< Acts 15 >
1 [Then] some [Jewish] believers went down from Judea [province] to Antioch. They started teaching the [non-Jewish] believers [there, and said], “[You] ([must] be circumcised/must have God’s mark put on you) [to indicate you belong to God], as Moses [commanded] in the laws that [he received from God]. If you do not do that, you will not be saved {[God] will not save you}.”
Meðan Páll og Barnabas voru í Antíokkíu komu þangað nokkrir menn frá Júdeu. Sögðu þeir við lærisveinana að þeir yrðu ekki hólpnir, nema þeir hlýddu hinni ævafornu venju Gyðinga að láta umskerast.
2 Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed with those Jews and started arguing [with them. So the believers at Antioch] appointed Paul and Barnabas and some of the other believers to go to Jerusalem, in order that they would/could discuss this matter with the apostles and [other spiritual] leaders.
Páll og Barnabas rökræddu við þá fram og aftur og loks sendi söfnuðurinn þá til Jerúsalem, ásamt nokkrum heimamönnum, til að ræða mál þetta við postulana og öldungana þar.
3 After Paul, Barnabas, and the others were given things for their trip by the congregation [at Antioch] {After the congregation [at Antioch] gave Paul, Barnabas, and the others things for their trip}, they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria [provinces. When they stopped at different places in those provinces], they reported [to the believers] that [many] non-Jews [in Antioch] had become believers. As a result, all the believers [in those places] rejoiced greatly.
Allur söfnuðurinn fylgdi þeim út fyrir borgina, en þeir héldu síðan áfram til Jerúsalem. Þeir komu við í borgum í Fönikíu og Samaríu, heimsóttu þar kristna menn og sögðu þeim – öllum til mikillar gleði – að heiðingjar hefðu einnig snúist til trúar.
4 And when Paul, Barnabas, and the others arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the apostles, the [other] elders, and the [other members of the] congregation [there] {the apostles, the [other] elders, and the [other members of the] congregation [there] welcomed them}. Then Paul and Barnabas reported the things that God had enabled them to do [among non-Jewish people].
Þegar þeir komu til Jerúsalem, var þeim vel tekið af postulunum, öldungunum og reyndar öllum söfnuðinum. Skýrðu þeir frá hverju Guð hafði komið til leiðar með starfi þeirra.
5 But some of the [Jewish] believers who belonged to the Pharisee sect stood up [among the other believers and] said to them, “The non-Jews [who have believed in Jesus] must be circumcised, and they must be told to obey the laws [that God gave to] Moses.”
Þá stóðu upp nokkrir menn, fyrrverandi farísear, og sögðu að allir heiðingjar, sem tækju kristna trú, yrðu að láta umskerast og hlýða lögum Móse í einu og öllu.
6 Then the apostles and [the other] elders met together in order to talk about this matter.
Postularnir og öldungar safnaðarins, héldu eftir þetta annan fund og reyndu að fá niðurstöðu í málið.
7 After they had discussed it for a long time, Peter stood up and spoke to them. He said, “Fellow believers, you [all] know that a long time ago God chose me from among you [other apostles, in order that] the non-Jewish people might [also] hear me [SYN] tell [them] the good message [about the Lord Jesus], so that they could hear [it] and believe [in him. So Paul and Barnabas are not the first ones to tell non-Jews about Jesus].
Eftir langar og strangar umræður stóð Pétur upp og ávarpaði fundarmenn: „Bræður, ykkur er öllum ljóst að Guð valdi mig fyrir löngu úr ykkar hópi til að flytja heiðingjunum fagnaðarerindið, svo að þeir eignuðust trúna eins og við.
8 God knows [and judges] people according to what they think, [not according to who their ancestors were]. By sending the Holy Spirit to [the non-Jews], just like [he had] also done for us [(inc)] Jews, he showed [me and others] that he had accepted them [also to be his people].
Guð, sem þekkir hjörtu mannanna, staðfesti það að hann tæki á móti heiðingjunum, með því að gefa þeim heilagan anda eins og okkur.
