Acts 17
1 After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia they arrived at Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
Azɔ ame eveawo zɔ mɔ to Amfipolis kple Apolonia nutowo me va ɖo Tesalonika, afi si Yudatɔwo ƒe ƒuƒoƒe aɖe le.
2 As usual, Paul went into the synagogue and over the course of three Sabbaths he debated with them using the Scriptures.
Paulo yi ƒuƒoƒe sia abe ale si wòwɔna ɖaa ene, eye Dzudzɔgbe etɔ̃ katã wòyi ɖaɖe mawunya me na ameawo.
3 He explained what the Scriptures meant, proving that the Messiah had to die and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I'm telling you about—he is the Messiah,” he told them.
Paolo ɖe eme, eye wòɖo kpe edzi na wo be ele na Kristo la be wòakpe fu, eye wòatsi tsitre tso ame kukuwo dome. Eyi edzi be, “Yesu si ƒe nya gblɔm mele na mi lae nye Kristo la.”
4 Some of them were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, along with many Greek-speaking worshipers and some leading women of the town.
Yudatɔ geɖewo xɔ se, eye wowɔ ɖeka kple Paulo kple Silas, hekpe ɖe Helatɔ siwo vɔ̃a Mawu la ƒe ha gã aɖe kpakple nyɔnu ŋkuta aɖewo ŋu.
5 But the Jews became jealous and with some rabble-rousers they gathered from the marketplace they formed a mob. They rioted in the town, and attacked Jason's house. They tried to find Paul and Silas so they could bring them before the people.
Yudatɔwo ƒe amegã siwo nɔ dua me la ʋã ŋu Paulo kple Silas, eya ta woƒo gbevu aɖewo nu ƒu tso ablɔwo dzi siwo wɔ ameha gã aɖe, eye wowɔ ʋunyaʋunya le dua me. Wosi du yi Yason ƒe aƒe me le Paulo kple Silas dim ne woakplɔ wo va ameha la ŋkumee.
6 When they couldn't find them they dragged Jason and some of the other believers before the town leaders, shouting, “These people are famous for causing trouble, turning the world upside down. Now they've come here,
Ke womekpɔ Paulo kple Silas le aƒea me o, eya ta wolé Yason kple xɔsetɔ aɖewo, kplɔ wo yi dumegãwo gbɔe, eye wonɔ ɣli dom be, “Ame siwo de zi amewo me le xexea me katã la va afi sia hã azɔ,
7 and Jason has made them welcome in his house. They all defy Caesar's decrees, committing treason by saying there is another king called Jesus.”
woawoe Yason na sitsoƒee ɖe eƒe aƒe me. Wo katã da le Kaisaro ƒe se dzi le gbɔgblɔm be fia bubu aɖe li si ŋkɔe nye Yesu.”
8 The people and the leaders of the town were very disturbed when they heard this.
Esi wose esia la, ameawo kple dumegãwo de asi hoowɔwɔ me.
9 So they made Jason and the others post bail before they let them go.
Ke esi woxɔ asiƒuakɔnu le Yason kple etɔwo si la woɖe asi le wo ŋu be woadzo.
10 The believers had Paul and Silas leave for Berea that very night. When they arrived in Berea they went to the Jewish synagogue.
Le zã ma me la, xɔsetɔ siwo le dua me la kplɔ Paulo kple Silas do goe le dua me alɔtsɔtsɔe, eye woyi Berea. Paulo kple Silas gayi woƒe dɔ dzi le afi sia hã hegblɔ mawunya le Yudatɔwo ƒe ƒuƒoƒe si le dua me la me.
11 The people there had a better attitude than those in Thessalonica in that they were very quick to accept the word, and every day they examined the Scriptures to make sure what they were told was right.
Bereatɔwo ɖɔ ʋu wu Tesalonikatɔwo, elabena woɖo to Paulo ƒe nyagbɔgblɔ kple dzidzɔ. Woawo ŋutɔwo hã nɔa mawunya la me dzrom ɣe sia ɣi be yewoakpɔe ɖa be nyateƒenya gblɔm Paulo nɔ mahã.
