Acts 7
1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are the things that [these people are saying about you(sg)] true?”
Basi, Kuhani Mkuu akamwuliza, “Je, mambo haya ni kweli?”
2 Stephen replied, “Fellow Jews and respected leaders, [please] listen to me! The glorious God [whom we(inc) worship] appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was still [living] in Mesopotamia [region], before he moved to Haran [town].
Naye Stefano akasema, “Ndugu zangu na akina baba, nisikilizeni! Mungu alimtokea baba yetu Abrahamu alipokuwa kule Mesopotamia kabla hajaenda kukaa kule Harani.
3 God said to him, ‘Leave this land where you [(sg)] and your relatives [are living], and go into the land to which I will lead you.’
Mungu alimwambia: Ondoka katika nchi yako; waache watu wa ukoo wako; nenda katika nchi nitakayokuonyesha!
4 So Abraham left that land, [which was also called] Chaldea, and he arrived in Haran and lived there. After his father died, God told him to move to this land in which you [and I] are now living.”
Kwa hivyo, Abrahamu alihama nchi ya Kaldayo, akaenda kukaa Harani. Baada ya kifo cha baba yake, Mungu alimtoa tena Harani akaja kukaa katika nchi hii mnayokaa sasa.
5 “[At that time] God did not give Abraham any [land here], not even a small plot of [this] land that would belong to him. God promised that he would [later] give this land to him and his descendants, and that it would [always] belong [to them. However], at that time Abraham did not have any children [who would] ([inherit it/receive it after he died]).”
Mungu hakumpa hata sehemu moja ya nchi hii iwe mali yake; hata hivyo, alimwahidia kumpa nchi hii iwe yake na ya wazawa wake, ingawaje wakati huu hakuwa na mtoto.
6 “[Later] God told Abraham, ‘Your descendants will go and live in a foreign country. They [will live there] for 400 years, and [during that time their leaders] will mistreat your descendants and force them to work as slaves.’
Mungu alimwambia hivi: Wazao wako watapelekwa katika nchi inayotawaliwa na watu wengine, na huko watafanywa watumwa na kutendewa vibaya kwa muda wa miaka mia nne.
7 But God [also] said, ‘I will punish the people who make them work as slaves. Then, after that, your descendants will leave [that land] and they will [come and] worship me in this land.’”
Lakini mimi nitalihukumu taifa hilo litakalowafanya watumwa. Kisha nitawatoa katika nchi hiyo ili waje kuniabudu mahali hapa.
8 “Then God commanded Abraham that [every male in his household and all of his male descendants] should be circumcised [to show that they all belonged to God] and that they would obey what he had told Abraham to do. Later Abraham’s son, Isaac, was born, and when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. [Later] Isaac’s son, Jacob, was born, and Isaac [similarly circumcised] him. And Jacob [similarly circumcised] his twelve sons. They are the twelve men [from whom we(inc) Jews have all descended].”
Halafu Mungu aliifanya tohara iwe ishara ya agano. Hivyo, Abrahamu alimtahiri mtoto wake Isaka, siku ya nane baada ya kuzaliwa. Na Isaka, vivyo hivyo, alimtahiri Yakobo. Naye Yakobo aliwatendea wale mababu kumi na wawili vivyo hivyo.
9 “[You know that] Jacob’s [older] sons became jealous [because their father favored their younger brother] Joseph. So they sold him [to merchants/traders who took him] [MTY] to Egypt. There he became a slave [of an official who lived there]. But God [helped] Joseph.
“Wale mababu walimwonea wivu Yosefu, wakamuuza utumwani Misri. Lakini Mungu alikuwa pamoja naye,
10 He protected him whenever people caused him to suffer. He enabled Joseph to be wise; and he caused Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to think well of Joseph. So Pharaoh appointed him to rule [over] Egypt and to look after all of Pharaoh’s property [MTY].”
akamwokoa katika taabu zake zote. Mungu alimjalia fadhili na hekima mbele ya Farao, mfalme wa Misri, hata Farao akamweka awe mkuu wa ile nchi na nyumba ya kifalme.
11 “[While Joseph was doing that work], there was a time (when there was very little food/of famine) throughout Egypt and also throughout Canaan. People did not have enough food to eat. People were suffering. [At that time] Jacob and his sons [in Canaan] also could not find [enough] food.