9 [God] saved us [Jews] and those [non-Jews] similarly, making them clean spiritually simply as a result of their believing [in the Lord Jesus. That was exactly how he has forgiven us].
Hann gerði engan greinarmun á þeim og okkur, því að hann hreinsaði líf þeirra með trúnni á sama hátt og líf okkar.
10 [You are wanting to force the non-Jewish believers to obey our Jewish rituals and laws]—laws that God has shown that he does not require them to obey [MET]. [Your doing that is like] putting a heavy burden on them! So then, (stop making God angry by doing that!/why are you making God angry by doing that?) [RHQ] Our ancestors and we [(inc) Jews] have never been able to bear [the burden of obeying those laws]!
Ætlið þið nú að fara að leiðrétta Guð með því að leggja þá byrði á heiðingjana, sem hvorki við né forfeður okkar hafa megnað að bera?
11 But we [(inc) know that it is not because] we [(inc) try to obey those laws that God saves us(inc) Jews. On the contrary], we [(inc)] know that it is because of what the Lord Jesus did for us [(inc)] that we did not deserve that we [(inc)] are saved {that [God] saves us} [from the guilt of our sins. God saves non-Jews who believe in the Lord Jesus] exactly like [he saves] us Jews.”
Trúið þið því ekki, eða hvað, að við frelsumst öll fyrir það sama: Fyrir óverðskuldaða náð Drottins Jesú?“
12 All the people [there] became silent [after Peter had spoken]. Then they [all] listened to Barnabas and Paul, [as the two of] them told about the many great miracles that God had enabled them to do among the non-Jewish people, [miracles that showed that God had accepted the non-Jews].
Þegar enginn svaraði, tóku Barnabas og Páll að segja frá kraftaverkunum, sem Guð hafði látið þá vinna meðal heiðingjanna.
13 When Barnabas and Paul had finished speaking, James, [the leader of the group of believers there in Jerusalem], spoke to all of them. [He said], “Fellow believers, listen to me.
Þegar þeir höfðu lokið máli sínu stóð Jakob upp og sagði: „Bræður, takið eftir.
14 Simon [Peter] has told you how God previously blessed the non-Jews. God did that by choosing from among them a people who would belong to him [MTY].
Nú hefur Pétur sagt ykkur frá því þegar Guð vitjaði heiðingjanna í fyrsta skipti og gerði nafn sitt dýrlegt meðal þeirra.
15 [These] words that [God spoke], words that were written by [one of] the prophets {that one of the prophets wrote} [long ago], agree with that:
Þetta afturhvarf heiðingjanna er í samræmi við það sem spámennirnir hafa sagt. Hlustið til dæmis á þennan kafla hjá Amosi:
16 Later on I will return and I will re-establish the kingdom [MET] that David [ruled] and that has been {that [people] have} destroyed. My [doing that will be like] rebuilding [a house] that has been {that [people] have} torn down.
Svo segir Drottinn: „Og ég mun snúa aftur og endurnýja sáttmálann við Davíð, sem rofinn var,
17 I will do that in order that all other people might seek [me], the Lord [God. I will do that in order that] all the non-Jews whom I have called [to belong] to me [MTY] might seek me. [You can be certain that this will happen because I] the Lord [God], who will do those things, have spoken [these words].
svo að heiðingjarnir finni mig einnig – allir þeir sem nafn mitt hefur verið nefnt yfir.“
18 I [caused my people to know about them] long ago.” (aiōn )
Þetta eru orð Drottins, sem opinberar fyrirætlanir sínar, sem hann gerði í upphafi. (aiōn )
19 [James continued by saying], “Therefore I have decided [that we(inc)] should stop bothering the non-Jewish people who are turning [away from their sins and turning] to God. [That is, we should stop demanding that they obey] all [our laws] and rituals.
