Mabasa 17
1 Vakati vapfuura nomuAmufipori neAporonia, vakasvika muTesaronika umo makanga mune sinagoge ravaJudha.
Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia [towns] and arrived at Thessalonica [city]. There was a Jewish meeting place there.
2 Setsika yake Pauro akapinda musinagoge, akataurirana navo zvaibva muMagwaro, kwamaSabata matatu,
(On the Sabbath/On the Jewish rest day) Paul went into the meeting house, as he usually did. For three weeks [he went there] on each Jewish day of rest. Referring to the Scriptures [about the Messiah], he spoke to the people who were there.
3 achitsanangura nokuvaratidza kuti Kristu aifanira kutambudzika uye agomuka kubva kuvakafa. Akati, “Jesu uyu wandinokuparidzirai ndiye Kristu.”
He explained and showed that [the prophets wrote that] the Messiah needed to die and (to become alive again/to be raised from the dead [afterwards]). He told them: “This man Jesus, whom I am telling you about, is our Messiah. [He died and became alive again, just like the prophets predicted].”
4 Vamwe vaJudha vakatenda ndokubva vabatana naPauro naSirasi, sezvakaitwawo navazhinji zhinji vavaGiriki vaitya Mwari uye navakadzi vazhinji vaikudzwa.
Some of the Jews [there] were persuaded by {believed} [what Paul had said] and began to associate with Paul and Silas. There were also many non-Jewish people there who worshipped God and many important women [who also believed the message about Jesus], and they began to associate with Paul and Silas.
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 [some leaders of] the Jews there in Thessalonica became jealous [because many people believed what Paul taught]. So they went to the public square and persuaded some lazy men [who were loitering there] to follow them. [In this way, the leaders of] the Jews gathered a crowd and incited them to become noisy and start a riot [against Paul and Silas]. Those [Jews and others] ran to the house of [a man named] Jason. [He was the man who had invited Paul and Silas to stay at his house]. They wanted to bring Paul and Silas outside to where the crowd [of people was waiting].
6 Asi vakati vavashayiwa, vakakakatira Jasoni nedzimwe hama pamberi pavabati veguta, vachidanidzira vachiti, “Vanhu vaya vakauyisa kusagadzikana panyika yose vasvikawo kuno zvino,
They discovered that Paul and Silas were not there, but they found Jason [and grabbed him]. They dragged him and some of the [other] believers to where the city officials/authorities and [many other people were gathered]. The men [who had brought Jason] shouted, “Those [two] men have caused trouble [IDM] everywhere [HYP] [they have gone]. Now they have come to our city,
7 uye Jasoni akavagamuchira mumba make. Vose vari kumhura zvirevo zvaKesari, vachiti pano mumwe mambo, anonzi Jesu.”
and [this fellow] Jason invited them to stay at his house. All the people [of this sect] oppose what our Emperor has decreed. They say that another person, whose name is Jesus, is [the real] king!”
8 Vakati vanzwa izvozvo, ungano uye navabati veguta vakashushikana.
When the crowd of people [that had gathered] and the city authorities heard that, they became very angry and excited.
9 Ipapo vakaita kuti Jasoni navamwe varipe rubatso ndokubva vavaregedza.
[They wanted to put the believers in jail. But instead], the officials made Jason and the other [believers] pay a fine and told them that they [would give the money back to them if Paul and Silas did not cause any more trouble]. Then the authorities let Jason and those other believers go.
10 Kuchangosviba, hama dzakaendesa Pauro naSirasi kuBheria. Vakati vasvika ikoko, vakapinda musinagoge ravaJudha.
[So] that same night, the believers sent Paul and Silas [out of Thessalonica] to Berea [town]. When Paul and Silas arrived there, they went to the Jewish meeting place, [on a day when people had gathered there].
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.
The [Jews] in Thessalonica had not been very willing to listen to God’s message, but the [Jews] who lived in Berea were very willing to listen, so they listened very eagerly to the message [about Jesus]. Every day they read the Scriptures [for themselves] to find out if what Paul said [about the Messiah] was true.
