Ditiro 7
1 Mme Moperesiti yo Mogolo a mmotsa a re, “A mafoko a, a boammaaruri?”
Then the high priest asked, “Is this true?”
2 Mme Setefane a araba ka boleele a re, “Mo-dimo o o galalelang o ne wa iponatsa mo go rraetsho Aberahame mo Iraka pele ga a ya kwa Seria,
Stephen replied, “Brothers and fathers, hear what I have to say. God, who manifests himself in the glory, appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, and before he settled in Haran, and said to him –
3 mme wa mo raya wa re a tloge mo lefatsheng la ga gabo, a laele ba gagabo a ba a tloge a ye kwa lefatsheng le Modimo o tlaa le mo kaelang.
‘Leave your country and your people, and come into the country that I will show you.’
4 Hong a tswa mo lefatsheng la Bakaladea a ya go nna mo kgaolong ya Harana, mo Seria, go fitlhelela rraagwe a a swa. Mme Modimo wa mmusetsa mono lefatsheng la Iseraele,
And so Abraham left the country of the Chaldaeans and settled in Haran; and from there, after his father’s death, God caused him to migrate into this country, in which you are now living.
5 ga wa ka wa mo naya sepe sa dilo tsa gagwe, le fa e le setsha se sennye sa lefatshe. Le fa go ntse jalo Modimo wa mo solofetsa gore o tlaa mo naya lefatshe lotlhe le ditlogolwana tsa gagwe, le fa ka nako eo a ne a sena bana!
God did not at that time give him any part of it, not even a foot of ground. But he promised to give him possession of it and his descendants after him, though at that time he had no child.
6 “Mme Modimo wa mo raya gape wa re, ditlogolwana tsa gago di tlaa tswa mo lefatsheng leo di ye go nna mo lefatsheng la seeng mme koo di nne batlhanka, selekanyo sa dingwaga di le makgolo a mane.
God’s words were these – ‘Abraham’s descendants will live in a foreign country, where they will be enslaved and ill-treated for four hundred years.
7 Mme Modimo wa ba raya wa re, ‘Ke tlaa otlhaya Chaba e e tlaa ba dirang batlhanka mme morago ga moo batho ba me ba tlaa boela mo lefatsheng le la Iseraele ba nkobamela teng.’
But I myself will judge the nation, to which they will be enslaved,’ God said, ‘and after that they will leave the country and worship me in this place.’
8 “Gape Modimo wa neela Aberahame kgolagano ya bogwera ka nako eo; e le kgolagano fa gare ga Modimo le batho ba ga Aberahame, mme Isake, morwa Aberahame a rupisiwa fa a le malatsi a fera bobedi a tshotswe. Isake a tsala Jakobe, Jakobe a tsala ditlhogo di le lesome le bobedi tsa lotso lwa Sejuta.
Then God made with Abraham the covenant of circumcision; and under it Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him when he was eight days old; and Isaac became the father of Jacob; and Jacob of the Twelve Patriarchs.
9 Mme batho ba, ba ne ba fufegela Josefa thata ba bo ba mo rekisa go ya go nna motlhanka kwa Egepeto. Mme Modimo o ne wa nna nae,
The Patriarchs, out of jealousy, sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him,
10 o ne wa mo golola mo tlalelong yotlhe ya gagwe, wa mo naya tlotlego mo go Farwe Kgosi ya Egepeto. Gape Modimo wa naya Josefa botlhale jo bogolo, mo Farwe o ileng a mo tlhopha go nna molaodi mo Egepeto yotlhe, a bo a mmaya motlhokomedi wa ditiro tsotlhe tsa segosi.
and delivered him out of all his troubles, and enabled him to win favor and show wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him Governor of Egypt and of his whole household.
11 “Mme ga nna leuba mo Egepeto le Kanana, mme ga nna le bohutsana jo bogolo mo go borraetsho. Erile fa dijo tsa bone di setse di fedile,
Then a famine spread over the whole of Egypt and Canaan, causing great distress, and our ancestors could find no food.
12 Jakobe a utlwa fa go sa ntse go na le mabele kwa Egepeto, jalo a romela bomorwawe go ya go a reka.
Hearing, however, that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob sent our ancestors there on their first visit.
13 Erile fa ba ya labobedi, Josefa a itshenolela bomogolowe, mme ba itsisiwe Farwe.
In the course of their second visit, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh.
