< Acts 19 >
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland districts of Roman Asia, and went to Ephesus. There he found some disciples, of whom he asked:
Esime Apolo ganɔ Korinto la, Paulo hã zɔ mɔ to Terki nutowo me va ɖo Efeso. Ekpɔe be xɔsetɔ aɖewo le afi ma, eye le woƒe nyamedzodzro me la,
2 “Did you, when you became believers in Christ, receive the Holy Spirit?” “No,” they answered, “we did not even hear that there was a Holy Spirit.”
Paulo bia wo be, “Esi miexɔ se la, miexɔ Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la mahã?” Ke woɖo eŋu be, “Ao, míexɔ Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la o, eye le nyateƒe me la, míese eŋkɔ kpɔ gɔ̃ hã o.”
3 “What then was your baptism?” Paul asked.
Paulo yi edzi bia wo be, “Ekema nu ka dzie miexɔ se hafi wode mawutsi ta na mi?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Wode mawutsi ta na mí ɖe Yohanes Mawutsidetanamela ƒe nufiafia nu.”
4 “John’s baptism was a baptism upon repentance,” rejoined Paul, “and John told the people (speaking of the ‘One Coming; after him) that they should believe in him — that is in Jesus.”
Esi Paulo se nya sia la, egblɔ na wo be, “Yohanes Mawutsidetanamela ɖeko wòwɔe be yeafia ale si ame nadzudzɔ nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ, atrɔ va Mawu gbɔ eye emegbe la, wòaxɔ Yesu Kristo, ame si ƒe nya Yohanes gblɔ be ele vava ge la dzi ase, ale be woade mawutsi ta nɛ ɖe eƒe ŋkɔ me.”
5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the faith of the Lord Jesus,
Esi wose nya sia la, wo katã wolɔ̃, eye Paulo de mawutsi ta na wo ɖe Aƒetɔ Yesu ƒe ŋkɔ me.
6 and, after Paul had placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and they began to speak with ‘tongues’ and to preach.
Esi Paulo da asi ɖe wo dzi la, woxɔ Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la, eye woƒo nu kple gbegbɔgblɔ bubuwo hegblɔ nya ɖi hã.
7 There were about twelve of them in all.
Ameawo ƒe xexlẽme nɔ ame wuieve.
8 Paul went to the Synagogue there, and for three months spoke out fearlessly, giving addresses and trying to convince his hearers, about the kingdom of God.
Paulo yi ɖe ƒuƒoƒe la me nɔ mawunya gblɔm kple dzideƒo ɣleti etɔ̃ sɔŋ, eye wòle mawufiaɖuƒe la ŋutinya ƒom ɖe wo nu ale be woxɔe se.
9 Some of them, however, hardened their hears and refused to believe, denouncing the Cause before the people. So Paul left them and withdrew his disciples, and gave daily addresses in the lecture-hall of Tyrannus.
Ame aɖewo mexɔ eƒe nya o, ale wotsi tsitre ɖe eŋu vevie hegblɔ busunya geɖe ɖe Mɔ la ŋu le dutoƒo. Nu sia na be Paulo dzo le wo gbɔ. Ke ekplɔ nusrɔ̃lawo ɖe asi yi Tirano Takpexɔa me, afi si wòƒoa nu na wo le gbe sia gbe.
10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Roman Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the Lord’s Message.
Ewɔ nu sia ƒe eve sɔŋ ale be Yudatɔwo kple Grikitɔ siwo katã le Asia la katã se Aƒetɔ la ƒe nya la.
11 God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul’s hands;
Mawu wɔ nukunu tɔxɛwo to Paulo ƒe asi dzi
12 so that people would carry home to the sick handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body, and their diseases would leave them and the wicked spirits go out of them.
ale gbegbe be wòtsɔa takuviwo kple akɔtawuiwo kaa dɔnɔwo ŋu wohayana, eye gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃wo hã doa go le wo me.
13 An attempt was made by some itinerant Jews, who were exorcists, to use the Name of the Lord Jesus over those who had wicked spirits in them. “I adjure you,” they would say, “by the Jesus, whom Paul preaches.”
Yudatɔ aɖewo hã nɔ tsatsam tso du me yi du me henɔ gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃wo nyam le amewo me. Ame siawo va ɖo be yewoayɔ Aƒetɔ Yesu Kristo ƒe ŋkɔ anya gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃e kpɔ be adze edzi na yewo mahã? Woɖoe be ne yewotu ame si me gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ le la, yewoado ɣli ɖe eta be, “Meɖe gbe na wò le Yesu Kristo, ame si ƒe nya gblɔm Paulo le la ƒe ŋkɔ me be nàdo go!”
14 The seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish Chief Priest, were doing this;
Ame siwo nɔ nu sia wɔm la woe nye Yudatɔwo ƒe nunɔlagã aɖe si woyɔna be Skeva la ƒe viŋutsuvi adreawo.
