Matendo 19
1 Apolo alipokuwa huko Korintho, Paulo alisafiri sehemu za bara, akafika Efeso. Huko akawakuta wanafunzi kadhaa,
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2 akawauliza, “Je, mlipokea Roho Mtakatifu mlipoamini?” Wakajibu, “Hapana, hata hatukusikia kuwa kuna Roho Mtakatifu.”
and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 Ndipo Paulo akawauliza, “Je, mlibatizwa kwa ubatizo gani?” Wakajibu, “Kwa ubatizo wa Yohana.”
“Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied.
4 Paulo akasema, “Ubatizo wa Yohana ulikuwa wa toba, aliwaambia watu wamwamini yeye atakayekuja baada yake, yaani, Yesu.”
Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 Waliposikia haya, wakabatizwa katika jina la Bwana Yesu.
On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 Paulo alipoweka mikono yake juu yao, Roho Mtakatifu akawashukia, nao wakanena kwa lugha mpya na kutabiri.
And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
7 Walikuwa kama wanaume kumi na wawili.
There were about twelve men in all.
8 Paulo akaingia katika sinagogi na kunena humo kwa ujasiri kwa muda wa miezi mitatu, akijadiliana na watu na kuwashawishi katika mambo ya Ufalme wa Mungu.
Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.
9 Lakini baadhi yao walikaidi. Walikataa kuamini, na wakakashifu ujumbe wake mbele ya umati wa watu. Basi Paulo aliachana nao. Akawachukua wanafunzi naye, akahojiana nao kila siku katika darasa la Tirano.
But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
10 Jambo hili likaendelea kwa muda wa miaka miwili, kiasi kwamba Wayahudi na Wayunani wote walioishi huko Asia wakawa wamesikia neno la Bwana.
This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord.
11 Mungu akafanya miujiza mingi isiyo ya kawaida kwa mkono wa Paulo,
God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul,
12 hivi kwamba leso au vitambaa vilivyokuwa vimegusa mwili wa Paulo viliwekwa juu ya wagonjwa, nao wakapona magonjwa yao, na pepo wachafu wakawatoka.
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.
13 Basi baadhi ya Wayahudi wenye kutangatanga huku na huko wakitoa pepo wachafu wakajaribu kutumia jina la Bwana Yesu wale wenye pepo wakisema, “Kwa jina la Yesu, yule anayehubiriwa na Paulo, nakuamuru utoke.”
Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
14 Wana saba wa Skewa, Myahudi aliyekuwa kiongozi wa makuhani, walikuwa wanafanya hivyo.
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 Lakini pepo mchafu akawajibu, “Yesu namjua na Paulo pia namjua, lakini ninyi ni nani?”
Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
16 Kisha yule mtu aliyekuwa na pepo mchafu akawarukia, akawashambulia vikali, akawashinda nguvu wote, wakatoka ndani ya ile nyumba wakikimbia wakiwa uchi na wenye majeraha.
Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.
17 Habari hii ikajulikana kwa Wayahudi wote na Wayunani waliokaa Efeso, hofu ikawajaa wote, nalo jina la Bwana Yesu likaheshimiwa sana.
This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
18 Wengi wa wale waliokuwa wameamini wakati huu wakaja na kutubu waziwazi kuhusu matendo yao maovu.
Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds.
19 Idadi kubwa ya wale waliofanya mambo ya uganga wakaleta vitabu vyao na kuviteketeza kwa moto hadharani. Walipofanya hesabu ya thamani ya vitabu vilivyoteketezwa ilikuwa drakma 50,000 za fedha.
And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.
20 Hivyo neno la Bwana likaenea sana na kuwa na nguvu.
So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.
21 Baada ya mambo haya kutukia, Paulo akakusudia rohoni kwenda Yerusalemu kupitia Makedonia na Akaya. Akasema, “Baada ya kufika huko, yanipasa pia kwenda Rumi.”
After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”
22 Hivyo akatuma wasaidizi wake wawili, Timotheo na Erasto, waende Makedonia, wakati yeye mwenyewe alibaki kwa muda kidogo huko Asia.
He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.