12 VaJudha vazhinji vakatenda, sezvakaitwawo navakadzi vaikudzwa vechiGiriki navarume vazhinji vechiGiriki.
As a result, many of the Jewish people believed [in Jesus], and also some of the important non-Jewish women and many non-Jewish men [believed in him].
13 VaJudha vokuTesaronika vakati vanzwa kuti Pauro akanga achiparidza shoko raMwari paBheria, vakaendazve ikoko, vakakurudzira uye vakakuchidzira bope pakati pavanhu vazhinji.
But then the Jews in Thessalonica heard [people tell them] that Paul [was] in Berea and that he was preaching the message from God [about Jesus]. So they went to Berea and [told people there that what Paul was teaching was not true. Thus], they caused many of those people to get angry [at Paul].
14 Ipapo hama dzakaendesa Pauro kugungwa, asi Sirasi naTimoti vakasara paBheria.
So [several of] the believers [in Berea] took Paul to the coast [to go to another province]. But Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.
15 Varume vakaperekedza Pauro, vakasvika naye paAtene vachibva vadzokera vaine shoko rokuti Sirasi naTimoti vamutevere nokukurumidza.
When Paul and the other men from Berea [arrived at the coast, they got on a ship and] went to Athens [city]. Then Paul said [to the men who had come with him], “Tell Silas and Timothy to come to me [here in Athens] as soon as they can.” Then those men left [Athens and returned to Berea].
16 Pauro achakavamirira paAtene, akatambudzika zvikuru achiona kuti guta rakanga rizere nezvifananidzo.
In Athens, Paul waited for Silas and Timothy [to arrive. In the meantime, he walked around in the city. He] became very distressed/disturbed because he saw that throughout [HYP] the city there were many idols.
17 Saka akataurirana navaJudha navaGiriki vaitya Mwari musinagoge, uyewo napamusika zuva rimwe nerimwe naavo vainge varipo.
So he went to the Jewish meeting place and talked [about Jesus] with the Jews, and also with the Greeks who had accepted what the Jews believe. He also went to the public square/center every day and talked to the people [whom he met] 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.
Paul met some teachers who liked to talk about what people should believe. [People called] some of them Epicureans and [they called] others Stoics. They told Paul [what they believed], and they asked him [what he believed. Then] some of them said [to one another], “This ignorant person is just talking nonsense [RHQ]!” Others said, “[We(exc) think] that he is teaching people about (foreign gods/[new] gods that we [(exc)] have not heard about).” They said that because Paul was telling them that Jesus [had died and] had become alive again [afterwards. They had not heard that message before].
19 Ipapo vakamutora vakaenda naye kumusangano weAreopagasi, vakati kwaari, “Tinoda kuziva kuti dzidziso itsva iyi yauri kudzidzisa ndeyei?
So they took Paul to the place where the city council met. [When they arrived] there, they said to Paul, “[Please] tell us, what is this new message that you [(sg)] are teaching people?
20 Uri kuunza pfungwa itsva kunzeve dzedu, uye tinoda kuziva kuti dzinorevei.”
You are teaching some things that startle us [(exc)], so we want to know what they mean.”
21 (VaAtene vose navatorwa vaigara ipapo vaipedza nguva yavo vasina chimwe chavanoita kunze kwokungotaura nokuteerera pfungwa itsva).
[They said that, because] the people of Athens and also the people from other regions who lived there continually talked about what was new [to them], or they listened to [others tell] what was new.
22 Ipapo Pauro akasimuka mumusangano weAreopagasi akati, “Varume veAtene! Ndinoona kuti panzira dzose muri vanhu vechitendero zvikuru.
Then Paul stood up before the men of the city council and said, “Citizens of Athens, I see that you (are very religious/think that it is very important to worship many gods).
23 Nokuti ndakati ndichifamba-famba uye ndikanyatsotarisisa zvinhu zvamunonamata, ndakaonawo aritari yakanyorwa kunzi: KUNA MWARI ASINGAZIVIKANWI. Zvino chamunonamata sechinhu chisingazivikanwi ndicho chandinokuparidzirai.
I [say that] because, while I was walking along and observing the objects [that represent different gods that] you worship, I even saw an altar that had these words [that someone had] carved [on it: THIS HONORS] THE GOD [THAT WE(exc)] DO NOT KNOW. So now I will tell you about [that God] whom you worship but you do not know.
