Dɔwɔwɔwo 17
1 Azɔ ame eveawo zɔ mɔ to Amfipolis kple Apolonia nutowo me va ɖo Tesalonika, afi si Yudatɔwo ƒe ƒuƒoƒe aɖe le.
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
2 Paulo yi ƒuƒoƒe sia abe ale si wòwɔna ɖaa ene, eye Dzudzɔgbe etɔ̃ katã wòyi ɖaɖe mawunya me na ameawo.
Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 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.”
explaining and demonstrating that the Meshikha had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Yeshua, whom I proclaim to you, is the Meshikha."
4 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.
Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the prominent women.
5 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.
But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took along some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people.
6 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,
When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
7 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.”
whom Jason has received. These all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Yeshua."
8 Esi wose esia la, ameawo kple dumegãwo de asi hoowɔwɔ me.
The crowd and the rulers of the city were troubled when they heard these things.
9 Ke esi woxɔ asiƒuakɔnu le Yason kple etɔwo si la woɖe asi le wo ŋu be woadzo.
When they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 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.
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
11 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.
Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
12 To esia me la, wo dometɔ geɖewo zu xɔsetɔwo eye Helatɔ ŋkuta siwo nye nyɔnuwo kple ŋutsuwo siaa xɔ nya la dzi se.
Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.
13 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.
But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Beroea also, they came there likewise, inciting and disturbing the crowds.
14 Ke xɔsetɔwo wɔ kaba ɖo Paulo ɖe ƒuta gome lɔƒo, gake Silas kple Timoteo ya tsi anyi.
Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.
15 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.
But those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens. Receiving a commandment to Silas and Timothy that they should come to him very quickly, they departed.
16 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.
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.
17 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.
So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.
18 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.
Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign deities," because he preached Yeshua and the resurrection.
19 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.
They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?
20 Èle nya masekpɔ aɖewo gblɔm ɖe míaƒe towo me, míedi be míase nya siawo gɔme kple nu si wonye.”
For you bring certain strange things to our ears. We want to know therefore what these things mean."
21 (Atenetɔwo katã kple amedzroawo hã lɔ̃a anyinɔnɔ ɖe takpeƒe hewɔa woƒe ɣeyiɣiwo ŋuti dɔ to nyamedzodzro kple susu yeyewo xɔxɔ me.)
Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
22 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,
Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, "You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.
23 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.
For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I announce to you.
24 “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,
The God who made the world and all things in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,
25 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.
neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives to all life and breath, and all things.
26 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.
He made from one blood every nation of mankind to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 Mawu ƒe didie nye be amegbetɔwo nadii, ake ɖe eŋu togbɔ be egbɔ medidi tso ame aɖeke gbɔ o hã.
that they should seek God, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
28 ‘Eya mee míele agbe le, eye míeʋãna le, eye míele.’ Abe ale si miaƒe hɛnɔ aɖe gblɔe ene be, ‘Míawoe nye Mawu viwo.’
'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'
29 “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.
Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by human art and design.
30 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,
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
31 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.”
because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to everyone by raising him from the dead."
32 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”
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said, "We want to hear you again concerning this."
33 Ale Paulo dzo le takpeƒe la.
Thus Paul went out from among them.
34 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.
But some people joined with him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