12 As a result many of them became believers, along with some highly-placed Greek women and men.
To esia me la, wo dometɔ geɖewo zu xɔsetɔwo eye Helatɔ ŋkuta siwo nye nyɔnuwo kple ŋutsuwo siaa xɔ nya la dzi se.
13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul was also spreading the word of God in Berea, they went there and caused the same kind of trouble, stirring up the crowds.
Esi Yudatɔ siwo tso Tesalonika la gase be Paulo nɔ mawunya gblɔm le Berea la, wogati wo yome yi afi ma hã, eye wògade zi ameawo me ɖe wo ŋu.
14 Immediately the believers sent Paul to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.
Ke xɔsetɔwo wɔ kaba ɖo Paulo ɖe ƒuta gome lɔƒo, gake Silas kple Timoteo ya tsi anyi.
15 Those escorting Paul took him as far as Athens, and then returned with instructions from Paul to Silas and Timothy that they should join him there as soon as possible.
Ame siwo kplɔ Paulo yii la ɖoe ɖa va se ɖe Atene hafi trɔ yi Berea. Paulo de gbe asi na wo be woagblɔ na Silas kple Timoteo be woawɔ kaba ava tu ye le Atene.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens he was very troubled to see all the idolatry in the city.
Esi Paulo nɔ Sila kple Timoteo lalam le Atene la, eɖi tsa le dua me, eye wòɖe fu na eƒe susu ŋutɔ be dua me yɔ fũu kple legbawo.
17 He debated in the synagogue with the Jews and those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace with those he happened to meet from day to day.
Eyi Yudatɔwo ƒe ƒuƒoƒe be yeadzro nya me kple Yudatɔwo kple Helatɔ mawuvɔ̃lawo. Eƒo nu na ameha si le dua ƒe takpeƒe la hã gbe sia gbe.
18 Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also argued with him. “What is he going on about?” they wondered. Others concluded, “He seems to be teaching about some foreign gods,” because he was speaking about Jesus and the resurrection.
Paulo dzro nya me kple xexemenunyala gã aɖewo siwo woyɔna be Epikurea kple Stoiktɔwo hã. Wo dometɔ aɖewo bia be, “Nu kae nukpoloeƒola sia le didim be yeagblɔ?” Ɖewo gblɔ be, “Ewɔ abe dutamawuwo ŋue wòle nu ƒom le ene.” Wogblɔ esia, elabena Paulo nɔ nyanyui la gblɔm ku ɖe Yesu ƒe ku kple tsitretsitsi ŋuti.
19 So they took him to the Areopagus, and asked him, “Please tell us about this new teaching that you're promoting.
Ale wolée hekplɔe yi takpeƒe si woyɔna be Areopago la, afi ma wogblɔ nɛ be, “Na míase nya tso nufiafia yeye si nèhe vɛ la ŋu.
20 We're hearing from you things that sound odd to us, so we'd like to know what they mean.”
Èle nya masekpɔ aɖewo gblɔm ɖe míaƒe towo me, míedi be míase nya siawo gɔme kple nu si wonye.”
21 (All the Athenians, including foreigners who lived there, spent their whole time doing nothing except explaining or listening to something new.)
(Atenetɔwo katã kple amedzroawo hã lɔ̃a anyinɔnɔ ɖe takpeƒe hewɔa woƒe ɣeyiɣiwo ŋuti dɔ to nyamedzodzro kple susu yeyewo xɔxɔ me.)
22 Paul stood up right in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens, I notice you are very religious about everything.
