Dɔwɔwɔwo 9
1 Saulo gado adã ɖe xɔsetɔwo ŋu vevie wu tsã, eye wòlé gbɔgbɔtsixe ɖe ƒo ganɔ wo yome tim kple ŋkubiã. Eƒe susu kple didi katã koe nye be yeatsrɔ̃ Aƒetɔ la ƒe nusrɔ̃lawo. Le esia ta la, eyi nunɔlagã la gbɔ
Meanwhile, Saul angrily continued to say, “I will kill those who believe that [Jesus is] the Lord!” He went to the supreme priest [in Jerusalem]
2 be wòana agbalẽ si ana ŋusẽ ye, ale be yeayi Yudatɔwo ƒe ƒuƒoƒe siwo le Damasko ne woakpe ɖe ye ŋu be yeate ŋu alé xɔsetɔ siwo katã le teƒe siawo, ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo siaa, ade ga wo, eye yeakplɔ wo va Yerusalem.
and requested him [to write] letters [introducing him] to [the leaders of] [MTY] the Jewish meeting places in Damascus [city. The letters asked them to authorize Saul] to seize any men or women who followed the way [that Jesus had taught], and to take them as prisoners to Jerusalem [so that the Jewish leaders could judge and punish them].
3 Esi wòsusɔ vie ko wòaɖo Damasko dua me la, keklẽ gã aɖe klẽ ɖe edzi tso dziƒo.
Saul took those letters, and while he [and those with him] traveled toward Damascus, as they were approaching the city, suddenly a [brilliant] light from heaven shone around Saul.
4 Edze anyi kpla enumake. Ke ese gbe aɖe be, “Saulo, Saulo, nu ka ta nèle yonyeme tim alea?”
[Immediately] he fell down to the ground. Then he heard the voice [of the Lord] say to him, “Saul, Saul, (stop causing me to suffer!/why are you causing me to suffer?) [RHQ]”
5 Saulo bia kple vɔvɔ̃ be, “Wò ame kae le nu ƒom, Aƒetɔ?” Gbea ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Nyee nye Yesu, ame si yome tim nèle.
Saul asked him, “Lord, who are you?” He replied, “I am Jesus, [and] you [(sg)] are causing me to suffer [by hurting my followers]!
6 Azɔ tsi tsitre nàyi Damasko dua me; ne èɖo afi ma la, woagblɔ nu siwo nàwɔ la na wò.”
Now instead [of continuing to do that], stand up and go into the city! [Someone there] will tell you [(sg)] what I [want] you to do.”
7 Nyadzɔdzɔ sia wɔ nuku na Saulo ŋumewo ŋutɔ. Woƒe nu ku ale gbegbe be gbɔgblɔ bu ɖe wo, elabena wonɔ gbeɖiɖi aɖe sem pɛpɛpɛ, gake womekpɔ ame si nɔ nu ƒom la o.
The men who were traveling with Saul [became so frightened that they] could not say anything. [They just] stood there. They only heard the sound [when the Lord spoke], but they did not see anyone.
8 Saulo wɔ ɖɔɖɔɖɔ tso le anyigba, gake nukutɔe la, megate ŋu nɔ nu kpɔm o; eƒe ŋku dzi tsyɔ eya ta wolé eƒe alɔnu kplɔe ɖɔɖɔɖɔ yi Damasko.
Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see anything. So the men [with him] took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.
9 Enɔ dua me ŋkeke etɔ̃ numaɖumaɖu kple tsimanomanoe.
For the next three days Saul could not see [anything], and he did not eat or drink anything.
10 Mawudzixɔsela aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Anania la nɔ Damasko dua me ɣe ma ɣi. Mawu yɔe le ŋutega me gbe ɖeka be “Anania.” Etɔ, eye wògblɔ be, “Nyee nye esi, Aƒetɔ.”
In Damascus there was [a Jew] named Ananias who believed in Jesus. While [Ananias was seeing] a vision, the Lord [Jesus] said to him, “Ananias!” He replied, “Lord, I [am listening].”
11 Mawu gblɔ nɛ be, “Tso nàyi ablɔ si woyɔna be, ‘Mɔ Dzɔdzɔe’ la dzi, eye nàdi ŋutsu aɖe si woyɔna be Yuda la ƒe aƒe me. Ne èkpɔe la, bia ŋutsu aɖe si woyɔna be Saulo tso Tarso la ta se le afi ma. Le gaƒoƒo sia me la, ele klo dzi le gbe dom ɖa nam vevie,
The Lord Jesus told him, “Go to Straight Street to the house that belongs to Judas. Ask [someone there if you(sg) can talk to] a man named Saul from Tarsus [city], because, surprisingly, at this moment he is praying [to me].
