Dɔwɔwɔwo 19
1 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,
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul [left the places in Phrygia and Galatia] provinces where he had been visiting, and traveled through [Asia province] back to Ephesus. He met some people [who said that they] were believers.
2 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.”
He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed [God’s message]?” They answered, “No, we [(exc) did not]. We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 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.”
So Paul asked, “So when you were baptized, what [were you showing]?” They replied, “[We were showing] that we [(exc)] believed what John [the Baptizer] taught.”
4 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.”
Paul said, “John baptized people who turned away from their sinful behavior. He [also] told the people to believe in the one who would come after he [had come], and that was Jesus.”
5 Esi wose nya sia la, wo katã wolɔ̃, eye Paulo de mawutsi ta na wo ɖe Aƒetɔ Yesu ƒe ŋkɔ me.
So, when those men heard that, they were baptized [to affirm that they believed] [MTY] in the Lord Jesus.
6 Esi Paulo da asi ɖe wo dzi la, woxɔ Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la, eye woƒo nu kple gbegbɔgblɔ bubuwo hegblɔ nya ɖi hã.
After that, Paul placed his hands on their heads [one by one], and the [power of the] Holy Spirit came upon [each of] them. The [Holy Spirit] enabled them to speak in various languages [MTY] [that they had not learned], and they also spoke messages [that the Holy Spirit] revealed to them.
7 Ameawo ƒe xexlẽme nɔ ame wuieve.
There were about twelve men [whom Paul baptized and who received the power of the Holy Spirit].
8 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.
For three months after that, Paul entered the Jewish meeting place [in Ephesus on each] Sabbath/Jewish day of rest, and he spoke boldly. He convincingly taught [the people] about how God wanted to rule [MET] [their lives].
9 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.
[A few of the people in the meeting house believed the message about Jesus]. But some of the people would not believe that message and did not want to [continue to] hear it. While many people were listening, they said many bad things about the way [for people to receive eternal life about which Paul was preaching]. So Paul left them and took the believers with him [to meet in another place]. He taught every day in a lecture hall [that a man whose name was] Tyrannus [lectured in/owned].
10 Ewɔ nu sia ƒe eve sɔŋ ale be Yudatɔwo kple Grikitɔ siwo katã le Asia la katã se Aƒetɔ la ƒe nya la.
For two years Paul continued to teach people in that building. In this way, most of [HYP] the Jews and non-Jews who lived in Asia [province] heard the message about the Lord [Jesus].
11 Mawu wɔ nukunu tɔxɛwo to Paulo ƒe asi dzi
Also, God gave Paul the power [MTY] to do amazing miracles.
12 ale gbegbe be wòtsɔa takuviwo kple akɔtawuiwo kaa dɔnɔwo ŋu wohayana, eye gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃wo hã doa go le wo me.
[If those who were sick could not come to Paul, handkerchiefs or aprons that Paul had touched would be taken and] placed on the sick people {[others] would take [and place on] the sick people handkerchiefs or aprons that Paul had touched}. As a result, those sick people would become well, and evil spirits that troubled people would leave.
13 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!”
There were also some Jews who traveled around [to] various places, [and] they commanded the evil spirits in those places to depart [from people. Certain ones of those Jews once] tried to command the evil spirits to come out of people by saying “I command you by the authority [MTY] of the Lord Jesus, the man about whom Paul preaches, to come out!”
14 Ame siwo nɔ nu sia wɔm la woe nye Yudatɔwo ƒe nunɔlagã aɖe si woyɔna be Skeva la ƒe viŋutsuvi adreawo.
There were seven men who were doing that. They were sons of a man named Sceva, a Jew, [who called himself] a chief priest.
15 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?”
But [one day as they were doing that], the evil spirit [refused to come out of that person. Instead, he] said to them, “I know Jesus, and I know [that he has authorized] Paul [to expel demons]. (But no one has authorized you [to do anything to me!]/who authorized you [to do anything to me]?) [RHQ]”
16 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.
[After saying that, suddenly] the man who was controlled by the evil spirit jumped on the seven Jewish men, [one after another], knocked all of them down, and beat each of them severely. He tore off their clothes and wounded them, causing them to bleed. So, [greatly frightened, they all] ran out of the house.
17 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.
All the people who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and non-Jews, heard what had happened. So they were afraid [MTY]. They honored the Lord Jesus [MTY] [because they realized that he was very powerful].
18 Ame geɖe siwo xɔe se la va eye woʋu woƒe nu vɔ̃ɖiwo wɔwɔ me.
[At that time], while other believers were listening, many believers confessed the evil things that they had been doing.
19 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.
Several of those who had [previously] practiced sorcery gathered up their scrolls [that told how to work] magic and burned them in a public place. When people added up how much those scrolls had cost, they realized that altogether the amount was 50,000 valuable silver coins.
20 Esia nye dzesi be Aƒetɔ la ƒe nya la xɔ aƒe kple ŋusẽ le nuto la me vavã.
As a result, many more people heard [MTY] the message about the Lord [Jesus], and the message powerfully [changed their lives].
21 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.