Esi ŋkekea ɖo la, Paulo tsi tsitre ɖe ameha la titina le Areopago la dzi heƒo nu gblɔ na wo be, “Nɔvinye Atenetɔwo, edze nam ƒãa be mienye ame siwo kpɔa dzidzɔ le mawuvɔvɔ̃ ŋu ŋutɔ,
23 As I was walking along, looking at your shrines, I found an altar that had the inscription, ‘To an Unknown God.’ This unknown God whom you worship is the one I'm describing to you.
elabena esi menɔ tsa ɖim le miaƒe dua me la, mekpɔ miaƒe nu subɔsubɔwo. Ke mekpɔ vɔsamlekpui aɖe si ŋuti woŋlɔ ɖo be, mawu si mienya o la tɔe. Mawu si miesubɔna le manyamanya me la ƒe nyae metsɔ vɛ na mi.
24 The God who created the world and everything in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, doesn't live in temples we make.
“Mawu siae wɔ xexea me kple nu siwo katã le eme, eye wònye dziƒo kple anyigba ƒe aƒetɔ na nu sia nu. Esia ta menɔa gbedoxɔ si amewo tsɔ asi tui la me o,
25 He doesn't need to be served by us as if he needed anything, since he is the source of all life for every living being.
eye le esime naneke mehiãnɛ o ta la, amegbetɔ mate ŋu awɔ naneke nɛ o. Ke eya boŋ naa agbe kple gbɔgbɔ amegbetɔ, eye wònaa nu ame sia ame ɖe eƒe hiahiã nu.
26 From one man he made all the peoples who live on the earth, and decided beforehand when and where they should live.
Mawu siae wɔ amegbetɔ siwo katã tso dzɔtsoƒe ɖeka, eye wokaka ɖe xexea me ƒe akpa ɖe sia ɖe. Eɖo liƒo kple ɣeyiɣi na dukɔwo da ɖi xoxo.
27 God's purpose was that they should seek him, hoping they would reach out for him and find him—though he isn't far from any one of us.
Mawu ƒe didie nye be amegbetɔwo nadii, ake ɖe eŋu togbɔ be egbɔ medidi tso ame aɖeke gbɔ o hã.
28 In him we live, move, and exist. Just as one of your own poets wrote, ‘We are his family.’
‘Eya mee míele agbe le, eye míeʋãna le, eye míele.’ Abe ale si miaƒe hɛnɔ aɖe gblɔe ene be, ‘Míawoe nye Mawu viwo.’
29 Since we are his family we shouldn't think that God is like gold, or silver, or stone, shaped by human artistry and thinking.
“Ne míenye Mawu viwo la, ekema menyo be míabu be Mawu nye legba si amegbetɔ awɔ kple sika alo klosalo alo kpe le ame ƒe aɖaŋuwɔwɔ kple tamesusu nu la o.
30 God disregarded people's ignorance in the past, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent.
Tsã la, Mawu mia ŋku ɖe amegbetɔ ƒe numanyamanya dzi. Ke azɔ la, eɖe gbe be ame sia ame natrɔ dzi me asubɔ ye ɖeka ko,
31 For he has set a time when he will rightly judge the world by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone that he is the one by raising him from the dead.”
elabena eɖo ŋkeke tɔxɛ aɖe da ɖi be yeava drɔ̃ ʋɔnu xexea me, eya ŋutɔ tia ame si le ʋɔnu la drɔ̃ ge la da ɖi, eye eyae nye ame si wòfɔ ɖe tsitre tso ame kukuwo dome.”
32 Some of them laughed when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, while others said, “Please come back so we can hear more about this later.”
Esi wosee wògblɔ nya tso fɔfɔ tso ame kukuwo dome ŋu la, nyasela aɖewo koe ŋutɔ, ke ame bubuwo gblɔ be, “Míedi be míagase nya sia ɣe bubu ɣi”
33 So Paul left them.
Ale Paulo dzo le takpeƒe la.
34 A few men joined him and trusted in God, including Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, as well as a woman called Damaris, and some others.
Ame ʋɛ aɖewo ya dze eyome trɔ zu xɔsetɔwo. Ame siawo dometɔ aɖewoe nye Dionisio si nye dumegã ɖeka kple nyɔnu aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Damaris.
