Acts 17
1 Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia [towns] and arrived at Thessalonica [city]. There was a Jewish meeting place there.
Azɔ ame eveawo zɔ mɔ to Amfipolis kple Apolonia nutowo me va ɖo Tesalonika, afi si Yudatɔwo ƒe ƒuƒoƒe aɖe le.
2 (On the Sabbath/On the Jewish rest day) Paul went into the meeting house, as he usually did. For three weeks [he went there] on each Jewish day of rest. Referring to the Scriptures [about the Messiah], he spoke to the people who were there.
Paulo yi ƒuƒoƒe sia abe ale si wòwɔna ɖaa ene, eye Dzudzɔgbe etɔ̃ katã wòyi ɖaɖe mawunya me na ameawo.
3 He explained and showed that [the prophets wrote that] the Messiah needed to die and (to become alive again/to be raised from the dead [afterwards]). He told them: “This man Jesus, whom I am telling you about, is our Messiah. [He died and became alive again, just like the prophets predicted].”
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 the Jews [there] were persuaded by {believed} [what Paul had said] and began to associate with Paul and Silas. There were also many non-Jewish people there who worshipped God and many important women [who also believed the message about Jesus], and they began to associate with Paul and Silas.
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 [some leaders of] the Jews there in Thessalonica became jealous [because many people believed what Paul taught]. So they went to the public square and persuaded some lazy men [who were loitering there] to follow them. [In this way, the leaders of] the Jews gathered a crowd and incited them to become noisy and start a riot [against Paul and Silas]. Those [Jews and others] ran to the house of [a man named] Jason. [He was the man who had invited Paul and Silas to stay at his house]. They wanted to bring Paul and Silas outside to where the crowd [of people was waiting].
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 They discovered that Paul and Silas were not there, but they found Jason [and grabbed him]. They dragged him and some of the [other] believers to where the city officials/authorities and [many other people were gathered]. The men [who had brought Jason] shouted, “Those [two] men have caused trouble [IDM] everywhere [HYP] [they have gone]. Now they have come to our city,
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 [this fellow] Jason invited them to stay at his house. All the people [of this sect] oppose what our Emperor has decreed. They say that another person, whose name is Jesus, is [the real] king!”
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 When the crowd of people [that had gathered] and the city authorities heard that, they became very angry and excited.
Esi wose esia la, ameawo kple dumegãwo de asi hoowɔwɔ me.
9 [They wanted to put the believers in jail. But instead], the officials made Jason and the other [believers] pay a fine and told them that they [would give the money back to them if Paul and Silas did not cause any more trouble]. Then the authorities let Jason and those other believers go.
Ke esi woxɔ asiƒuakɔnu le Yason kple etɔwo si la woɖe asi le wo ŋu be woadzo.
10 [So] that same night, the believers sent Paul and Silas [out of Thessalonica] to Berea [town]. When Paul and Silas arrived there, they went to the Jewish meeting place, [on a day when people had gathered there].
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 [Jews] in Thessalonica had not been very willing to listen to God’s message, but the [Jews] who lived in Berea were very willing to listen, so they listened very eagerly to the message [about Jesus]. Every day they read the Scriptures [for themselves] to find out if what Paul said [about the Messiah] was true.
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 the Jewish people believed [in Jesus], and also some of the important non-Jewish women and many non-Jewish men [believed in him].
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 then the Jews in Thessalonica heard [people tell them] that Paul [was] in Berea and that he was preaching the message from God [about Jesus]. So they went to Berea and [told people there that what Paul was teaching was not true. Thus], they caused many of those people to get angry [at Paul].
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 So [several of] the believers [in Berea] took Paul to the coast [to go to another province]. But Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.
Ke xɔsetɔwo wɔ kaba ɖo Paulo ɖe ƒuta gome lɔƒo, gake Silas kple Timoteo ya tsi anyi.
15 When Paul and the other men from Berea [arrived at the coast, they got on a ship and] went to Athens [city]. Then Paul said [to the men who had come with him], “Tell Silas and Timothy to come to me [here in Athens] as soon as they can.” Then those men left [Athens and returned to Berea].
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 In Athens, Paul waited for Silas and Timothy [to arrive. In the meantime, he walked around in the city. He] became very distressed/disturbed because he saw that throughout [HYP] the city there were many idols.