12 elabena meɖee fiae le ŋutega me be wò, Anania, àva egbɔ, ada asi ɖe edzi be eƒe ŋkuwo naʋu, ale be wòagate ŋu akpɔ nu.”
[Saul has seen] a vision in which a man named Ananias entered [the house where he was staying] and put his hands on him in order that he might see again.”
13 Anania ɖo eŋu gblɔ be, “Aƒetɔ, mese be funyafunya si gbegbe Saulo sia wɔ ame kɔkɔewo le Yerusalem la mele gbɔgblɔ me o ɖe!
But Ananias [protested], saying, “But Lord, many people have told me about this man! He has done many evil things to the people in Jerusalem who [believe in] you!
14 Gawu la, míese be ɖe wòxɔ agbalẽ koŋ tso nunɔlagãwo gbɔ be yeava lé ame siwo katã yɔa wò ŋkɔ.”
And the chief priests have authorized him to come here [to Damascus] in order to seize all of us who believe in you [(sg)] [MTY] [and take us to Jerusalem]!”
15 Ke Aƒetɔ la ɖo eŋu na Anania be, “Yi nàwɔ ɖe nye gbe dzi, elabena nye ŋutɔe tia ame sia be wòanye dɔwɔla nam, eye wòagblɔ nye nya na ame siwo menye Yudatɔwo o, fiawo kple Israelviwo ŋutɔ hã,
But the Lord [Jesus] told Ananias, “Go to [Saul! Do what I say], because I have chosen him to serve me in order that he might speak about me [MTY] both to non-Jewish people and [their] kings and to the Israeli people.
16 ke nye ŋutɔ magblɔ fu siwo wòakpe ɖe tanye la afiae.”
I myself will tell him that he must often suffer greatly because of [telling people about] me [MTY].”
17 Anania tso heyi Saulo ƒe aƒe me, eye wòda asi ɖe edzi gblɔ nɛ be, “Nɔvinye Saulo, Aƒetɔ Yesu, ame si ɖe eɖokui fia wò le Damasko mɔ dzi la ɖom ɖa be mada gbe le ŋuwò, eye tso esia dzi la, Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la nayɔ mewò be nàgakpɔ nu.”
So Ananias went, and [after he found] the house [where Saul was], he entered it. Then, [as soon as he met Saul], he put his hands on him, and he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus [himself] commanded me to come [to you]. He is the [same] one who appeared to you [(sg)] while you were traveling along the road. [He sent me to you] in order that you might see again and that you might be completely controlled by the Holy Spirit {that the Holy Spirit might completely control you}.”
18 Enumake ewɔ abe nane ƒe tsrowoe ge le eƒe ŋkuwo dzi ene. Ŋkuawo ʋu, eye wògade asi nukpɔkpɔ me. Anania de mawutsi ta nɛ enumake.
Instantly, things like [fish] scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he was able to see again. Then he stood up and was baptized {[Ananias] baptized him} [immediately].
19 Ŋusẽ gaɖo Saulo ŋu esi wona nanee wòɖu vɔ. Saulo nɔ nusrɔ̃lawo gbɔ le Damasko hena ŋkeke geɖewo.
After Saul ate some food, he felt strong again. Saul stayed with the [other] believers in Damascus for several days.
20 Tete wòdze mawunyagbɔgblɔ gɔme le woƒe ƒuƒoƒewo le gbɔgblɔm be Yesue nye Mawu ƒe Vi la.
Right away Saul began to preach [to people about Jesus] in the Jewish meeting places [in Damascus. He told them] that Jesus is (the Son of/the man who is also) God.
21 Ame siwo katã se Saulo ƒe mawunya la ƒe nu ku, eye wobia wo nɔewo be, “Alo menye ame siae wɔ funyafunya geɖe ame siwo yɔa ŋkɔ sia le Yerusalem le woƒe xɔse ta oa? Míese gɔ̃ be ɖe wòva Damasko afi sia be yealé xɔsetɔwo ade ga wo akplɔ yii na nunɔlagãwo le Yerusalem!”
And all the people who heard him [preach] were amazed. [Various ones of] them were saying, “([We(inc) can hardly believe that] this is the [same man] who persecuted the believers in Jerusalem!/Is this really the [same man] who persecuted the believers in Jerusalem?) [RHQ, MTY] And we [(inc)] know that he has [RHQ] come here to seize us and take us to the chief priests [in Jerusalem]!”
22 Saulo yi eƒe mawunyagbɔgblɔ dzi kple ŋusẽ, ale be Yudatɔ siwo nɔ Damasko la mete ŋu tsi tsitre ɖe eƒe nya siwo ɖee fia kɔtɛe be Yesue nye Kristo la ŋu o.
