Mabasa 17
1 Vakati vapfuura nomuAmufipori neAporonia, vakasvika muTesaronika umo makanga mune sinagoge ravaJudha.
After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica. Here the Jews had a synagogue;
2 Setsika yake Pauro akapinda musinagoge, akataurirana navo zvaibva muMagwaro, kwamaSabata matatu,
and, following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three Sabbaths addressed them, drawing his arguments from the scriptures.
3 achitsanangura nokuvaratidza kuti Kristu aifanira kutambudzika uye agomuka kubva kuvakafa. Akati, “Jesu uyu wandinokuparidzirai ndiye Kristu.”
He laid before them and explained that the Christ must undergo suffering and rise from the dead; and “It is this man,” he declared, “who is the Christ – this Jesus about whom I am telling you.”
4 Vamwe vaJudha vakatenda ndokubva vabatana naPauro naSirasi, sezvakaitwawo navazhinji zhinji vavaGiriki vaitya Mwari uye navakadzi vazhinji vaikudzwa.
Some of the people were convinced, and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, as did also a large body of Greeks who were accustomed to join in the Jewish services, and a great number of leading women.
5 Asi vaJudha vakaita godo; saka vakakokorodza vanhu vakanga vakaipa kubva pamusika, vakaunganidza mhomho yavanhu kuti vandotanga bope muguta. Vakamhanyira kumba kwaJasoni kundotsvaka Pauro naSirasi vachida kuti vavabudise vavaendese kuvanhu vazhinji.
But the Jewish leaders, becoming jealous, engaged some worthless fellows from the streets, and, getting a mob together, kept the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason’s house, with the intention of bringing Paul and Silas before the Popular Assembly;
6 Asi vakati vavashayiwa, vakakakatira Jasoni nedzimwe hama pamberi pavabati veguta, vachidanidzira vachiti, “Vanhu vaya vakauyisa kusagadzikana panyika yose vasvikawo kuno zvino,
and, not finding them there, they proceeded to drag Jason and some of the Lord’s followers before the city magistrates, shouting out, “These men, who have turned the world upside down, have now come here,
7 uye Jasoni akavagamuchira mumba make. Vose vari kumhura zvirevo zvaKesari, vachiti pano mumwe mambo, anonzi Jesu.”
and have been harbored by Jason! They are all defying the decrees of the Emperor. They say that someone else is king – a man called Jesus!”
8 Vakati vanzwa izvozvo, ungano uye navabati veguta vakashushikana.
On hearing this, the people and the city magistrates were much concerned;
9 Ipapo vakaita kuti Jasoni navamwe varipe rubatso ndokubva vavaregedza.
and, before letting them go, they took bail from Jason and the others.
10 Kuchangosviba, hama dzakaendesa Pauro naSirasi kuBheria. Vakati vasvika ikoko, vakapinda musinagoge ravaJudha.
That very night the followers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and on reaching that place, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
11 Zvino vaBheria vakanga vane tsika dzakanaka kupfuura vaTesaronika, nokuti vakagamuchira shoko nemwoyo inodisisa uye vachinzvera Magwaro zuva rimwe nerimwe kuti vaone kana zvairehwa naPauro zvaiva izvo.
These Jews of Beroea were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message with great readiness, and daily examined the scriptures to see if what was said was true.
12 VaJudha vazhinji vakatenda, sezvakaitwawo navakadzi vaikudzwa vechiGiriki navarume vazhinji vechiGiriki.
As a consequence, many of them became believers in Christ, besides a considerable number of Greek women of position, and of men also.
13 VaJudha vokuTesaronika vakati vanzwa kuti Pauro akanga achiparidza shoko raMwari paBheria, vakaendazve ikoko, vakakurudzira uye vakakuchidzira bope pakati pavanhu vazhinji.
But, when the Jewish leaders in Thessalonica found out that God’s message had been delivered by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, exciting and disturbing the minds of the people.
14 Ipapo hama dzakaendesa Pauro kugungwa, asi Sirasi naTimoti vakasara paBheria.
The followers immediately arranged for Paul to go away to the coast, but both Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Beroea.
15 Varume vakaperekedza Pauro, vakasvika naye paAtene vachibva vadzokera vaine shoko rokuti Sirasi naTimoti vamutevere nokukurumidza.
The friends who escorted Paul took him as far as Athens, and, after receiving a message for Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible, they started on their return.
16 Pauro achakavamirira paAtene, akatambudzika zvikuru achiona kuti guta rakanga rizere nezvifananidzo.
While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his heart was stirred at seeing the whole city full of idols.
17 Saka akataurirana navaJudha navaGiriki vaitya Mwari musinagoge, uyewo napamusika zuva rimwe nerimwe naavo vainge varipo.
So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who joined in their worship, as well as daily in the public Square with those who happened to be there.