Kisha, kulizuka njaa kubwa katika nchi yote ya Misri na Kanaani, ikasababisha dhiki kubwa. Babu zetu hawakuweza kupata chakula chochote.
12 When Jacob heard [people report that] there was grain/food [that people could buy] in Egypt, he sent Joseph’s older brothers [to go there to buy grain. They went and bought grain from Joseph, but they did not recognize him. Then they returned home].
Basi, Yakobo alipopata habari kwamba huko Misri kulikuwa na nafaka, aliwatuma watoto wake, yaani babu zetu, waende huko Misri mara ya kwanza.
13 When Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt the second time, [they again bought grain from Joseph]. But this time [he] told them who he was. [And] people told Pharaoh that Joseph’s people were Hebrews [and that those men who had come from Canaan were his brothers].
Katika safari yao ya pili, Yosefu alijitambulisha kwa ndugu zake, na Farao akaifahamu jamaa ya Yosefu.
14 Then after Joseph sent [his brothers back home, they] told their father Jacob [that Joseph wanted] him and his entire family to come [to Egypt. At that time] ([Jacob’s family consisted of] 75 people/there were 75 people in Jacob’s family) [SYN].
Yosefu alituma ujumbe kwa baba yake na jamaa yote, jumla watu sabini na tano, waje Misri.
15 [So when] Jacob [heard that, he and all his family] went to [live in] Egypt.” Acts 7:15b-16 “[Later on], Jacob died [there], and our [other] ancestors, [his sons, also died there].
Hivyo, Yakobo alikwenda Misri ambako yeye na babu zetu wengine walikufa.
16 [But] the bodies [of Jacob and Joseph] were brought {[they] brought the bodies [of Jacob and Joseph]} [back to our land], and [Jacob’s body] was buried {they buried [Jacob’s body]} [in the tomb that Abraham had bought, and they buried Joseph’s body] in Shechem in the ground that [Jacob] had bought from Hamor’s sons.”
Miili yao ililetwa mpaka Shekemu, ikazikwa katika kaburi Abrahamu alilonunua kutoka kwa kabila la Hamori kwa kiasi fulani cha fedha.
17 “Our ancestors had become very numerous when it was almost time for [God to rescue them] from Egypt, [as] he had promised Abraham that he would do.
“Wakati ulipotimia Mungu aitimize ahadi aliyompa Abrahamu, idadi ya wale watu kule Misri ilikwisha ongezeka na kuwa kubwa zaidi.
18 Another king had begun to rule in Egypt. He did not know that Joseph, [long before that time, had greatly helped the people of Egypt] [MTY].
Mwishowe, mfalme mmoja ambaye hakumtambua Yosefu alianza kutawala huko Misri.
19 That king cruelly tried to get rid of our ancestors. He oppressed them and caused them to suffer greatly. He [even commanded] them to leave their baby [boys] outside [their homes] so that they would die.”
Alilifanyia taifa letu ukatili, akawatendea vibaya babu zetu kwa kuwalazimisha waweke nje watoto wao wachanga ili wafe.
20 “During that time Moses was born, and he was a very beautiful [LIT] [child]. So his parents [secretly] cared for him in their house for three months.
Mose alizaliwa wakati huo. Alikuwa mtoto mzuri sana. Alilelewa nyumbani kwa muda wa miezi mitatu,
21 Then they had to put him outside [the house, but] Pharaoh’s daughter [found him and] adopted him and cared for him as [though he were] her own son.
na alipotolewa nje, binti wa Farao alimchukua, akamlea kama mtoto wake.
22 Moses was taught {[The Egyptian teachers] taught Moses} many kinds of wise things [HYP] that the people in Egypt knew, and [when he grew up], he spoke powerfully and did things powerfully.”
Mose alifundishwa mambo yote ya hekima ya Wamisri akawa mashuhuri kwa maneno na matendo.
23 “[One day] when Moses was about 40 years old, he decided that he would [go and] see his fellow Israelis. [So he went to the place where they worked].
“Alipokuwa na umri wa miaka arobaini aliamua kwenda kuwaona ndugu zake Waisraeli.
24 He saw an Egyptian beating one of the Israelis. So he went over to help [MTY] the Israeli man who was being hurt/beat {whom [the Egyptian] was hurting/beating}, and he (got revenge on/paid back) the Israeli man by killing the Egyptian [who was hurting/beating him].
Huko alimwona mmoja wao akitendewa vibaya, akaenda kumwokoa, na kulipiza kisasi, akamuua yule Mmisri.