But [God] enabled Saul [to preach to many people even] more convincingly. He was proving [from the Scriptures] that Jesus is the Messiah. So the Jewish leaders in Damascus could not think of anything (to refute [what he said/to prove that what he said was not true]).
23 Le ŋkeke aɖewo megbe la, Yudatɔwo ƒe kplɔlawo wɔ ɖoɖo be yewoawu Saulo.
Some time later, [after Saul had left Damascus and then returned], the Jewish [leaders] [SYN] [there] plotted to kill him.
24 Ke ame aɖe va fi tofi na Saulo be dzɔlawo le Damasko ƒe agbowo nu dzɔm zã kple keli be ne eva yina la, yewoawui.
[During each] day and night those Jews were continually watching [the people passing through] the city gates, in order that [when they saw Saul] they might kill him. However, someone told Saul what they planned to do.
25 Eya ta gbe ɖeka zã la, Saulo yomedzela aɖewo kɔe de kusi gã aɖe me heɖiɖii to do si le dua ƒe gli la me la me heɖiɖii ɖe anyigba.
So some of those whom he had helped [to believe in Jesus] took him [one] night [to the high stone wall that surrounded the city]. They [used ropes to] lower him in a [large] basket through an opening in the wall. [So he escaped from Damascus].
26 Esi Saulo va ɖo Yerusalem la, edze agbagba be yeawɔ ɖeka kple xɔsetɔ siwo le afi ma la, gake wonɔ vɔvɔ̃m nɛ, eye womelɔ̃ te ɖe eŋu o, elabena wobu be alakpa dam wònɔ be yezu yewo dometɔ ɖeka.
When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he began trying to associate with other believers. However, [almost] all of them continued to be afraid of him, because they did not believe that he had become a believer.
27 Ke Barnabas kplɔ Saulo va apostoloawo gbɔe. Eƒo nu na wo tso ale si Saulo kpɔ Aƒetɔa le Damasko mɔ dzi, nya siwo wògblɔ nɛ kple ale si Saulo gblɔ mawunya kple ŋusẽ tɔxɛ le Yesu ƒe ŋkɔ me la ŋu na wo.
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He explained to the apostles how, [while Saul was traveling] along the road [to Damascus], he had seen the Lord [Jesus] and how the Lord had spoken to him [there. He] also told them how Saul had preached boldly about Jesus [MTY] [to people] in Damascus. [The apostles believed Barnabas and told the other believers about that].
28 Esia na be apostoloawo xɔ Saulo ɖe wo dome. Ale tso ɣe ma ɣi dzi la, enɔ xɔsetɔwo ŋu kplikplikpli le Yerusalem henɔ mawunya gblɔm dzideƒotɔe le Aƒetɔ la ƒe ŋkɔ me.
So Saul began to associate with the apostles [and other believers] throughout Jerusalem, and he spoke boldly [to people] about [MTY] the Lord [Jesus].
29 Ke eva eme be Helatɔ siwo trɔ zu Yudatɔwo la dometɔ aɖewo, ame siwo Saulo he nya kplii la wɔ ɖoɖo be yewoawui.
Saul was [also] speaking [about Jesus] with Jews who spoke Greek, and he was debating with them. But they were continually trying [to think] ([of a way] to kill him/of [how they could] kill him).
30 Esi xɔsetɔ bubuawo se be Saulo ƒe agbe ɖo xaxa me alea la, wokplɔe yi Kaesarea, eye tso afi ma la, woɖoe ɖe wo de, Tarso.
When the [other] believers heard that [those Jews were planning to kill him, some of] the believers took Saul down to Caesarea [city. There] they arranged for him to go [by ship] to Tarsus, [his hometown].
31 Le ɣeyiɣi siawo katã me la, tomefafa blibo nɔ hame siwo le Yudea, Galilea kple Samaria nutowo me la me. Esia wɔ be hame la ƒe xexlẽme dzi ɖe edzi, eye wògasẽ ŋu ɖe edzi wu le gbɔgbɔ me hã, eye wonɔ agbe le Aƒetɔ la vɔvɔ̃ me, eye Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe la hã na dzidzeme blibo wo.
So the groups of believers throughout [the entire regions of] Judea, Galilee, and Samaria lived peacefully [because no one was persecuting them any more]. The Holy Spirit was strengthening them [spiritually] and encouraging them. They were continuing to revere/honor the Lord [Jesus, and the Holy Spirit] was enabling many other people [to become believers].
32 Esi Petro nɔ tsatsam tso teƒe yi teƒe la, eva Mawu ƒe ame siwo le Lida hã gbɔ.
While Peter was traveling throughout those [regions, once] he went to [the coastal plain to visit] the believers [who lived] in Lydda [town].