18 Boka ravakachenjera ravaEpikuro navaStoiki rakaita nharo naye. Vamwe vavo vakabvunza vakati, “Ko, uyu mutauri wezvisina maturo ari kuedza kuti kudii?” Vamwe vakati, “Anenge ari kudzidzisa nezvavamwari vokumwe.” Vakareva izvi nokuti Pauro akanga achiparidza mashoko akanaka ezvaJesu uye nezvokumuka kwavakafa.
Among others, some Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers joined issue with him. Some asked “What is this prater wanting to make out?”, while others said “He seems to be a preacher of foreign Deities.” (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection).
19 Ipapo vakamutora vakaenda naye kumusangano weAreopagasi, vakati kwaari, “Tinoda kuziva kuti dzidziso itsva iyi yauri kudzidzisa ndeyei?
So they laid hold of him and took him to the Court of Areopagus. “May we hear,” they asked, “what new teaching this is which you are giving?
20 Uri kuunza pfungwa itsva kunzeve dzedu, uye tinoda kuziva kuti dzinorevei.”
For you are bringing some strange things to our notice, and we should like to know what they mean.”
21 (VaAtene vose navatorwa vaigara ipapo vaipedza nguva yavo vasina chimwe chavanoita kunze kwokungotaura nokuteerera pfungwa itsva).
(All Athenians and the foreigners staying in the city found no time for anything else but telling, or listening to, the last new thing.)
22 Ipapo Pauro akasimuka mumusangano weAreopagasi akati, “Varume veAtene! Ndinoona kuti panzira dzose muri vanhu vechitendero zvikuru.
So Paul took his stand in the middle of the Court, and said – “People of Athens, on every hand I see signs of your being very devout.
23 Nokuti ndakati ndichifamba-famba uye ndikanyatsotarisisa zvinhu zvamunonamata, ndakaonawo aritari yakanyorwa kunzi: KUNA MWARI ASINGAZIVIKANWI. Zvino chamunonamata sechinhu chisingazivikanwi ndicho chandinokuparidzirai.
For as I was going about, looking at your sacred shrines, I came upon an altar with this inscription – ‘To an Unknown God.’ What, therefore, you worship in ignorance, that I am now proclaiming to you.
24 “Mwari akasika nyika nezvinhu zvose zviri mairi ndiye Ishe wedenga napasi uye haagari mutemberi dzakavakwa namaoko.
The God who made the world and all things that are in it – he, Lord as he is of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hands,
25 Iye haashumirwi namaoko avanhu, sokunge anoshayiwa chinhu, nokuti iye amene anopa vanhu vose upenyu nokufema, nezvimwewo zvinhu.
neither do human hands minister to his wants, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives, to all, life, and breath, and all things.
26 Kubva pamunhu mumwe chete akaita ndudzi dzose dzavanhu, kuti vagare panyika yose; uye akavatarira nguva nenzvimbo dzavo chaidzo dzavangagara.
He made all races of the earth’s surface – fixing a time for their rise and fall, and the limits of their settlements –
27 Mwari akaita izvi kuitira kuti vanhu vagomutsvaka kuti zvimwe vangamuwana, kunyange zvake asiri kure nomumwe nomumwe wedu.
That they might search for God, if by any means they might feel their way to him and find him. And yet he is not really far from any one of us;
28 ‘Nokuti maari ndimo matinorarama nomatinofamba, uye ndimo matigere.’ Sezvakarehwa navamwe vadetembi vokwenyu vachiti, ‘Tiri chibereko chake.’
for in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets – ‘His offspring, too, are we.’
29 “Naizvozvo sezvo tiri chibereko chaMwari, hatifaniri kufunga kuti umwari hwakaita segoridhe kana sirivha kana ibwe, chifananidzo chakavezwa noumhizha hwomunhu.
Therefore, as the offspring of God, we must not think that the Deity has any resemblance to anything made of gold, or silver, or stone – a work of human art and imagination.
30 Mwari akarega hake kurangarira nguva dzakare dzokusaziva kwakadai, asi zvino anorayira vanhu vose kwose kwose kuti vatendeuke.
True, God looked with indulgence on the days of people’s ignorance, but now he is announcing to everyone everywhere the need for repentance,
31 Nokuti akatara zuva raachatonga nyika nokururamisira nomurume waakagadza. Akaratidza izvi kuvanhu vose nokumumutsa kubva kuvakafa.”
because he has fixed a day on which he intends to judge the world with justice, by a man whom he has appointed – and of this he has given all people a pledge by raising this man from the dead.”
32 Vakati vanzwa nezvokumuka kwavakafa, vamwe vakaseka, asi vamwe vakati, “Tinoda kuzokunzwazve pamusoro peshoko iri.”
On hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some began jeering, but others said that they wanted to hear what he had to say about that another time.
33 Nokudaro, Pauro akabva paungano iyi.
And so Paul left the Court.
34 Varume vashoma vakava vateveri vaPauro uye vakatenda. Pakati pavo paiva naDhionisiasi, nhengo yeAreopagasi nomukadzi ainzi Dhamarisi, uye navamwewo.
There were, however, some people who joined him, and became believers in Christ. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and several others.
