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.
Then, passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they went to Thessalonica. Here there was a synagogue of the Jews.
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.
Paul--following his usual custom--betook himself to it, and for three successive Sabbaths reasoned with them 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.”
which he clearly explained, pointing out that it had been necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise again from the dead, and insisting, "The Jesus whom I am announcing to you is the Christ."
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 won over, and attached themselves to Paul and Silas, including many God-fearing Greeks and not a few gentlewomen of high rank.
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 jealousy of the Jews was aroused, and, calling to their aid some ill-conditioned and idle fellows, they got together a riotous mob and filled the city with uproar. They then attacked the house of Jason and searched for Paul and Silas, to bring them out before the assembly of people.
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.
But, failing to find them, they dragged Jason and some of the other brethren before the magistrates of the city, loudly accusing them. "These men," they said, "who have raised a tumult throughout the Empire, have come here also.
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.
Jason has received them into his house; and they all set Caesar's authority at defiance, declaring that there is another Emperor-- one called Jesus."
8 Ba kpa suron kpaa ndji ba baba bi ninkon gbu'a ti meme ni kpi biyi wa ba wo'a.
Great was the excitement among the crowd, and among the magistrates of the city, when they heard these charges.
9 Hu gon wa ba chu Jason baba mbru mba ru ni wo bi lo ba, ba chuba chuwo duba hi.
They required Jason and the rest to find substantial bail, and after that they let them go.
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.
The brethren at once sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea, and they, on their arrival, went to the synagogue of the Jews.
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.
The Jews at Beroea were of a nobler disposition than those in Thessalonica, for they very readily received the Message, and day after day searched the Scriptures to see whether it was as Paul stated.
12 Nitu kima, gbugbu mba ba kpanyime, hu ni mba Greek bari wa ba yaba ni nfutu, baba gbugbu lilon bari.
As the result many of them became believers, and so did not a few of the Greeks--gentlewomen of good position, and men.
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.
As soon, however, as the Jews of Thessalonica learnt that God's Message had been proclaimed by Paul at Beroea, they came there also, and incited the mob to a riot.
14 Mle, mri vayi ba ba tru Bulus du hi hu nkon wu tu kpaa ma, i Sila mba Timoti ba ki niki.
Then the brethren promptly sent Paul down to the sea-coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind.
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.
Those who were caring for Paul's safety went with him as far as Athens, and then left him, taking a message from him to Silas and Timothy, asking them to join him as speedily as possible.
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 in Athens, his spirit was stirred within him when he noticed that the city was 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 had discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the other worshippers, and in the market place, day after day, with those whom he happened to meet.
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.
A few of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him. Some of them asked, "What has this beggarly babbler to say?" "His business," said others, "seems to be to cry up some foreign gods." This was because he had been telling the Good News of 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?”
Then they took him and brought him up to the Areopagus, asking him, "May we be told what this new teaching of yours is?
20 Nitu wu nji kpi wa kina to tuma na ye ni ton mbu. Nikima, kisonb mla to tumba.”
For the things you are saying sound strange to us. We should therefore like to be told exactly 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).
(For all the Athenians and their foreign visitors used to devote their whole leisure to telling or hearing about something new.)
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, taking his stand in the centre of the Areopagus, spoke as follows: "Men of Athens, I perceive that you are in every respect remarkably religious.
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 passed along and observed the things you worship, I found also an altar bearing the inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' "The Being, therefore, whom you, without knowing Him, revere, Him I now proclaim 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.
GOD who made the universe and everything in it--He, being Lord of Heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries built by men.
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 is He ministered to by human hands, as though He needed anything--but He Himself gives to all men 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 caused to spring from one forefather people of every race, for them to live on the whole surface of the earth, and marked out for them an appointed span of life and the boundaries of their homes;
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 seek God, if perhaps they could grope for Him and find Him. Yes, though He is not 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 it is in closest union with Him that we live and move and have our being; as in fact some of the poets in repute among yourselves have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'
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.
Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to imagine that His nature resembles gold or silver or marble, or anything sculptured by the art and inventive faculty of man.
30 Nitu ki, Irji wruhle kpi wa kiti ni bwu tu, nda mha yo zi ndi du ndji kagon duba k'ma sron sran.
Those times of ignorance God viewed with indulgence. But now He commands all men everywhere to repent,
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.
seeing that He has appointed a day on which, before long, He will judge the world in righteousness, through the instrumentality of a man whom He has pre-destined to this work, and has made the fact certain to every one by raising Him 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.”
When they heard Paul speak of a resurrection of dead men, some began to scoff. But others said, "We will hear you again on that subject."
33 Hu gon ki, Bulus rju donba.
So Paul went away from them.
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.
A few, however, attached themselves to him and believed, among them being Dionysius a member of the Council, a gentlewoman named Damaris, and some others.