14 “Mme Josefa a romela bangwe go ya go tsaya rraagwe ebong Jakobe le ba malwapa a bomogolowe botlhe go tla Egepeto, botlhe e ne e le batho ba le masome a supa le botlhano.
Then Joseph sent an urgent invitation to his father Jacob and to his relatives, seventy-five persons in all;
15 Jalo Jakobe a tla Egepeto, kwa o neng a swela teng, le bana botlhe ba gagwe.
and so Jacob went down into Egypt. There he died, and our ancestors also,
16 Mme botlhe ba ne ba isiwa kwa Shekema ba fitlhwa mo lebitleng le Aberahame o neng a le rekile mo go bomorwa Hamore, rraagwe Shekema.
and their bodies were removed to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 Mme erile fa nako e atamela e Modimo o neng o tlaa diragatsa tsholofetso ya one mo go Aberahame go golola bana ba gagwe mo botlhankeng, Bajuta ba ntsifala thata mo Egepeto; mme ga tlhongwa kgosi e e neng e sena tlotlo mo segopotsong sa ga Josefa.
As the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise which God had made to Abraham, the people increased largely in numbers in Egypt,
until a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to the throne.
19 Kgosi e ya nna kgatlhanong le losika lwa rona, ya pateletsa batsadi go latlhela bana ba bone mo masimong.
This king acted deceitfully towards our people and ill-treated our ancestors, making them abandon their own infants, so that they should not be reared.
20 “Mme ka nako eo Moshe a tsalwa, ngwana yo o neng a bonala a na le bontle jwa Se-Modimo. Batsadi ba gagwe ba mo fitlha mo lwapeng se-lekanyo sa dikgwedi tse tharo,
It was just at this time that Moses was born. He was an exceedingly beautiful child, and for three months was brought up in his own father’s house;
21 mme ya re kwa bofelong ba sa tlhole ba kgona go mo fitlha, ebile ba tshwanelwa ke go mo latlha, morwadia Farwe a mmona mme a mo ikgodisetsa e le ngwana wa gagwe,
and, when he was abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh found him and brought him up as her own son.
22 mme a mo ruta botlhale jotlhe jwa Baegepeto, mme a nna kgosana e kgolo le sebui se se tumileng.
So Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and proved his ability both by his words and actions.
23 “Mme erile letsatsi lengwe fa a atamela bo-tsalo jwa letsatsi la gagwe la dingwaga tse di masome a mane, a tlelwa ke mogopolo wa go etela ba ga gabo, batho ba Iseraele.
When he was in his fortieth year, he resolved to visit his fellow Israelites;
24 Mo loetong lo a bona Moegepeto a sotla Moiseraele. Jalo Moshe a bolaya Moegepeto.
and, seeing an Israelite ill-treated, he defended him, and avenged the man, who was being wronged, by striking down the Egyptian.
25 Moshe o ne a gopola gore ba ga gabo ba tlaa lemoga gore Modimo o mo rometse go tla go ba thusa, mme ba se ka ba lemoga.
He thought his own people would understand that God was using him to save them; but they failed to do so.
26 “Ka letsatsi le le latelang a ba etela gape mme a fitlhela banna ba le babedi ba Baiseraele ba lwa. Mme a leka go ba letlanya a re ‘Banna, lo bana ba monna ga lo a tshwanela go lwa jaana! Ga go a siama.’
The next day he again appeared on the scene, when some of them were fighting, and tried to make peace between them. ‘Men,’ he said, ‘you are brothers; how is it that you are ill-treating one another?’
27 “Mme monna yo o molato a raya Moshe a re, ‘Re tlhokomologe o tlhokomele tsa gago. Ke mang yo o go beileng molaodi le moatlhodi mo go rona?’
But the man who was ill-treating his fellow workman pushed Moses aside saying – ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?
28 A o rata go mpolaya jaaka o bolaile Moegepeto yole maabane?
Do you mean to make away with me as you did yesterday with that Egyptian?’
29 “Mme ka ntlha ya lefoko le, Moshe a tswa mo Egepeto, a tshabela kwa lefatsheng la Mediana, kwa o neng a tsala bana ba basimane ba le babedi gone.
At these words Moses took to flight, and became an exile in Midian; and there he had two sons born to him.
30 “Morago ga dingwaga di le masome a mane, mo sekakeng gaufi le Thaba ya Senai, moengele a iponatsa mo go ene a le mo kgabong ya molelo mo setlhareng.