25 Moses was thinking that his fellow Israelis would understand that God had sent him to free them [from being slaves]. But they did not understand that.
(Alidhani kwamba Waisraeli wenzake wangeelewa kwamba Mungu angemtumia yeye kuwakomboa, lakini hawakuelewa hivyo.)
26 The next day, Moses saw two Israeli men fighting [each other]. He tried to make them stop fighting by saying to them, ‘Men, you two are fellow [Israelis! So] (stop hurting each other!/why are you hurting each other?) [RHQ]’
Kesho yake, aliwaona Waisraeli wawili wakipigana, akajaribu kuwapatanisha, akisema: Ninyi ni ndugu; kwa nini basi, kutendeana vibaya ninyi kwa ninyi?
27 But the man who was injuring the other man pushed Moses away and said to him, ‘(No one appointed you [(sg)] to rule and judge us [(exc)]!/Do you [(sg)] think someone appointed you [(sg)] to rule and judge us [(exc)]?) [RHQ]
Yule aliyekuwa anampiga mwenzake alimsukuma Mose kando akisema: Ni nani aliyekuweka wewe kuwa kiongozi na mwamuzi wa watu?
28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
Je, unataka kuniua kama ulivyomuua yule Mmisri jana?
29 When Moses heard that, [he thought to himself, ‘Obviously, people know what I have done, and someone will kill me.’ He was afraid, so] he fled [from Egypt] to Midian land. He lived there [for some years]. He [got married, and he and his wife] had two sons.”
Baada ya kusikia hayo Mose alikimbia, akaenda kukaa katika nchi ya Midiani na huko akapata watoto wawili.
30 “[One day] 40 years later, [the Lord God appeared as] an angel to Moses. He appeared in a bush that was burning in the desert near Sinai Mountain.
“Miaka arobaini ilipotimia, malaika wa Bwana alimtokea Mose katika kichaka kilichokuwa kinawaka moto kule jangwani karibu na mlima Sinai.
31 When Moses saw that, he was greatly surprised, [because the bush was not burning up]. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord [God] say [to him],
Mose alistaajabu sana kuona jambo hilo hata akasogea karibu ili achungulie; lakini alisikia sauti ya Bwana:
32 ‘I [am] the God [whom] your ancestors [worshipped]. I [am] the God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [worship].’ Moses [was so afraid that he] began to shake. He was afraid to look [at the bush any longer].
Mimi ni Mungu wa baba zako, Mungu wa Abrahamu, Isaka na Yakobo! Mose akatetemeka kwa hofu na wala hakuthubutu kutazama zaidi.
33 Then the Lord [God] said to him, ‘Take your sandals off [to show that you(sg) revere me]. Because I [am here], the place where you are standing is holy/sacred.
Bwana akamwambia: Vua viatu vyako maana hapa unaposimama ni mahali patakatifu.
34 I have surely seen how the people of Egypt are continually causing my people to suffer. I have heard my people when they groan [because those people continually oppress them]. So I have come down to rescue them [from Egypt]. Now get ready, because I am going to send you [back] to Egypt [to do that].’”
Nimeyaona mabaya wanayotendewa watu wangu kule Misri. Nimesikia kilio chao, nami nimekuja kuwaokoa. Basi sasa, nitakutuma Misri.
35 “This Moses [is the one who had tried to help our Israeli people, but] whom they rejected [by saying], ‘No one [RHQ] appointed you to rule and judge [us!’] Moses [is the one whom] God [himself] sent to rule them and to free them [from being slaves. He is the one whom] an angel in the bush [commanded to do that].
“Huyu Mose ndiye yule watu wa Israeli waliyemkataa waliposema: Ni nani aliyekuweka wewe kuwa kiongozi na mwamuzi wetu? Kwa njia ya yule malaika aliyemtokea katika kichaka kilichokuwa kinawaka moto, Mungu alimtuma Mose huyo awe kiongozi na mkombozi.
36 Moses [is the one who] led our ancestors out [from Egypt]. He did many kinds of miracles in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and during the 40 years [that the Israelite people lived] in the desert.
Ndiye aliyewaongoza wale watu watoke Misri kwa kufanya miujiza na maajabu katika nchi ya Misri, katika bahari ya Shamu na jangwani kwa muda wa miaka arobaini.
37 This Moses is the one who said to the Israelite people, ‘God will appoint a prophet for you from among your own people. [He will speak words from God], just like I [speak his words to you].’
