.
18 Niki ngame bari bi to rhimren gban, wa babi Epikurean mba Stoic, ba zontu wu sen nyu niwu. Bari ba tre ndi, “A ngye wa ndi wu gbla nyu treyi si son hla?” Bari ba tre “A rju ndji biwa ba yo ndi du ba ye hu mri Irji wa bana to tumana,” nitu a sia dbu bla tre ndindi nitu Yesu mba ta sh'me ni kwu ma.
Among others, some Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers joined issue with him. Some would ask “What is this prater wanting to make out?”, while others would say “He seems to be a Preacher of foreign Deities.” (This was because he was telling the Good News about Jesus and the Resurrection).
19 Ba ban Bulus hi ni Areopagus, nda ni bla ndi, “Wu la mla bla nitu tsro isa yi wa wu sia bla?”
So they laid hold of him and took him to the Court of Areopagus. “May we hear,” they asked, “what new teaching this is which you are giving?
20 Nitu wu nji kpi wa kina to tuma na ye ni ton mbu. Nikima, kisonb mla to tumba.”
For you are bringing some strange things to our notice, and we should like to know what they mean.”
21 (Zizan bi Athens ba wawumba baba bi tsri wa ba kru nha niba'a, ba sia wu nton mba ni kpe na, hama ni ndu bla mba srenton nitu ikpi isa wa ba rini gbu).
(All Athenians and the foreigners staying in the city found no time for anything else but telling, or listening to, the last new thing.)
22 Niki Bulus a lu kri ni tsutsu Ariopagus nda tre ndi, “Biyi ndji Athens, mi to ndi bi bi hu nkon bre irji ni za nkankan.
So Paul took his stand in the middle of the Court, and said — “Men of Athens, on every hand I see signs of your being very devout.
23 Niwa mi zren zu si hi, mi mla ya nito kpe wa bi nzu hon ni bre mbi. Mi to iko bre ri wa bi nha “Ni Irji wa bina to na,” Ikpe wa bi nzu hon ni bre nina too na, wawuyi mi bwu bla ni yiwu.
For as I was going about, looking at your sacred shrines, I came upon an altar with this inscription — ‘To an Unknown God.’ What, therefore, you worship in ignorance, that I am now proclaiming to you.
24 Irji wa a ti gbungblu wawu mba kpi wa ba he nimi ma, nitu wawuyi hi Bachi wu shulu mba meme, ana son ni ko bre wa ba me ni wo na.
The God who made the world and all things that are in it — he, Lord as he is of Heaven and Earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands,
25 Ana wo ndji mba ni tindu niwu na, ana ndi ani wa kpe ni wo ndji na, nitu a hi wawu kima mba ni nu ndji vrison sisren mba gbron vri ni kpi wawu.
nor yet do human hands minister to his wants, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives, to all, life, and breath, and all things.
26 Rhi ni ndji ri, a ti gbungblu ndi ni duba ki ni tu gbungblu meme, nda tsra nton mba nyu dren bubu ki mba,
He made all races of the earth’s surface — fixing a time for their rise and fall, and the limits of their settlements —
27 nitu duba wa Irji ka ba ma nk'mo nkon hi nda hi to wu. Kima me, ana gbangban ni ko nha mbu na.
That they might search for God, if by any means they might feel their way to him and find him. And yet he is not really far from any one of us;
28 Ni wawuyi ki son nda zren nda he ni kpa ndi too wa ndi mbi ri wu to tre a hla ndi 'kita ngame ki hpu ma.'
for in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets — ‘His offspring, too, are we.’
29 Nikima, nituwa ki hpu Irji, kina ba ndi nkon wubi wu irji ana to zinariya ko azurfa ko tita iwa kpiwa mren ndi mba ba la ba rhu na.
Therefore, as the offspring of God, we must not think that the Deity has any resemblance to anything made of gold, or silver, or stone — a work of human art and imagination.
30 Nitu ki, Irji wruhle kpi wa kiti ni bwu tu, nda mha yo zi ndi du ndji kagon duba k'ma sron sran.
True, God looked with indulgence on the days of men’s ignorance, but now he is announcing to every one everywhere the need for repentance,
31 A he toki nitu a yo vi wa ani gaatre ni gbungblu wawu ni nkon tsatsra zu ni wo ndji wa a chu zi ye. Irji guchi nu kpe wu tsro to nitu ndji yi ni ko nha wa a nzu lu ri ni kwu'a.
because he has fixed a day on which he intends to ‘judge the world with justice,’ by a man whom he has appointed — and of this he has given all men a pledge by raising this man from the dead.”
32 Niwa ndji bi Athens ba wo nitu tsame ri ni kwu, bari mba ban za Bulus, e bari ba tre ndi, “Ki la sreton ngari ni wo nitu kpeyi.”
On hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some began jeering, but others said that they would hear what he had to say about that another time.
33 Hu gon ki, Bulus rju donba.
And so Paul left the Court.
34 E ndi bari ba hu ka zontu niwu nda kpanyime, nimi mba Dionysius wu Areopagus, wari wa ndema hi Damaris, baba bari wa ba he ni ba.
There were, however, some men who joined him, and became believers in Christ. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and several others.