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 So he went to the Jewish meeting place and talked [about Jesus] with the Jews, and also with the Greeks who had accepted what the Jews believe. He also went to the public square/center every day and talked to the people [whom he met] there.
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 Paul met some teachers who liked to talk about what people should believe. [People called] some of them Epicureans and [they called] others Stoics. They told Paul [what they believed], and they asked him [what he believed. Then] some of them said [to one another], “This ignorant person is just talking nonsense [RHQ]!” Others said, “[We(exc) think] that he is teaching people about (foreign gods/[new] gods that we [(exc)] have not heard about).” They said that because Paul was telling them that Jesus [had died and] had become alive again [afterwards. They had not heard that message before].
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 Paul to the place where the city council met. [When they arrived] there, they said to Paul, “[Please] tell us, what is this new message that you [(sg)] are teaching people?
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 You are teaching some things that startle us [(exc)], so we want 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 [They said that, because] the people of Athens and also the people from other regions who lived there continually talked about what was new [to them], or they listened to [others tell] what was new.
(Atenetɔwo katã kple amedzroawo hã lɔ̃a anyinɔnɔ ɖe takpeƒe hewɔa woƒe ɣeyiɣiwo ŋuti dɔ to nyamedzodzro kple susu yeyewo xɔxɔ me.)
22 Then Paul stood up before the men of the city council and said, “Citizens of Athens, I see that you (are very religious/think that it is very important to worship many gods).
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 I [say that] because, while I was walking along and observing the objects [that represent different gods that] you worship, I even saw an altar that had these words [that someone had] carved [on it: THIS HONORS] THE GOD [THAT WE(exc)] DO NOT KNOW. So now I will tell you about [that God] whom you worship but you do not know.
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 He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Because he rules over all [beings in] heaven and [on] earth, he does not dwell in shrines that people have made.
“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 does not need to have anything made for him by people [MTY] {to have people [MTY] make [MTY] anything for him}, because everything that exists belongs to him. He is the one who causes (us [(inc)]/all people) to live and breathe, and [he gives us] all the things [that we(inc) need].
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 [In the beginning], God created one couple, and from them God produced all (the ethnic groups/the nations) that now live everywhere on the earth. He also decided where each ethnic group of people should live and how long they should live [there].
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 He wanted people to realize that they need him. Then maybe they would seek him and find him. [God wants us to seek him], although he is [really] close [LIT] to each one of us.
Mawu ƒe didie nye be amegbetɔwo nadii, ake ɖe eŋu togbɔ be egbɔ medidi tso ame aɖeke gbɔ o hã.
28 As someone has said, ‘[It is only] because he enables us that we [(inc)] live and move and do [what we do].’ And, as some of your own poets have said, ‘We [(inc)] are God’s children.’
‘Eya mee míele agbe le, eye míeʋãna le, eye míele.’ Abe ale si miaƒe hɛnɔ aɖe gblɔe ene be, ‘Míawoe nye Mawu viwo.’
29 Therefore, because we are God’s children [and can communicate like God does], we [(inc)] should not think that he is anything like an image [that people have made] of gold or silver or stone [which cannot communicate]. Those images are designed and skillfully made {People design and make those images}, [but they are not alive].
“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 During the times when people did not know [what God wanted them to do], he did not [immediately] punish [them for what they did]. But now God commands all people everywhere to turn away from their evil behavior.
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 [He tells us] that on a certain day that he has chosen he is going to judge [all of us(inc) people in] [MTY] the world. He has appointed a [certain] man to judge [us, and that man will judge each of us] fairly/justly. God has shown to all [people that he has appointed that man to judge everyone], because God (caused him to become alive again after he had died/raised 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 When the men of the council heard [Paul say] that ([a man] had become alive again after he had died/[someone] had been raised from the dead), some of them laughed scornfully. But others said, “We [(exc)] would like you [(sg)] to tell us more about this, some other time.”
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 After they said that, Paul left the council [meeting].
Ale Paulo dzo le takpeƒe la.
34 However, some of the people there went along with Paul and became believers. Among those [who believed in Jesus] was a member of the council whose [name was] Dionysius. Also, an [important] woman whose name was Damaris and some other people [who had heard Paul’s message also believed in Jesus].
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.