15 but the wicked spirit answered them: “Jesus I acknowledge, and Paul I know, but you — who are you?”
Wova ke ɖe ame aɖe si me gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ le la ŋu vavã, eye wote kpɔ be yewoanya gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ la le Yesu ƒe ŋkɔ me. Ke gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ la bia wo be, “Yesu la medze sii eye Paulo la menyae nyuie, ke miawo ɖe, ame kawoe mienye?”
16 Then the man, in whom this wicked spirit was, sprang upon them, mastered both of them, and so completely overpowered them, that they fled out of the house, stripped of their clothes, and wounded.
Enumake ame si me gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ le la dzo dze wo dometɔ eve dzi, heɖu wo dzi, ƒo wo, eye wòvuvu awu le wo ŋu ale be wosi do go le aƒea me amamae.
17 This incident came to the knowledge of all the Jews and Greeks living at Ephesus; they were all awe-struck, and the Name of the Lord Jesus was held in the highest honour.
Nya sia kaka ɖe Yudatɔwo kple Helatɔwo siaa dome le Efeso dua me. Ale vɔvɔ̃ tɔxɛ aɖe dze wo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe dzi, eye wode bubu Aƒetɔ Yesu ƒe ŋkɔ ŋu.
18 Many, too, of those who had become believers in Christ came with a full confession of their practices;
Ame geɖe siwo xɔe se la va eye woʋu woƒe nu vɔ̃ɖiwo wɔwɔ me.
19 while a number of people, who had practiced magic, collected their books and burnt them publicly; and on reckoning up the price of these, they found it amounted to five thousand pounds.
Ame siwo nye afakalawo la tsɔ woƒe agbalẽwo kple nu kpotokpotoewo vɛ, eye wotɔ dzo wo le dutoƒo. Nu siwo wotɔ dzoe la ƒe home anɔ abe siɖi akpe blaatɔ̃ ene.
20 So irresistibly did the Lord’s Message spread and prevail.
Esia nye dzesi be Aƒetɔ la ƒe nya la xɔ aƒe kple ŋusẽ le nuto la me vavã.
21 Sometime after these events Paul resolved to go through Macedonia and Greece, and then make his way to Jerusalem. “And after I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.”
Emegbe la, Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la dee Paulo me be wòayi Makedonia kple Akaya nuto me hafi atrɔ ayi Yerusalem. Eya ŋutɔ hã ɖoe be tso afi ma la, ele be yeayi Roma hã.
22 So he sent to Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Roman Asia.
Eɖo eƒe kpeɖeŋutɔ eve siwo nye Timoteo kple Erasto la ɖa be woado ŋgɔ ayi Makedonia, Hela nuto me, ke eya ŋutɔ gatsi Asia vie.
23 Just about that time a great disturbance arose about the Cause.
Ke le ɣe ma ɣi la, masɔmasɔ gã aɖe va Efeso dua me le Kristotɔwo ta.
24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver models of the shrine of Artemis, and so gave a great deal of work to the artisans,
Ame si he masɔmasɔ sia vɛ lae nye Demetrio. Ame sia nye klosalotula, eye dɔsrɔ̃viwo nɔ esi fũu. Wonɔa Helatɔwo ƒe mawu, Artemis ƒe legbawo wɔm kple klosalo.
25 got these men together, as well as the workmen engaged in similar occupations, and said: “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this work,
Gbe ɖeka la, Demetrio ƒo eƒe dɔwɔlawo kple ame siwo katã wɔa klosalotutu dɔ le dua me la nu ƒu, eye wòƒo nu na wo ale, “Mía tɔwo, miawo ŋutɔwo mienya be klosalotutu siae míewɔna ɖuna.
26 and you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but in almost the whole of Roman Asia, this Paul has convinced and won over great numbers of people, by his assertion that those Gods which are made by hands are not Gods at all.
Ke ele nyanya me na mi katã be Paulo va le tagbɔ gblẽm na amewo be mawu siwo wotsɔ asi wɔe la menye mawu gbagbe o, eye esia na be míaƒe dɔ megale edzi yim tututu le Efeso afi sia kple Asia nuto la katã me o.
27 So that not only is this business of ours likely to fall into discredit, but there is the further danger that the Temple of the great Goddess Artemis will be thought nothing of, and that she herself will be deprived of her splendour — though all Roman Asia and the whole world worship her.”
Azɔ medi be mianya be menye míaƒe dɔwɔna ɖeɖe tae mele nya siawo gblɔm o, ke boŋ ele bɔbɔe be mawu bubutɔ, Artemis subɔsubɔ dzi aɖe kpɔtɔ, eye madidi o la, Artemis si nye Mawu gã si wosubɔna le Asia nuto blibo la katã me kple xexeme godoo la ƒe ŋkɔ abu keŋ.”
