Dɔwɔwɔwo 7
1 Nunɔlagã la bia Stefano be, “Nɔvi, ɖe nya siwo katã wogblɔ le ŋuwò le eme vavãa?”
The high priest said, “Are these things so?”
2 Stefano ɖo eŋu be, “Nɔviwo kple fofowo miɖo tom. Ŋutikɔkɔe ƒe Mawu la ŋutɔ ɖe eɖokui fia mía tɔgbui Abraham le esime wònɔ Mesopotamia hafi wòva yi Haran.
He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
3 Mawu gblɔ nɛ be, ‘Do go le wò dukɔ kple wò ƒometɔwo dome, eye nàyi anyigba bubu aɖe sãa si mafia wò la dzi.’
and said to him, ‘Get out of your land and away from your relatives, and come into a land which I will show you.’
4 “Ale Abraham dzo le Kaldeanyigba dzi ɖanɔ Haran va se ɖe esime fofoa ku gblẽe ɖi. Esia megbe la, Mawu kplɔe va Israelnyigba sia dzi.
Then he came out of the land of the Kasdim and lived in Haran. From there, when his father was dead, God moved him into this land where you are now living.
5 Ke Mawu metsɔ anyigba sia ƒe akpa aɖeke na Abraham be wòanye etɔ o. Menye afɔ ɖeka teti hã o. Gake Mawu do ŋugbe nɛ be le ɣeyiɣi aɖewo megbe la, anyigba blibo la azu eya kple eƒe dzidzimeviwo tɔ, togbɔ be vi aɖeke menɔ Abraham si haɖe o hã.
He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on. He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his offspring after him, when he still had no child.
6 Mawu gagblɔ na Abraham be, ‘Wò dzidzimeviwo adzo le anyigba la dzi aɖanɔ dzronyigba aɖe dzi ƒe alafa ene sɔŋ abe kluviwo ene.
God spoke in this way: that his offspring would live as aliens in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.
7 Ke hã la, mahe to na dukɔ si ado kluvi Israelviwo, eye emegbe la, Israelviwo agatrɔ va woƒe anyigba la dzi ava subɔm le afi sia.’
‘I will judge the nation to which they will be in bondage,’ said God, ‘and after that they will come out and serve me in this place.’
8 Mawu de se na Abraham be wòatso aʋa na via ŋutsuviwo abe nubabla si le Mawu kple Abraham ƒe dzidzimeviwo dome la ƒe kpeɖodzinu ene. Le esia ta la, esi Isak si nye Abraham ƒe viŋutsu xɔ ŋkeke enyi ko la, fofoa tso aʋa nɛ. Isak ƒe viŋutsue nye Yakob, ame si hã ƒe viŋutsu wuieveawo me Israel dukɔa ƒe tɔgbui wuieveawo dzɔ tso.
He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.
9 “Yosef si nye Yakob ƒe vi mamlɛtɔ la ƒe nu menyo nɔvia bubuawo ŋu o, ale wodzrae na kluvisitsalawo, ame siwo kplɔe yi Egipte abe kluvi ene. Ke hã la, Mawu nɔ kplii
“The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt. God was with him
10 ale gbegbe be wòɖee tso eƒe fukpekpewo katã me, eye gawu la, Mawu na be Egipte Fia Farao kpɔ ŋudzedze le eŋu. Le nunya manyagblɔ si Mawu na Yosef ta la, Farao tsɔe ɖo dudzikpɔla gãe le Egipte dukɔa me, eye wògaɖoe tatɔe le eƒe fiasã blibo la me hã.
and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 “Eva eme be dɔ sesẽ aɖe va to le Egipte kple Kananyigba dzi, ale be mía tɔgbuitɔgbuiwo kpe fu ŋutɔ. Nuɖuɖu vɔ le wo si keŋkeŋ.
Now a famine came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction. Our fathers found no food.
12 Yakob se be nuɖuɖu le Egiptenyigba dzi ale wòdɔ viawo ɖa be woaɖaƒle ɖe vɛ.
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers the first time.
13 Esi wogayi Egipte zi evelia la, Yosef ɖe eɖokui fia nɔviawo, elabena womekpɔe dze sii zi gbãtɔ si wode afi ma o. Eɖe wo fia Fia Farao hã.
On the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh.
14 Yosef dɔ nɔviawo be ne woyi la, woakplɔ ye fofo Yakob, ye nɔviwo kple woƒe ƒometɔwo katã, ame siwo ƒe xexlẽme nɔ ame blaadre-vɔ-atɔ̃ la vɛ na ye le Egipte.
Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his relatives, seventy-five souls.
15 Esiae na be Yakob kple viawo katã ʋu va tsi Egipte, afi si wo katã ku ɖo,
Jacob went down into Egypt and he died, himself and our fathers;
16 eye wokɔ Yakob kple viawo va Sikem, eye woɖi wo ɖe yɔdo si Abraham ƒle le Hamor ƒe viwo gbɔ la me.
and they were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.
17 “Esime ɣeyiɣi si Mawu ɖo na Abraham be yeaɖe eƒe dzidzimeviwo tso kluvinyenye me le Egipte ɖo vɔ la, Israelviwo gadzi ɖe edzi fũu ŋutɔ le Egipte.
“But as the time of the promise came close which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Ke ‘fia bubu va zi dzi le Egipte, ame si menya naneke tso Yosef ŋu o.’
until there arose a different king who didn’t know Joseph.
19 Le esia ta la, ewɔ funyafunya mía tɔgbuitɔgbuiwo, eye wòde se be woatsɔ woƒe vidzĩwo aƒu gbe ne woaku.
The same took advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers, and forced them to abandon their babies, so that they wouldn’t stay alive.
20 “Le ɣeyiɣi sia me lɔƒo la, wodzi Mose si nye ɖevi dzeɖekɛ aɖe. Le se si nɔ anyi ɣe ma ɣi me ta la, esi wodzi Mose la, edzilawo dzrae ɖo ɖe xɔ me ɣleti etɔ̃ sɔŋ.
At that time Moses was born, and was exceedingly handsome to God. He was nourished three months in his father’s house.
21 Ke esi wòva dzɔ be womagate ŋu adzrae ɖo o ta la, wokɔe yi ɖada ɖe teƒe aɖe. Fia Farao ƒe vinyɔnuvi va fɔe le afi ma ale wòtsɔe abe via ene hekpɔ edzi.
When he was abandoned, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up and reared him as her own son.
22 Wohe Mose ɖe Egiptetɔwo ƒe nunya nu, ale wòtsi va zu fiavi xɔŋkɔ aɖe le nunya kple dɔwɔwɔ me.
Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was mighty in his words and works.
23 “Esi Mose xɔ abe ƒe blaene ene la, ewɔ susu gbe ɖeka be yeaɖi tsa aɖakpɔ ye nɔvi Israelviwo ɖa.
But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
24 Le tsaɖiɖi sia me la, eva ke ɖe Israel ɖekakpui aɖe kple Egiptetɔ aɖe ŋu wonɔ dzre wɔm. Mose kpɔe be Egiptetɔ la nɔ Israel ɖekakpui la ƒom, nɔ funyafunya wɔmii, eya ta edze Egiptetɔ la dzi hewui.
Seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him who was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.
25 Mose bui be wɔna sia ana be eya ŋutɔ nɔviawo axɔe se be Mawue ɖo ye ɖa be yeava ɖe wo le aboyo me hafi, gake womexɔe nenema o.
He supposed that his brothers understood that God, by his hand, was giving them deliverance; but they didn’t understand.
26 Esi ŋu ke la, Mose gaɖi tsa yi etɔ Israelviwo gbɔ. Kasiaa, ekpɔ Israelvi dzidzi eve hã wonɔ dzre wɔm vevie. Mose te ɖe wo ŋu enumake be yealé avu le wo dome. Egblɔ na wo be, ‘Nɔviwo, menyo kura be miawo ɖeɖe mianɔ dzre wɔm alea o eya ta midzudzɔ, ne miawɔ ɖeka.’
“The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’
27 “Ke ame siawo dometɔ si ƒe nya medzɔ o la gblɔ na Mose be wòakpɔ eya ŋutɔ ƒe nya gbɔ eye megade nu yewo tɔ me o. Ebia Mose be, ‘Ame kae ɖo wò fia kple ʋɔnudrɔ̃la ɖe mía dzi?’ Eyi edzi bia Mose be,
But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
28 ‘Alo ɖe nèdi be yeaƒo nye hã awu abe ale si nèwu Egiptetɔ ma etsɔ enea?’
Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 Nya sia sese te ɖe Mose dzi ale wòsi dzo le nuto la me yi ɖanɔ Midianyigba dzi afi si wòdzi eƒe viŋutsu eveawo le.
Moses fled at this saying, and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30 “Le ƒe blaene megbe la, mawudɔla aɖe ɖe eɖokui fia Mose le gbedzi le teƒe aɖe si te ɖe Sinai to la ŋu. Mawudɔla la ɖe eɖokui fiae le gbe aɖe si nɔ bibim la me.