Forty years had passed when there appeared to him, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an angel in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 Moshe a bona tiragalo e, mme a hakgamala gore ke eng, mme ya re a sianela go ya go bona, lentswe la Morena la bua nae le re,
When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the vision; but on his going nearer to look at it more closely, the voice of the Lord was heard to say –
32 ‘Ke Modimo wa bo-rraeno mogolwagolwane, Modimo wa ga Aberahame, Isake le Jakobe!’ Moshe a roroma ka poifo e kgolo mme a se ka a batla go leba.
‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled, and did not dare to look.
33 “Mme Morena a mo raya a re, ‘Rola ditlhako tsa gago, gonne o eme mo mmung o o boitshepo.
Then the Lord said to him – ‘Take your sandals off your feet, for the spot where you are standing is holy ground.
34 Ke bonye kutlobotlhoko ya batho ba me ba ba kwa Egepeto ebile ke utlwile selelo sa bone. Ke tsile go ba golola. Tla, ke tlaa go romela kwa Egepeto.’
I have seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt, and heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them. Come now and I will send you into Egypt.’
35 “Mme jalo Modimo wa romela ene tota motho yo ba ga bone ba kileng ba mo gana ka go mo raya ba re, ‘Ke mang yo o go beileng molaodi le moatlhodi mo go rona?’ Moshe o ne a rometswe go ya go nna molaodi le mmoloki wa bone.
This same Moses, whom they had disowned with the words – ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ was the man whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, under the guidance of the angel that had appeared to him in the bush.
36 Mme ka dikgakgamatso tse dintsi a ba ntsha mo Egepeto a ba kgabagantsha Lewatle le le Hibidu, a bo a ba ralatsa sekaka selekanyo sa dingwaga di le masome a mane.
He it was who led them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the desert during forty years.
37 “Moshe ka boene o ne a raya batho ba Iseraele a re, ‘Modimo o tlaa tsosa moporofiti yo o tshwanang le nna mo gare ga bo-morwa rraa lona.’
This was the Moses who said to the people of Israel – ‘God will raise up for you, from among yourselves, a prophet, as he raised up me.’
38 Mme se se ne sa supega se le boammaaruri, gonne mo sekakeng, Moshe e ne e le ene yo o fa gare, motsereganyi fa gare ga batho ba Iseraele le moengele yo o neng a ba naya molao wa Modimo, Lefoko le le Tshelangmo thabeng ya Senai.
He, too, it was who was present at the assembly in the desert, with the angel who talked to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and who received living truths to impart to you.
39 “Mme borraetsho ba ne ba gana Moshe, ba batla go boela kwa Egepeto.
Yet our ancestors refused him obedience; more than that, they rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,
40 “Ba raya Arone ba re, ‘Re direle medimo ya disetwa, gore re tle re nne le medimo e e re etelelang pele go boela kwa morago; gonne ga re itse gore go rileng kaga Moshe yo o re ntshitseng mo Egepeto.’
while they said to Aaron – ‘Make us Gods who will lead the way for us, since, as for this Moses who has brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’
41 Mme ba dira modimo wa namane mme ba o ntshetsa ditlhabelo, mme ba itumelela selo se, se ba se dirileng.
That was the time when they made the calf and offered sacrifice to their idol, and held festivities in honor of their own handiwork!
42 Mme Modimo wa ba huralela wa ba tlogela, mme wa ba lesa ba direla letsatsi, ngwedi le dinaledi jaaka medimo ya bone! Mo lokwalong lwa polelelopele ya ga Amose, Modimo o botsa jaana wa re, ‘Iseraele, a o ne o direla nna setlhabelo mo sekakeng selekanyo sa dingwaga di le masome a mane?
So God turned from them and left them to the worship of the Starry Host, as is written in the book of the prophets – ‘Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me, house of Israel, all those forty years in the desert?
43 Nnyaa, tota kgatlhego ya gago e ne e le mo medimong ya seheitane ebong Sakutlhe, le modimo wa naledi Kaiwae, le mo ditshwantshong tsotlhe tse o di dirileng. Jalo ke tlaa go isa botshwarong kgakala go feta Babelone.’
You took with you the tent where Moloch is worshiped and the star of the god Rephan – the images which you had made to worship. Therefore I will exile you beyond Babylon.’
44 “Mme borraetsho mogolwagolwane ba ne ba tsamaya le motlaagana ba ralala sekaka. Mo teng ga one ba ne ba beile matlapa a go neng go kwadilwe Melao e e Lesome mo go one. Kago e, e ne e agilwe fela ka thulaganyo e Moshe o neng a e kaetswe ke moengele.