24 “Mwari akasika nyika nezvinhu zvose zviri mairi ndiye Ishe wedenga napasi uye haagari mutemberi dzakavakwa namaoko.
He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Because he rules over all [beings in] heaven and [on] earth, he does not dwell in shrines that people have made.
25 Iye haashumirwi namaoko avanhu, sokunge anoshayiwa chinhu, nokuti iye amene anopa vanhu vose upenyu nokufema, nezvimwewo zvinhu.
He does not need to have anything made for him by people [MTY] {to have people [MTY] make [MTY] anything for him}, because everything that exists belongs to him. He is the one who causes (us [(inc)]/all people) to live and breathe, and [he gives us] all the things [that we(inc) need].
26 Kubva pamunhu mumwe chete akaita ndudzi dzose dzavanhu, kuti vagare panyika yose; uye akavatarira nguva nenzvimbo dzavo chaidzo dzavangagara.
[In the beginning], God created one couple, and from them God produced all (the ethnic groups/the nations) that now live everywhere on the earth. He also decided where each ethnic group of people should live and how long they should live [there].
27 Mwari akaita izvi kuitira kuti vanhu vagomutsvaka kuti zvimwe vangamuwana, kunyange zvake asiri kure nomumwe nomumwe wedu.
He wanted people to realize that they need him. Then maybe they would seek him and find him. [God wants us to seek him], although he is [really] close [LIT] to each one of us.
28 ‘Nokuti maari ndimo matinorarama nomatinofamba, uye ndimo matigere.’ Sezvakarehwa navamwe vadetembi vokwenyu vachiti, ‘Tiri chibereko chake.’
As someone has said, ‘[It is only] because he enables us that we [(inc)] live and move and do [what we do].’ And, as some of your own poets have said, ‘We [(inc)] are God’s children.’
29 “Naizvozvo sezvo tiri chibereko chaMwari, hatifaniri kufunga kuti umwari hwakaita segoridhe kana sirivha kana ibwe, chifananidzo chakavezwa noumhizha hwomunhu.
Therefore, because we are God’s children [and can communicate like God does], we [(inc)] should not think that he is anything like an image [that people have made] of gold or silver or stone [which cannot communicate]. Those images are designed and skillfully made {People design and make those images}, [but they are not alive].
30 Mwari akarega hake kurangarira nguva dzakare dzokusaziva kwakadai, asi zvino anorayira vanhu vose kwose kwose kuti vatendeuke.
During the times when people did not know [what God wanted them to do], he did not [immediately] punish [them for what they did]. But now God commands all people everywhere to turn away from their evil behavior.
31 Nokuti akatara zuva raachatonga nyika nokururamisira nomurume waakagadza. Akaratidza izvi kuvanhu vose nokumumutsa kubva kuvakafa.”
[He tells us] that on a certain day that he has chosen he is going to judge [all of us(inc) people in] [MTY] the world. He has appointed a [certain] man to judge [us, and that man will judge each of us] fairly/justly. God has shown to all [people that he has appointed that man to judge everyone], because God (caused him to become alive again after he had died/raised him from the dead).”
32 Vakati vanzwa nezvokumuka kwavakafa, vamwe vakaseka, asi vamwe vakati, “Tinoda kuzokunzwazve pamusoro peshoko iri.”
When the men of the council heard [Paul say] that ([a man] had become alive again after he had died/[someone] had been raised from the dead), some of them laughed scornfully. But others said, “We [(exc)] would like you [(sg)] to tell us more about this, some other time.”
33 Nokudaro, Pauro akabva paungano iyi.
After they said that, Paul left the council [meeting].
34 Varume vashoma vakava vateveri vaPauro uye vakatenda. Pakati pavo paiva naDhionisiasi, nhengo yeAreopagasi nomukadzi ainzi Dhamarisi, uye navamwewo.
However, some of the people there went along with Paul and became believers. Among those [who believed in Jesus] was a member of the council whose [name was] Dionysius. Also, an [important] woman whose name was Damaris and some other people [who had heard Paul’s message also believed in Jesus].
