< Machitidwe a Atumwi 17 >
1 Atadutsa ku Amfipoli ndi Apoloniya, anafika ku Tesalonika, kumene kunali sunagoge ya Ayuda.
2 Paulo, monga mwachizolowezi chake, analowa mʼsunagoge, ndipo anakambirana nawo Mawu a Mulungu kwa masabata atatu,
3 kuwafotokozera ndi kuwatsimikizira kuti Khristu anayenera kufa ndi kuuka. Iye anati, “Yesu amene ndikukulalikirani ndiye Khristu.”
4 Ena mwa Ayuda anakopeka mtima ndipo anatsatira Paulo ndi Sila, monganso linachitira gulu lalikulu la Agriki woopa Mulungu, pamodzi ndi amayi odziwika ambiri.
5 Koma Ayuda ena anachita nsanje; kotero anasonkhanitsa anthu akhalidwe loyipa ochokera pa msika ndipo napanga gulu nayambitsa chipolowe mu mzindawo. Anathamangira ku nyumba ya Yasoni kukafuna Paulo ndi Sila kuti awabweretse pa gulu la anthu.
6 Koma atalephera kuwapeza, anakokera Yasoniyo ndi abale ena ku bwalo la akulu a mzindawo akufuwula kuti, “Anthu awa, Paulo ndi Sila, amene akhala akusokoneza dziko lonse lapansi, tsopano afikanso kuno.
7 Yasoni ndiye anawalandira mʼnyumba mwake. Onsewa akuchita zotsutsana ndi malamulo a Kaisara pomanena kuti palinso mfumu ina, yotchedwa Yesu.”
8 Atamva zimenezi, gulu la anthu ndi akulu a mzinda anavutika mu mtima.
9 Iwo analipiritsa Yasoni ndi anzakewo ndipo anawamasula.
10 Mdima utagwa, abale anatumiza Paulo ndi Sila ku Bereya. Atafika kumeneko anapita ku sunagoge ya Ayuda.
11 Tsopano anthu a ku Bereya anali akhalidwe labwino kusiyana ndi Atesalonika, pakuti iwo analandira mawu ndi chidwi chachikulu ndipo ankasanthula Malemba tsiku ndi tsiku kuti aone ngati zimene ankanena Paulozo zinali zoona.
12 Ayuda ambiri anakhulupirira, monga anachitiranso amayi ndi amuna ambiri odziwika a Chigriki.
13 Ayuda a ku Tesalonika atadziwa kuti Paulo akulalikira Mawu a Mulungu ku Bereya, anapitanso kumeneko, ndi kuwutsa mitima ya anthu nayambitsa chisokonezo.
14 Nthawi yomweyo abale anatumiza Paulo ku nyanja koma Sila ndi Timoteyo anatsalira ku Bereya.
15 Anthu amene anamuperekeza Paulo nafika naye ku Atene, ndipo anabwerera ku Bereya atawuzidwa kuti Sila ndi Timoteyo amutsatire msanga.
16 Paulo akudikira Timoteyo ndi Sila ku Atene, anavutika mu mtima kwambiri poona kuti mzindawo unali odzaza ndi mafano.
17 Tsono anakambirana ndi Ayuda ndi Agriki amene amaopa Mulungu mʼsunagoge, komanso anthu amene amapezeka pa msika tsiku ndi tsiku ndi ena amene amakumana nawo.
18 Gulu la Aepikureya ndi Astoiki, anthu anzeru, anayamba kutsutsana naye. Ena a iwo anafunsa kuti, “Kodi wolongololayu akufuna kunena chiyani?” Enanso anati, “Akuoneka ngati akulalikira milungu yachilendo.” Iwo ananena zimenezi chifukwa Paulo amalalikira Uthenga Wabwino wa Yesu ndi kuuka kwa akufa.
19 Kenaka iwo anamutenga nafika naye ku bwalo la Areopagi kumene anamufunsa kuti, “Kodi tingadziweko chiphunzitso chatsopano chimene ukuchifotokozachi?
20 Iwe ukubweretsa zinthu zina zachilendo mʼmakutu mwathu, ndipo ife tikufuna tidziwe tanthauzo lake.”
21 Atene onse ndi alendo amene amakhala kumeneko samachita kanthu kena koma kufotokoza ndi kumvera fundo zatsopano.
22 Paulo anayimirira mʼbwalo la Areopagi nati: “Inu anthu a ku Atene! Ine ndikuona kuti mʼnjira zonse ndinu opembedza kwambiri.
23 Pakuti pamene ndimayenda ndi kuona zinthu zimene mumazipembedza, ndapezanso guwa lansembe lolembedwapo kuti, kwa mulungu wosadziwika. Tsopano chimene mumachipembedza osachidziwa ndi chimene ndikuchilalikira.
24 “Mulungu amene analenga dziko lapansi ndiponso zonse zili mʼmenemo ndiye Ambuye wakumwamba ndi dziko lapansi ndipo sakhala mʼnyumba zachipembedzo zomangidwa ndi manja.
25 Ndipo satumikiridwa ndi manja a anthu ngati kuti Iye amasowa kanthu, chifukwa Iye ndiye amapereka moyo ndi mpweya kwa anthu onse ndi zina zonse.
26 Kuchoka kwa munthu mmodzi Iye analenga mtundu uliwonse wa anthu, kuti akakhale pa dziko lonse lapansi; ndipo Iye anakonzeratu nthawi yawo ndiponso malo enieni kumene adzakhale.
27 Mulungu anachita izi kuti anthu amufunefune, ndikuti pomufunafunapo amupeze ngakhale kuti Iye sali kutali ndi aliyense wa ife.
28 ‘Pakuti timakhala mwa Iye, kuyenda mwa Iye ndi kukhala moyo mwa Iye.’ Monga olemba ndakatulo anu ena akuti, ‘Ife ndi zidzukulu zake.’
29 “Tsono popeza ndife ana a Mulungu, tisaganize kuti umulungu wake ndi wofanana ndi ndalama zagolide, zasiliva, mwala, kapenanso fanizo lopangidwa mwaluso la nzeru za anthu.
30 Nthawi imene anthu sankadziwa, Mulungu anawalekerera koma tsopano akulamulira kuti anthu onse, kulikonse atembenuke mtima.
31 Pakuti Iye wayika tsiku limene adzaweruze dziko lapansi mwa chilungamo kudzera mwa Munthu amene anamusankha. Iye watsimikizira anthu onse zimenezi pomuukitsa.”
32 Atamva za kuuka kwa akufa, ena a iwo anaseka, koma enanso anati, “Ife tikufuna tidzamvenso zimenezi tsiku lina.”
33 Ndipo Paulo anatuluka mʼBwalolo.
34 Anthu ena ochepa anamutsatira Paulo ndipo anakhulupirira. Pakati pawo panali Dionisiyo mmodzi wa bwalo la Areopagi ndi mayi wina wotchedwa Damalisi ndi enanso.