33 Teƒe sia wòkpɔ ŋutsu aɖe si woyɔna be Aeneas, ame si nɔ lãmetutudɔ lém, eye wòtsi aba dzi ƒe enyi sɔŋ le.
There he met a man whose name was Aeneas. Aeneas had not been able to get up from [his] bed for eight years, because he was paralyzed.
34 Petro yɔe gblɔ nɛ be, “Aeneas, Yesu Kristo da gbe le ŋuwò, eya ta tsi tsitre, eye nàŋlɔ wò aba.” Ŋutsu la ƒe lãme sẽ enumake.
Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you [(sg) right now]! Get up and roll up your mat!” Right away Aeneas stood up.
35 Nukunu sia wɔe be ame siwo katã le Lida kple Saron la dze Aƒetɔ la yome, elabena wokpɔ Aeneas wònɔ zɔzɔm.
Most of the people who lived in Lydda and on Sharon [Plain] saw Aeneas [after the Lord had healed him], so they believed in the Lord [Jesus].
36 Nyɔnu nusrɔ̃la aɖe nɔ Yopa dua me si woyɔna be Tabita (si woyɔna le Helagbe me be Dɔkas). Nyɔnu sia nye xɔsetɔ si wɔa dɔmenyo na amewo ŋutɔ, vevietɔ ame dahewo.
In Joppa [town] there was a believer whose name was Tabitha. [Her name] in the [Greek] language was Dorcas. [Both of these names mean gazelle/deer/antelope]. That woman was continually doing good deeds [for others. Specifically], she was helping poor people [by giving them things that they needed].
37 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me tututu la, nyɔnu sia dze dɔ, eye wòku. Wodzra eƒe kukua ɖo, eye woɖoe aba dzi le dziƒoxɔ aɖe dzi.
During the time [that Peter was in Lydda], she became sick and died. [Some women there] washed her body [according to the Jewish custom so that the people could bury it]. Then they [covered her body with cloth and] placed it in an upstairs room [in her house].
38 Ke esi nusrɔ̃lawo se Petro ŋkɔ le Lida la, woɖe ame eve ɖo ɖee kple kukuɖeɖe be wòaɖe abla ava yewo gbɔ le Yopa, elabena Lida tsɔ ɖe Yopa gbɔ.
Lydda was near Joppa, so when the believers heard that Peter was [still] in Lydda, they sent two men to [go] to Peter. [When they arrived where Peter was], they repeatedly urged/begged him, “Please come immediately with us [to Joppa]!”
39 Petro lɔ̃ va Yopa. Esi wòva ɖo teti ko la, wokplɔe yi dziƒoxɔ dzi le xɔ si me wokɔ Dɔkas ƒe kukua mlɔe. Xɔa me yɔ fũu kple konyifalawo, ame siwo dometɔ geɖewo nye ahosi siwo Dɔkas lɔ̃ avɔ alo awu na le eƒe agbe me. Ɖe sia ɖe nɔ nu siwo Dɔkas wɔ nɛ la tsɔm fia nɔvia.
So [right away] Peter got ready and went with them. When they arrived [at the house in Joppa], the two men took Peter to the upstairs room [where Dorcas’ body was lying]. All the widows [there] around Peter. They were crying and showing him the cloaks and [other] garments that Dorcas had made for people while she was still alive.
40 Esi Petro ge ɖe xɔa me la, ebia tso wo katã si be woado go ana mɔ ye. Esi wodo go la, Petro dze klo do gbe ɖa, eye wòtrɔ ɖe ame kukua gbɔ gblɔ nɛ be, “Tabita, tsi tsitre!” Enumake ame kuku la ʋu ŋku, eye esi wòkpɔ Petro la, efɔ nɔ abati la dzi.
But Peter sent them all out of the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. Then, turning toward Tabitha’s body, he said, “Tabitha, stand up!” [Immediately] she opened her eyes and, when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41 Petro lé eƒe alɔnu, eye wòtsi tsitre. Azɔ Petro yɔ xɔsetɔawo kple ahosiawo va xɔa me, eye wòtsɔ Dɔkas gbagbe la de asi na wo.
He grasped one of her hands and helped her to stand up. After he had summoned the believers and [especially] the widows [among them to come back in], he showed them that Tabitha was alive [again].
42 Nukunya sia kaka ɖe Yopa du blibo la me, eye ame geɖewo ŋutɔ trɔ hexɔ Aƒetɔ la dzi se.
[Soon] people everywhere in Joppa knew about that miracle, and as a result many people believed in the Lord [Jesus].
43 Petro nɔ Yopa dua me ŋkeke geɖe, eye wònɔ Simɔn si nye lãgbalẽŋutidɔwɔla la gbɔ le eƒe aƒe me.
Peter stayed in Joppa many days with a man named Simon who made leather [from animal skins].