“When forty years were fulfilled, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 Esi Mose kpɔ dzobibia la, ewɔ nuku nɛ ŋutɔ, eya ta eƒu du yi teƒea be yeakpɔ nu si wònye. Ke esi wòƒu du yina la, ese Mawu ƒe gbe be,
When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. As he came close to see, the voice of the Lord came to him,
32 ‘Nyee nye tɔgbuiwòwo Abraham, Isak kple Yakob ƒe Mawu la.’ Dzidzi ƒo Mose ale gbegbe be mete ŋu fɔ ta dzi be yeakpɔ afi si gbea le ɖiɖim tso la o.
‘I am the God of your fathers: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses trembled and dared not look.
33 “Mawu ƒe gbe yi edzi gblɔ nɛ be, ‘Ɖe wò afɔkpawo le afɔ, elabena teƒe si nèle la nye teƒe kɔkɔe.
The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
34 Mekpɔ fu gã si kpem vinyewo le le Egiptenyigba dzi, eye mese woƒe nublanuiɣli si dom wole la hã, eya ta meva be maɖe wo tso fukpekpe sia me. Va ne madɔ wò ɖe Egipte ne nàwɔ dɔ sia nam.’
I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning. I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you into Egypt.’
35 “Ale Mose si gbɔ etɔwo gbe nu le, eye wobiae be, ‘Ame kae ɖo wò fia kple ʋɔnudrɔ̃la ɖe mía dzi hã?’ la, eyae Mawu ɖo ɖa be wòanye woƒe ɖela kple kplɔla to mawudɔla, si ɖe eɖokui fiae le ŋuvea me la dzi.
“This Moses whom they refused, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—God has sent him as both a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 Ale to nukunu geɖewo wɔwɔ me la, Mose kplɔ Israelviwo tso Egipte. Woto Ƒu Dzĩ la me, eye wozɔ mɔ to gbedzi ƒe blaene sɔŋ.
This man led them out, having worked wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Sea of Suf, and in the wilderness for forty years.
37 “Mose ŋutɔ gblɔ na Israelviwo be, ‘Mawu ana nyagblɔɖila aɖe adzɔ tso mia nɔviwo dome abe nye ke ene.’
This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord our God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me.’
38 Mose ƒe nya sia va eme pɛpɛpɛ elabena esi wonɔ gbedzi nɔ yiyim la, Mose nye avuléla si nɔ Israelviwo kple mawudɔla si na Mawu ƒe sewo le Sinai to dzi la dome. Se si nye Agbenya lae wòna wo.
This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living revelations to give to us,
39 “Ke nublanuitɔe la, mía tɔgbuiwo gbe nu le Mose gbɔ, eye wodi be yewoatrɔ ayi Egipte.
to whom our fathers wouldn’t be obedient, but rejected him and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,
40 Le nyateƒe me la, woyɔ Aron hegblɔ nɛ be, ‘Nɔvi, me legba siwo anye míaƒe mawu siwo akplɔ mí agbugbɔ yi Egipte la na mí, elabena míenya nu si dzɔ ɖe Mose si kplɔ mí dzoe le Egiptenyigba dzi la dzi o.’
saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what has become of him.’
41 Eya ta wowɔ legba ɖe nyivi ƒe nɔnɔme me, eye wosubɔ nu si wotsɔ woƒe asi wɔe la kple dzidzɔ blibo hesaa vɔ nɛ.
They made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.
42 Wɔna sia na be Mawu hã ɖe asi le wo ŋu, eye wosubɔ ɣe, ɣleti kple ɣletiviwo abe ale si woŋlɔ ɖe Nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe agbalẽ me ene. “‘Israeltɔwo, nyee mietsɔ lã wuwuwo kple numemewo sa vɔ na esi mienɔ gbedzi ƒe blaene sɔŋ mahã?
But God turned away and gave them up to serve the army of the sky, as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘Did you offer to me slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 Kpao, menye nyee miesa vɔ na o, ke boŋ miaƒe susuwo katã nɔ Molek ƒe agbadɔ kple mawu Refan ƒe ɣletivinɔnɔme, siwo nye legba miewɔ be miasubɔ la ŋu. Le esia ta la, maɖo mi ɖe aboyo me, ayi keke Babilonia godo ke.’