23 Wakati huo huo pakatokea dhiki kubwa kwa sababu ya Njia ile ya Bwana.
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
24 Mtu mmoja jina lake Demetrio mfua fedha aliyekuwa akitengeneza vinyago vya fedha vya Artemi na kuwapatia mafundi wake biashara kubwa,
It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.
25 aliwaita pamoja watu wengine waliofanya kazi ya ufundi kama yake na kusema, “Enyi watu, mnajua ya kuwa utajiri wetu unatokana na biashara hii!
Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity.
26 Pia ninyi mmeona na kusikia jinsi ambavyo si huku Efeso peke yake lakini ni karibu Asia yote, huyu Paulo amewashawishi na kuvuta idadi kubwa ya watu kwa kusema kuwa miungu iliyotengenezwa na watu si miungu.
And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.
27 Kwa hiyo kuna hatari si kwa kazi yetu kudharauliwa tu, bali pia hata hekalu la mungu mke Artemi, aliye mkuu, anayeabudiwa Asia yote na ulimwengu wote, litakuwa limepokonywa fahari yake ya kiungu.”
There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.”
28 Waliposikia maneno haya, wakaghadhibika, wakaanza kupiga kelele, “Artemi wa Waefeso ni mkuu!”
When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
29 Mara mji wote ukajaa ghasia. Wakawakamata Gayo na Aristarko, watu wa Makedonia waliokuwa wakisafiri pamoja na Paulo, na watu wakakimbilia katika ukumbi wa michezo kama mtu mmoja.
Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
30 Paulo akataka kuingia katikati ya umati huo, lakini wanafunzi hawakumruhusu.
Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him.
31 Hata baadhi ya viongozi wa sehemu ile, waliokuwa rafiki zake Paulo, wakatuma watu wakitamani asiingie katika ule ukumbi.
Even some of Paul’s friends who were officials of the province of Asia sent word to him, begging him not to venture into the theatre.
32 Ule umati ulikuwa na taharuki. Wengine walikuwa wakipiga kelele, hawa wakisema hili na wengine lile. Idadi kubwa ya watu hawakujua hata ni kwa nini walikuwa wamekusanyika huko.
Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there.
33 Wayahudi wakamsukumia Aleksanda mbele na baadhi ya watu kwenye ule umati wakampa maelekezo. Akawaashiria kwa mkono ili watulie aweze kujitetea mbele ya watu.
The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.
34 Lakini walipotambua kwamba alikuwa Myahudi, wote wakapiga kelele kwa sauti moja kwa karibu muda wa saa mbili, wakisema, “Artemi wa Efeso ni mkuu!”
But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 Baadaye karani wa mji akaunyamazisha ule umati wa watu na kusema, “Enyi watu wa Efeso, je, ulimwengu wote haujui ya kuwa mji wa Efeso ndio unaotunza hekalu la Artemi aliye mkuu na ile sanamu yake iliyoanguka kutoka mbinguni?
Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?
36 Kwa hiyo, kwa kuwa mambo haya hayakanushiki, inawapasa mnyamaze na wala msifanye lolote kwa haraka.
Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash.
37 Kwa kuwa mmewaleta hawa watu hapa, ingawa hawajaiba hekaluni wala kumkufuru huyu mungu wetu wa kike.
For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess.
38 Basi, ikiwa Demetrio na mafundi wenzake wana jambo zito dhidi ya mtu yeyote, mahakama ziko wazi na wasaidizi wa mwakilishi wa mtawala. Wanaweza kufungua mashtaka.
So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there.
39 Lakini kama kuna jambo jingine lolote zaidi mnalotaka kulileta, itabidi lisuluhishwe katika kusanyiko halali.
But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly.
40 Kama ilivyo sasa, tuko hatarini kushtakiwa kwa kufanya ghasia kwa sababu ya tukio la leo. Kwa kuwa hakuna sababu tutakayoweza kutoa kuhalalisha msukosuko huu.”
For we are in jeopardy of being charged with rioting for today’s events, and we have no justification to account for this commotion.”
41 Baada ya kusema haya akavunja mkutano.
After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