28 When they heard this, the men were greatly enraged, and began shouting — “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Nya sia de adã ta me na ameha la ale wode asi ɣlidodo me sesĩe be, “Artemis, Efesotɔwo ƒe mawu la lolo!”
29 The commotion spread through the whole city, and the people rushed together into the amphitheater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions.
Ɣlidodo sia na be amewo ƒo zi be yewoakpɔ nu si le edzi yim la ɖa, eye le ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe megbe la, du blibo la katã tɔ zi. Ame sia ame ƒu du yi ƒuƒoƒe la, eye wolé Gayo kple Aristako, ame siwo nye Paulo ƒe mɔzɔhatiwo tso Makedonia.
30 Paul wished to go into the amphitheater and face the people, but the disciples would not let him,
Paulo di vevie be yeadze wo yome ayi ƒuƒoƒe la, gake nusrɔ̃la bubuawo meɖe mɔ nɛ o.
31 while some of the chief religious officials of the province, who were friendly to him, sent repeated entreaties to him not to trust himself inside.
Romasrafo siwo le nutoa me la dometɔ siwo nye Paulo xɔlɔ̃wo hã ɖo ame ɖe egbɔ gblɔ nɛ be megado ta ɖe afi ma o.
32 Meanwhile some were shouting one thing and some another, for the Assembly was all in confusion, most of those present not even knowing why they had met.
Takpekpe la ŋutɔ tɔ zi kɔtɔɔ. Ame sia ame nɔ ɣli dom, nɔ nya sia nya ƒomevi si dze eŋu la gblɔm. Vavã, wo dometɔ geɖe hã menya nu si tututu ta wova ƒo ƒu ɖe afi ma ɖo gɔ̃ hã o.
33 But some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed to the front, and he waved his hand to show that he wanted to speak in their defence to the people.
Yudatɔ aɖewo kpɔ Aleksandro le ameawo dome, eye enumake wohee do goe wòva tsi tsitre ɖe ameha la ŋkume. Ekɔ asi dzi, eye ɖoɖoe zi, ale wòde asi nuƒoƒo me na wo.
34 However, when they recognised him as a Jew, one cry broke from them all, and they continued shouting for two hours — “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Ke esi ameha la kpɔe dze sii be Yudatɔ wònye la, wogade asi ɣlidodo me be, “Artemis, Efesotɔwo ƒe mawu la lolo! Artemis, Efesotɔwo ƒe Mawu la lolo!”
35 When the Recorder had succeeded in quieting the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, who is there, I ask you, who needs to be told that this city of Ephesus is the Warden of the Temple of the great Artemis, and of the statue which fell down from Zeus?
Mlɔeba la, dua ƒe agbalẽŋlɔla la ble wo nu wozi ɖoɖoe, ale wòƒo nu na wo gblɔ be, “Efesotɔwo, ame sia ame nya be Efeso du siae nye trɔ̃ gã Artemis si ge tso dziƒo la ƒe du gã.
36 As these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and do nothing rash;
Le esia ta la, mehiã be ne ame aɖe gblɔ nya bubu aɖe ko la, mianɔ ʋunyaʋunya wɔm alea gbegbe o.
37 for you have brought these men here, though they are neither robbers of Temples nor blasphemers of our Goddess.
Ame siwo mielé va afi sia la mefi naneke le Artemis ƒe gbedoxɔ me o, eye womegblɔ busunya aɖeke ɖe míaƒe mawunɔ la ŋu hã o.
38 If, however, Demetrius and the artisans who are acting with him have a charge to make against any one, there are Court Days and there are Magistrates; let both parties take legal proceedings.
Gake ne Demetrio kple eƒe hadɔwɔlawo kpɔ be nya aɖe le yewo kple ame siawo dome la, ekema ɖe wòle na wo be woatsɔ nya ɖe wo ŋu le ʋɔnudrɔ̃ƒe. Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo hã le klalo be yewoadrɔ̃ nyaa na wo.
39 But if you want anything more, it will have to be settled in the regular Assembly.
Ne nya bubu aɖe gali la, ekema woate ŋu ayi dutakpekpea me aɖalée kpɔ.
40 For I tell you that we are in danger of being proceeded against for to-day’s riot, there being nothing to account for it; and in that case we shall be at a loss to give any reason for this disorderly gathering.”
Ke ne miekpɔ nyuie o la, Roma dziɖuɖua abia tso mía si be míana akɔnta le egbe ƒe ʋunyaʋunya si nu ta mele o la ŋu, eye nyemenya nya ka magblɔ ne wòva eme alea o.”
41 With these words he dismissed the Assembly.
Ale dudzikpɔla la kaka ƒuƒoƒo la, eye ame sia ame trɔ dzo yi aƒe me.