Mose ndiye aliyewaambia watu wa Israeli: Mungu atawateulieni nabii kama mimi kutoka katika ndugu zenu ninyi wenyewe.
38 This man [Moses] was [our people’s leader] when they gathered together in the desert. It is Moses to whom [God sent] the angel on Sinai Mountain to [give him our laws], and [he was the one who told] our [other] ancestors [what the angel had said]. He was the one who received [from God] words that tell us how to live [eternally, and Moses] passed [them] on to us.”
Wakati watu wa Israeli walipokutana pamoja kule jangwani, Mose ndiye aliyekuwako huko pamoja nao. Alikuwa huko pamoja na babu zetu na yule malaika aliyeongea naye mlimani Sinai; ndiye aliyekabidhiwa yale maneno yaletayo uzima atupe sisi.
39 “[However], our ancestors did not want to obey [Moses]. Instead, [while he was still on the mountain], they rejected him [as their leader] and decided that they wanted to return to Egypt.
“Lakini yeye ndiye babu zetu waliyemkataa kumsikiliza; walimsukuma kando, wakatamani kurudi Misri.
40 So they told [his older brother] Aaron, ‘Make idols for us who will be our gods to lead us [back to Egypt]! As for that fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt we [(exc)] do not know what has happened to him!’
Walimwambia Aroni: Tutengenezee miungu itakayotuongoza njiani, maana hatujui yaliyompata Mose huyu aliyetuongoza kutoka Misri!
41 So, they made [out of gold] an image [that looked like] a calf. Then they sacrificed [animals and offered other things] to [honor] that idol, and they sang and danced to honor the idol that they themselves had made.
Hapo ndipo walipojitengenezea sanamu ya ndama, wakaitambikia na kukifanyia sherehe kitu ambacho ni kazi ya mikono yao wenyewe.
42 So God rejected them. He abandoned them to worship the sun, moon and stars in the sky. This agrees with the words that one of the prophets wrote that God said, You Israelite [people] [MTY], when you [repeatedly] killed animals and offered them as sacrifices during those 40 years [that you were] in the desert, (you [most certainly] were not offering them to me!/what makes you think that you were offering them to me?) [RHQ]
Lakini Mungu aliondoka kati yao, akawaacha waabudu nyota za anga, kama ilivyoandikwa katika kitabu cha manabii: Enyi watu wa Israeli! Si mimi mliyenitolea dhabihu na sadaka kwa muda wa miaka arobaini kule jangwani!
43 [On the contrary], you carried [with you from place to place] the tent [that contained the idol] representing [the god] Molech [that you worshipped]. You also [carried with you] the image of the star [called] Rephan. [Those] were idols that you had made, [and you] worshipped [them instead of me]. So I will [cause you to] be taken away {[people to] take you} [from your own country. You will be taken] {[They will take you]} [far from your homes to regions] even farther than Babylon [Country].”
Ninyi mlikibeba kibanda cha mungu Moloki, na sanamu ya nyota ya mungu wenu Refani. Sanamu mlizozifanya ndizo mlizoabudu. Kwa sababu hiyo nitakupeleka mateka mbali kupita Babuloni!
44 “While our ancestors were in the desert, they worshipped God at the tent that showed [that he was there with them]. They had made the tent exactly like God had commanded Moses [to make it. It was] exactly like the model that Moses had seen [when he was up on the mountain].
Kule jangwani babu zetu walikuwa na lile hema lililoshuhudia kuweko kwa Mungu. Lilitengenezwa kama Mungu alivyomwambia Mose alifanye; nakala kamili ya kile alichoonyeshwa.
45 [Later on], other ancestors of ours carried that tent with them when Joshua led them [into this land]. That was during the time that they took this land for themselves, when God forced the people [who previously lived here] to leave. So the Israelis were able to possess this land. [The tent remained in this land and was still here] when [King] David ruled.
Kisha babu zetu walilipokezana wao kwa wao mpaka wakati wa Yoshua, walipoinyakua ile nchi kutoka kwa mataifa ambayo Mungu aliyafukuza mbele yao. Hapo lilikaa mpaka nyakati za Daudi.
46 David pleased God, and he asked God to let him build a house where [he and] all of our Israeli people could worship God.
Daudi alipata upendeleo kwa Mungu, akamwomba Mungu ruhusa ya kumjengea makao yeye aliye Mungu wa Yakobo.