Samkvæmt því er úrskurður minn þessi: Við skulum ekki krefjast þess af heiðingjunum, sem snúa sér til Guðs, að þeir haldi lög Gyðinga.
20 Instead, we should write [a letter] to them [requiring only four things: They should] not eat [meat/food that people] have offered to idols, they should not have sex with someone to whom they are not married, they should not [eat meat from animals that have been killed by] being strangled {[people have strangled]}, and [they should not eat] the blood [of animals].
Þó skulum við senda þeim bréf og biðja þá að neyta ekki kjöts, sem fórnað hefur verið til skurðgoða. Biðjum þá einnig að forðast allt kynsvall, neyslu blóðs og kjöts af dýrum, sem hafa kafnað.
21 In many cities, for a very long time people have been proclaiming [the laws that] Moses [wrote] [MTY], [laws prohibiting those things]. And every (Sabbath/Jewish day of rest) [those laws] are read {someone reads [those laws]} in the Jewish meeting places. [So if the non-Jews want to know more about those laws, they can find out in our meeting houses].”
Enda hefur verið predikað gegn þessu í samkomuhúsum Gyðinga í hverri borg, hvern helgidag, öld eftir öld.“
22 The apostles and the [other] elders, along with all the [other] members of the congregation, accepted [what James had said]. Then they decided that they should choose men from among themselves and that they should send them, along with Paul and Barnabas, to Antioch, to [let the believers there know what the leaders] at Jerusalem had decided. So they chose Judas, who was also called Barsabbas, and Silas, who were leaders among the believers [at Jerusalem].
Þá kusu postularnir, öldungarnir og allur söfnuðurinn fulltrúa til að senda til Antíokkíu, með þeim Páli og Barnabasi, til að kunngjöra þessa niðurstöðu. Þeir sem valdir voru til ferðarinnar voru Júdas (einnig kallaður Barsabbas) og Sílas, en þeir voru í miklum metum hjá söfnuðinum.
23 Then they wrote the following letter [that they asked Judas and Silas to take to the believers at Antioch]: “[We(exc)] apostles and [other] leaders who are your fellow believers [send our greetings to you as we write this to you] non-Jewish believers [who live] in Antioch and [other places in] Syria and Cilicia [provinces].
Bréfið, sem þeir höfðu meðferðis, var þannig: „Frá: Postulum, öldungum, og trúsystkinum í Jerúsalem. Til: Safnaðanna í Antíokkíu, Sýrlandi og Kilikíu, sem áður voru heiðingjar. Komið þið sæl!
24 People have told us that some men from among us went [to you], although we had not told [them to do that]. They troubled/distressed you [SYN] [by telling you things] that confused your thinking.
Okkur hefur skilist að trúaðir menn, sem héðan hafa komið, hafi valdið ykkur kvíða og dregið í efa að þið væruð hólpin. Við viljum hér með segja ykkur að þessir menn voru ekki á okkar vegum.
25 So [while we(exc) met together here], we decided to choose some men and ask them to go to you, along with Barnabas and Paul, whom we [(exc)] love very much.
Við höfum rætt málið og komist að sameiginlegri niðurstöðu. Því fannst okkur rétt að senda ykkur þessa tvo fulltrúa okkar með bræðrunum elskuðu, Barnabasi og Páli,
26 Those two have put their lives in danger because of their [serving] our Lord [MTY] Jesus Christ.
sem hafa lagt líf sitt í hættu fyrir Jesú Krist.
27 We [(exc) have also chosen] Judas and Silas to go to you. They will tell you the same things [that we are writing].
Þessir menn – Júdas og Sílas – munu kunngjöra ykkur svar okkar við spurningu ykkar.