You took up the tabernacle of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, the figures which you made to worship, so I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’
44 “Mía tɔgbuitɔgbuiwo tsɔ ɖaseɖiɖi ƒe agbadɔ la ɖe ta nɔ gbea dzi, nɔ yiyim tso teƒe yi teƒe. Wowɔ ɖaseɖiɖi ƒe agbadɔ sia ɖe nɔnɔme si Mawu ɖee fia Mose be wòawɔe la nu.
“Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern that he had seen;
45 Le ƒe aɖewo megbe la, esi Yosua va zu kplɔla, eye wòho aʋa ɖe dukɔwo ŋu la, wokɔ agbadɔ sia yi woƒe nɔƒe yeye si wonɔ la, eye wowɔ eŋuti dɔ va se ɖe Fia David ŋɔli.
which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered into the possession of the nations whom God drove out before the face of our fathers to the days of David,
46 Mawu yra Fia David ŋutɔ, eye David hã bia be Mawu naɖe mɔ na ye yeatu gbedoxɔ gã aɖe si anɔ anyi tegbee la na eya Yakob ƒe Mawu la.
who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.
47 Ke David ƒe vi Solomo boŋue nye ame si va tu gbedoxɔ la nɛ.
But Solomon built him a house.
48 “Ke hã la, Mawu Dziƒoʋĩtɔ la menɔa gbedoxɔ si amegbetɔ ŋutɔ tsɔ eƒe asi tui la me o, elabena Mawu ŋutɔ gblɔ to eƒe Nyagblɔɖila Yesaya dzi be,
However, the Most High doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says,
49 “‘Nye fiazikpuie nye dziƒo, eye anyigbae nye nye afɔɖodzinu. Aƒe ka ƒomevi koŋ ame ate ŋu atu nam? Aƒetɔ la gblɔe. Alo Afi ka nye gbɔɖemeƒe anɔ?
‘heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What kind of house will you build me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is the place of my rest?
50 Alo Menye nye asie wɔ esiawo katã oa?’
Didn’t my hand make all these things?’
51 “Mi tosesẽtɔ siawo, ɖe wòle be miasẽ dzime atsi tsitre ɖe Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la ŋu ɣe sia ɣia? Ɛ̃, Alea tututu mia tɔgbuiwo wɔe nye esi, eye eya ƒomevi ko wɔm miawo hã miele.
“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.
52 Mitɔ asi nyagblɔɖila si yome mia tɔgbuiwo meti hewɔ fui o la dzi nam. Wowu nyagblɔɖila siwo gblɔ Dzɔdzɔetɔ la ƒe vava ɖi eye miawo hã miede ame sia asi, eye miewui.
Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.
53 Ɛ̃, togbɔ be mawudɔlawoe tsɔ Mawu ƒe seawo vɛ na mi hã la, mieɖo koŋ gblẽ seawo to wo dzi dada me.”
You received the Torah as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!”
54 Stefano ƒe nya sia tɔ dzi na Yudatɔwo ƒe kplɔlawo ŋutɔ. Wodo dziku vevie henɔ nyanyram le wo ɖokuiwo me.
Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
55 Ke Stefano, ame si me Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la yɔ fũu la li eƒe ŋkuwo ɖe dzi gãa, ekpɔ Mawu ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe gã la, eye Yesu nɔ tsitre ɖe Mawu ƒe nuɖusime.
But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Yeshua standing on the right hand of God,
56 Stefano gblɔ na ameha la be, “Mikpɔ ɖa, mekpɔ dziƒo nu ʋu, eye Amegbetɔ Vi la tsi tsitre ɖe Mawu ƒe nuɖusime.”
and said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57 Nya sia gado dziku na wo ŋutɔ, ale wo katã wotsɔ woƒe asiwo xe to me be yewomagase nya aɖeke o. Wodze Stefano dzi henɔ ɣli dom be ame aɖeke megase eƒe nya o.
But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, then rushed at him with one accord.
58 Emegbe la, wohee do goe le dua me be yewoaƒu kpee wòaku. Ɖasefowo kple amewulawo ɖe woƒe awuwo na ɖekakpui aɖe si woyɔna be Saulo la be wòakpɔ wo dzi na yewo.
They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 Esi wonɔ kpe fum Stefano la, edo gbe ɖa gblɔ be, “Aƒetɔ Yesu, xɔ nye gbɔgbɔ.”
They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Yeshua, receive my spirit!”
60 Emegbe la, edze klo eye wòdo ɣli gblɔ be, “Aƒetɔ, mègaɖo nu vɔ̃ sia teƒe na wo o.” Ale wòdze anyi heku.
He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