Our ancestors had the tent where they worshiped God in the desert, constructed, just as he who spoke to Moses had directed him to make it, after the model which he had seen.
45 Erile morago ga dingwaga, fa Joshua a eteletse pele dintwa kgatlhanong le Badichaba, Motlaagana o ba tsena nao mo lefatsheng le lesha, mme wa dirisiwa go fitlhelela mo lobakeng lwa ga Kgosi Dafide.
This tent, which was handed down to them, was brought into this country by our ancestors who accompanied Joshua (at the conquest of the nations that God drove out before their advance), and remained here until the time of David.
46 “Modimo o ne wa segofatsa Dafide a kopa tetlelelo ya go agela Modimo wa ga Jakobe Tempele e e siameng.
David found favor with God, and prayed that he might provide the God of Jacob with a place to reside.
47 Mme tota e ne ya agiwa ke Solomone.
But it was Solomon who built a house for God.
48 Le fa go ntse jalo, Modimo ga o nne mo Ditempeleng tse di agilweng ka diatla tsa batho. Morena o bua ka baporofiti jaana a re, ‘Legodimo ke setilo sa me sa bogosi, mme lefatshe ke sebeo sa dinao tsa me’. Morena o botsa jaana a re, ‘Lo ka nkagela ntlo e e ntseng jang? A ke ka nna mo go yone?
Yet it is not in buildings made by hands that the Most High dwells. As the prophet says –
‘The heavens are a throne for me, and the earth a stool for my feet. What manner of house will you build me, asks the Lord, or what place is there where I may rest?
50 A ga ke a dira legodimo le lefatshe?’
Was it not my hand that made all these things?’
51 “Baheitane ke lona ba lo thamo di thata! A lo tshwanetse go ganetsa Mowa O O Boitshepo ka bosakhutleng? Mme borraalona ba ne ba dira jalo, a le lona lo dira jalo!
Stubborn people, heathen in heart and ears, you are for ever resisting the Holy Spirit; your ancestors did it, and you are doing it still.
52 Bolelang moporofiti mongwe yo borralona ba iseng ba ke ba mmogise! Ba bolaile le ene tota yo o ntshitseng polelelopele ya go tla ga Mosiami, Mesia yo lo mo okileng lwa ba lwa mmolaya.
Which of the prophets escaped persecution at their hands? They killed those who foretold the coming of the righteous one; of whom you, in your turn, have now become the betrayers and murderers –
53 Ee, lo sentse Melao ya Modimo ka bomo, le fa lo ne lo e amogetse mo diatleng tsa baengele.”
you who received the Law as transmitted by angels and yet failed to keep it.”
54 Mme baeteledipele ba Sejuta ba tenwa thata ke go omanngwa ke Setefane ba bo ba mo shenela meno ka kgakalo.
As they listened to this, the Council grew frantic with rage, and gnashed their teeth at Stephen.
55 Mme Setefane, a tletse Mowa O O Boitshepo, a leba ka iketlo kwa legodimong, a bona kgalalelo ya Modimo le Jesu a ntse ka fa letsogong le legolo la Modimo.
He, filled as he was with the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes intently on the heavens, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God’s right hand.
56 Mme a ba raya a re, “Bonang, ke bona legodimo le bulegile mme Jesu Mesia a eme fa thoko ga Modimo, ka fa letsogong la one le legolo!”
“Look,” he exclaimed, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand!”
57 Mme ba mo gagautlha, ba ikaba ditsebe, ba tima lentswe la gagwe ka go goa thata,
At this, with a loud shout, they stopped their ears and all rushed on him, forced him outside the city,
58 mme ba mo gogela kwa ntle ga motse go ya go mo kgobotletsa ka matlapa. Basupi ba bagolo le babolai ba apola dibaki tsa bone ba di baya fa dinaong tsa lekawana lengwe le le bidiwang Saulo.
and began to stone him, the witnesses laying their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 Mme erile fa babolai ba mo kgobotletsa ka maje, Setefane a rapela a re, “Morena Jesu, amogela Mowa wa me.”
And they stoned Stephen, while he cried to the Lord, “Lord Jesus! Receive my spirit!”
60 Mme a wela fa fatshe ka mangole, a goa a re, “Morena o se ka wa ba bona molato ka ntlha ya boleo jo!” Mme ka mafoko ao, a swa.
Falling on his knees, he called out loudly, “Lord! Do not charge them with this sin;” and with these words he fell asleep.