After those things had happened, Paul decided that he wanted to go to Jerusalem, but he decided that [first] he would visit [the believers in] Macedonia and Achaia [provinces again]. Paul said, “After I have been to Jerusalem, I must also go to Rome.”
22 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.
He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia. But Paul stayed a little longer [in Ephesus city], in Asia [province].
23 Ke le ɣe ma ɣi la, masɔmasɔ gã aɖe va Efeso dua me le Kristotɔwo ta.
[Soon after that], some of the people there tried to make a lot of [LIT] trouble for the people who believed the way [God revealed for us(inc) to receive eternal life].
24 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.
There was a man there whose name was Demetrius who made little images out of silver. [They were models] of the temple of [a goddess whose name was] Artemis. Demetrius and the other men [who made those little images] earned a lot of [LIT] money [from selling those images].
25 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.
Demetrius called a meeting of his workmen and also of others who made the little silver images. He said to them, “Men, you know that we [(inc)] earn a lot of money doing our kind of work.
26 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.
Also, you know that [this fellow] Paul has persuaded many people who live in Ephesus [to no longer buy the images that we make. Now even the people from] many other towns in our province [no longer want to buy what we make]. This fellow tells people that the gods that we have made [and worship] are not gods [and that we should not worship them].
27 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.”
[If people continue to listen to him], soon they will ruin our business. Besides, they will no longer think that they should [come to] the temple of Artemis [to worship her. People] all over our Asia [province] and everywhere [HYP] else worship [our great] goddess [Artemis. Soon people] may no longer consider that Artemis is great!”
28 Nya sia de adã ta me na ameha la ale wode asi ɣlidodo me sesĩe be, “Artemis, Efesotɔwo ƒe mawu la lolo!”
All the men there were very angry [at Paul] when they heard what Demetrius said. They began to shout, “The goddess Artemis of us Ephesians is very great!”
29 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.
Many of the other people in the city heard the shouting and went [and joined the crowd. They also became angry at Paul] and began shouting. [Several of] the people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, two men [from Macedonia] who had been traveling with Paul. [Then the whole crowd of people ran, dragging those men along with them], to the city stadium.
30 Paulo di vevie be yeadze wo yome ayi ƒuƒoƒe la, gake nusrɔ̃la bubuawo meɖe mɔ nɛ o.
Paul also wanted to go [to the stadium and speak to] the people, but the other believers would not let him go there.
31 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.
Also, some government officials of that province who were friends of Paul [heard what was happening]. So they sent someone to tell him [urgently] not to go into the stadium.
32 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.
The crowd of people [in the stadium] continued shouting. Some shouted one thing, and some shouted something else. But most of them did not even know what the meeting was about!
33 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.
One of the [Jews there was named Alexander. Some of] the Jews pushed him to the front of the stadium, [so that he could speak to the crowd of people]. So Alexander motioned with his hands to the crowd, [wanting them to be quiet]. He wanted to tell them that [the Jews] were not responsible [for the riot].
34 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!”
But [many of the non-Jewish people] knew that Alexander was a Jew. [They also knew that the Jews did not worship the goddess Artemis. So the non-Jews there] unitedly [and] repeatedly shouted for about two hours, “Great is [the goddess] Artemis [whom we(inc)] Ephesians [worship]!”
35 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.
Then the city secretary made the crowd stop shouting, and he said to them, “My fellow-citizens, everyone in the world knows [RHQ] that [we(inc) people who live in] Ephesus [city] guard the temple [where we worship] the great [goddess] Artemis. Also, [everyone knows that we(inc) watch over] the [sacred] image [of our goddess] that fell down from heaven!
36 Le esia ta la, mehiã be ne ame aɖe gblɔ nya bubu aɖe ko la, mianɔ ʋunyaʋunya wɔm alea gbegbe o.
Of course everyone knows that, and no one can say that these things are not true. So you should be quiet now. Do not suddenly do anything (foolish/that will cause us trouble).
37 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.
You [should not] have brought these [two] men [here, because they have not done anything evil]. They have not gone into our temples and taken things [from there]. And they have not spoken evil of our goddess.
38 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.
Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow-workmen want to accuse anyone [about anything bad, they should do it in the right way]. There are courts [that you can go to when you want to accuse someone], and there are judges [there who have been appointed by the government] {[whom the government has appointed]}. You can accuse [anyone there].
39 Ne nya bubu aɖe gali la, ekema woate ŋu ayi dutakpekpea me aɖalée kpɔ.
But if you want to ask about something else, [you should ask] for [other officials to] resolve it when [those] officials legally assemble.
40 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.”
[And this is certainly not a legal meeting! Resolve this legally] because, if [we(inc) do] not, I am afraid [that the governor] will hear about all this noise [that you have made] and will say that we [(inc)] were trying to rebel [against the government]. If he would ask me what you were all shouting about, I would not be able to give him an answer.”
41 Ale dudzikpɔla la kaka ƒuƒoƒo la, eye ame sia ame trɔ dzo yi aƒe me.
That is what the city secretary said [to the crowd]. Then he told them all to go [home. So they left].