28 The Holy Spirit and [also] we decided that you should not be required {that we should not require you} to obey a lot of burdensome [Jewish] laws. Instead, [we] only [require you to obey] the following instructions,
Okkur ásamt heilögum anda fannst rétt að íþyngja ykkur ekki meira en nauðsynlegt er með lögum Gyðinga. Þið ættuð þó að forðast að neyta – í fyrsta lagi kjöts af dýrum, sem fórnað hefur verið skurðgoðum, í öðru lagi kjöts af dýrum, sem hafa kafnað, en ekki látið blæða út, og í þriðja lagi ættuð þið að forðast allt kynsvall. Ef þið varist þetta, þá mun ykkur vegna vel.“
29 You should not eat food that people have sacrificed to idols. You should not eat blood from animals, and you should not eat meat from animals that people have killed by strangling them. Also, you should not have sex with someone to whom you are not married. Those things [especially offend Jewish believers. So if] you avoid doing them, you will be doing what is right. That is all.”
30 The [four] men whom [they] had chosen went [from Jerusalem] to Antioch [city. When] all the believers [there] had assembled together, [Judas and Silas] gave the letter to them.
Sendiboðarnir fjórir lögðu þegar af stað til Antíokkíu og er þangað kom kölluðu þeir saman allan söfnuðinn, og afhentu bréfið.
31 When the believers there read the letter, they rejoiced, [because its message] encouraged them.
Þegar bréfið hafði verið lesið upp urðu menn mjög glaðir.
32 [Just like Paul and Barnabas were] ([prophets/men who spoke messages from God]), Judas and Silas were also prophets. They spoke for a long time and encouraged the believers [there], and helped them to trust more strongly [in the Lord Jesus].
Júdas og Sílas, sem báðir voru góðir predikarar, hvöttu síðan lærisveinana með mörgum orðum og styrktu trú þeirra.
33 After [Judas and Silas] had stayed in Antioch for some time [and were ready to return to Jerusalem], the believers [there] wished them well, and the believers [prayed that God] would protect [them as they traveled. So the two men] started to go back to the leaders [in Jerusalem] who had asked them to go [to Antioch].
Þeir stóðu við í nokkra daga en héldu síðan aftur til Jerúsalem. Þeir fluttu með sér kveðjur og þakklæti til þeirra sem höfðu sent þá.
Páll og Barnabas urðu eftir í Antíokkíu og aðstoðuðu með predikun og kennslu.
35 However, Paul and Barnabas continued to stay in Antioch. [While they were there], they, along with many others, were teaching [people] and preaching to them the message about the Lord [Jesus].
36 After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the fellow believers in every city where we [previously] proclaimed the message about the Lord [Jesus. In that way, we will know] how [well] they are continuing [to believe in the Lord Jesus].”
Nokkrum dögum síðar stakk Páll upp á því við Barnabas að þeir færu aftur til Litlu-Asíu og heimsæktu borgirnar, sem þeir höfðu predikað í, til þess að sjá hvernig söfnuðunum vegnaði.
37 Barnabas [agreed with Paul, and said that he] wanted to take John, whose other name was Mark, along with them [again].
Barnabas var sammála og vildi taka Jóhannes Markús með.
38 However, Paul [told Barnabas that he] thought that it would not be good to take Mark [with them, because] Mark had deserted them when they were previously in Pamphylia [region], and had not continued to work with them.
Það gat Páll ekki fallist á, því að Jóhannes hafði áður yfirgefið þá í Pamfýlíu.
39 Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed [with each other about that], so they separated. Barnabas took Mark [along with him and they got] on a ship and went to Cyprus.
Um þetta þrættu þeir mikið og héldu síðan hvor sína leið. Barnabas tók Markús með sér og sigldi til Kýpur,
40 Paul chose Silas, [who had returned to Antioch, to work with him]. The believers [there] asked the Lord [God] to graciously help [Paul and Silas. Then] the two of them departed [from Antioch].
en Páll valdi Sílas að samferðamanni og fór síðan, eftir að söfnuðurinn hafði beðið fyrir þeim, til Sýrlands og Kilikíu til að uppörva söfnuðina þar.
41 Paul continued traveling [with Silas] through Syria and Cilicia [provinces]. In those places he was helping the congregations to trust strongly [in the Lord Jesus].