47 But [instead, God let David’s son] Solomon build a house [where people could worship] God.”
Lakini Solomoni ndiye aliyemjengea Mungu nyumba.
48 “However, [we(inc) know that] God is greater than everything, and he does not live in [houses that] people [SYN] have made. It is like the prophet [Isaiah] wrote. He wrote [these words that God had spoken: ]
“Hata hivyo, Mungu Mkuu haishi katika nyumba zilizojengwa na binadamu; kama nabii asemavyo:
49 Heaven is (my throne/the place from which I rule the entire universe), and the earth is (my footstool/[merely like] a stool on which I may rest my feet). I myself [SYN] have made everything [both in heaven and on the earth]. So you [human beings], ([you] really cannot build a house that would be [adequate] for me!/do you think you can build a house that would be [appropriate] for me?) [RHQ] You cannot [RHQ] make a place good enough for me [to live in]!”
Bwana asema: Mbingu ni kiti changu cha enzi na dunia ni kiti changu cha kuwekea miguu.
Ni nyumba ya namna gani basi mnayoweza kunijengea, na ni mahali gani nitakapopumzika? Vitu hivi vyote ni mimi nimevifanya, au sivyo?
51 “You people are extremely stubborn [MET], not wanting to obey God or listen [MTY] [to him!] You are exactly like your ancestors! You always resist the Holy Spirit [as they did]!
“Enyi wakaidi wakuu! Mioyo na masikio yenu ni kama ya watu wa mataifa. Ninyi ni kama baba zenu. Siku zote mnampinga Roho Mtakatifu.
52 Your ancestors caused [RHQ] every prophet to suffer, [including Moses]. They even killed those who long ago announced [that the Messiah] would come, the one who always did what pleased God. [And the Messiah has come! He is the one whom] you [recently] turned over [to his enemies] and [insisted that] they kill him!
Je, yuko nabii yeyote ambaye baba zenu hawakumtesa? Waliwaua hao Mungu aliowatuma watangaze kuja kwake yule Mwenye Haki. Na sasa, ninyi mmemsaliti, mkamuua.
53 You [are the people] who have received God’s laws. [Those were laws] that God caused angels to give [to our ancestors]. However, [incredibly], you have not obeyed them!”
Ninyi mliipokea ile Sheria iliyoletwa kwenu na Malaika, lakini hamkuitii.”
54 When the Jewish Council members [and others there] heard all that [Stephen said], they became very angry. They were grinding their teeth [together because they were so angry] at him!
Wale wazee wa Baraza waliposikia hayo, walighadhibika sana, wakamsagia meno kwa hasira.
55 But the Holy Spirit completely controlled Stephen. He looked up into heaven and saw a dazzling light from God, and [he saw] Jesus standing at God’s right side.
Lakini Stefano akiwa amejawa na Roho Mtakatifu, akatazama juu mbinguni, akauona utukufu wa Mungu na Yesu amekaa upande wa kulia wa Mungu.
56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open, and I [see] the one who came from heaven standing at God’s right side!”
Akasema, “Tazameni! Ninaona mbingu zimefunuliwa na Mwana wa Mtu amesimama upande wa kulia wa Mungu.”
57 [When the Jewish Council members and others heard that], they shouted loudly. They put their hands over their ears [so that they could not hear Stephen, and immediately] they all rushed at him.
Hapo, watu wote katika kile kikao cha Baraza, wakapiga kelele na kuziba masikio yao kwa mikono yao. Kisha wakamrukia wote kwa pamoja,
58 They dragged him outside the city [of Jerusalem] and started to throw stones at him. The people who were accusing him [took off] their outer garments [in order to throw stones more easily, and] they put their clothes [on the ground] next to a young man whose name was Saul, [so that he could guard them].
wakamtoa nje ya mji, wakampiga mawe. Wale mashahidi wakayaweka makoti yao chini ya ulinzi wa kijana mmoja jina lake Saulo.
59 While they continued to throw stones at Stephen, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
Waliendelea kumpiga mawe Stefano, huku akiwa anasali: “Bwana Yesu, ipokee roho yangu!”
60 Then Stephen fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not punish them (OR, forgive them) [LIT] for this sin!” After he had said that, he died.
Akapiga magoti, akalia kwa sauti kubwa: “Bwana, usiwalaumu kwa sababu ya dhambi hii.” Baada ya kusema hivyo, akafa.
