Matendo 17
1 Kwa kupitia Amfipoli na Apolonia, walisafiri mpaka Thesalonika ambako kulikuwa na sunagogi la Wayahudi.
Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia [towns] and arrived at Thessalonica [city]. There was a Jewish meeting place there.
2 Paulo alijiunga nao kama ilivyokuwa desturi yake akajadiliana nao Sabato tatu mfululizo, akatumia Maandiko Matakatifu.
(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 Aliyaeleza na kuonyesha kwamba ilimbidi Kristo kuteswa na kufufuka kutoka wafu. Akawaambia, “Yesu ambaye mimi namhubiri kwenu ndiye Kristo.”
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 Baadhi yao walikubali wakajiunga na Paulo na Sila. Kadhalika, idadi kubwa ya Wagiriki waliomcha Mungu pamoja na wanawake wengi wa tabaka la juu, walijiunga nao.
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 Lakini Wayahudi wakaona wivu; wakawakodi wafidhuli sokoni, wakafanya kikundi na kuzusha fujo mjini kote. Wakaivamia nyumba ya Yasoni wakitumaini kuwapata humo Paulo na Sila ili wawalete hadharani.
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 Lakini hawakuwapata na hivyo walimburuta Yasoni pamoja na ndugu wengine mpaka kwa wakuu wa mji, wakapiga kelele: “Watu hawa wamekuwa wakivuruga dunia yote na sasa wako hapa mjini.
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 Yasoni amewakaribisha nyumbani kwake. Wote wanafanya kinyume cha amri ya Kaisari wakisema eti Kuna mfalme mwingine aitwaye Yesu.”
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 Kwa maneno hayo waliwatia wasiwasi wakuu wa mji na kundi la watu.
When the crowd of people [that had gathered] and the city authorities heard that, they became very angry and excited.
9 Wakawafanya Yasoni na wenzake watoe dhamana, kisha wakawaacha waende zao.
[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 Usiku, wale ndugu waliwahimiza Paulo na Sila waende Berea. Mara tu walipofika huko, walikwenda katika sunagogi la Wayahudi.
[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 Watu wa huko walikuwa wasikivu zaidi kuliko wale wa Thesalonika. Waliupokea ule ujumbe kwa hamu kubwa, wakawa wanayachunguza Maandiko Matakatifu kila siku, ili kuona kama yale waliyosema Paulo na Sila yalikuwa kweli.
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 Wengi wao waliamini na pia wanawake wa Kigiriki wa tabaka la juu na wanaume pia.
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 Lakini, Wayahudi wa Thesalonika walipogundua kwamba Paulo alikuwa anahubiri neno la Mungu huko Berea, walikwenda huko, wakaanza kufanya fujo na kuchochea makundi ya watu.
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 Wale ndugu wakamsindikiza haraka aende pwani lakini Sila na Timotheo walibaki Berea.
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 Wale ndugu waliomsindikiza Paulo walikwenda pamoja naye mpaka Athene. Kisha, wakarudi pamoja na maagizo kutoka kwa Paulo kwamba Sila na Timotheo wamfuate upesi iwezekanavyo.
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 Paulo alipokuwa anawasubiri Sila na Timotheo huko Athene, moyo wake ulighadhibika sana alipoona jinsi mji huo ulivyokuwa umejaa sanamu za miungu.
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 Alijadiliana na Wayahudi na watu wengine waliomcha Mungu katika sunagogi; na kila siku alikuwa na majadiliano sokoni pamoja na wowote wale waliojitokeza.
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 Wengine waliofuata falsafa ya Epikuro na Stoiki walibishana naye. Wengine walisema, “Anataka kusema nini huyu bwanamaneno?” Kwa kuwa Paulo alikuwa anahubiri juu ya Yesu na juu ya ufufuo, wengine walisema, “Inaonekana kama anahubiri juu ya miungu ya kigeni.”
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 Hivyo walimchukua Paulo, wakampeleka Areopago, wakasema, “Tunataka kujua jambo hili jipya ulilokuwa unazungumzia.
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 Vitu vingine tulivyosikia kwa masikio yetu vinaonekana kuwa viroja kwetu. Tungependa kujua mambo haya yana maana gani.”
You are teaching some things that startle us [(exc)], so we want to know what they mean.”
21 Wananchi wa Athene na wakazi wengine wa huko walikuwa wanatumia wakati wao wote kuhadithiana na kusikiliza habari mpyampya.
[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 Basi, Paulo alisimama mbele ya baraza la Areopago, akasema, “Wananchi wa Athene! Ninaona kwamba ninyi, kwa vyovyote, ni watu wa dini sana.
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 Sababu yenyewe ni kwamba katika pitapita yangu niliangalia sanamu zenu za ibada nikakuta madhabahu moja ambayo imeandikwa: Kwa ajili ya Mungu yule Asiyejulikana. Basi, huyo mnayemwabudu bila kujua, ndiye ninayemhubiri kwenu.
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 Mungu, aliyeumba ulimwengu na vyote vilivyomo, ni Bwana wa mbingu na nchi; yeye hakai katika hekalu zilizojengwa na watu.
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 Wala hatumikiwi kwa mikono ya watu kana kwamba anahitaji chochote kile, kwa maana yeye mwenyewe ndiye anayewapa watu uhai, anawawezesha kupumua na anawapa kila kitu.
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 Kutokana na mtu mmoja aliumba mataifa yote na kuyawezesha kuishi duniani kote. Aliamua na kupanga kabla kabisa lini na wapi mataifa hayo yangeishi.
[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 Alifanya hivyo, ili mataifa hayo yapate kumfuata, na kama vile kwa kupapasapapasa, yapate kumfikia. Hata hivyo lakini, Mungu hayuko mbali na kila mmoja wetu.
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 Kama alivyosema mtu mmoja: Ndani yake yeye sisi tunaishi, tunajimudu, na tuko! Ni kama washairi wenu wengine walivyosema: Sisi ni watoto wake.
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 Ikiwa basi, sisi ni watoto wa Mungu, haifai kumfikiria Mungu kuwa kama dhahabu, fedha au hata jiwe lililochongwa na kutiwa nakshi na binadamu.
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 Mungu alifanya kama kwamba haoni nyakati zile watu walipokuwa wajinga. Lakini sasa, anaamuru watu wote kila mahali watubu.
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 Kwa maana amekwisha weka siku ambayo atauhukumu ulimwengu kwa haki kwa njia ya mtu mmoja aliyemteua. Mungu amewathibitishia wote jambo hili kwa kumfufua mtu huyo kutoka wafu!”
[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 Walipomsikia Paulo anasema juu ya jambo la kufufuka kwa wafu, wengine wao waliangua kicheko; lakini wengine walisema, “Tunataka kukusikia tena juu ya jambo hili!”
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 Hivyo, Paulo aliwaacha, akatoka barazani.
After they said that, Paul left the council [meeting].
34 Lakini watu kadhaa waliandamana naye, wakawa waumini. Miongoni mwao walikuwa Dionisio wa Areopago, mwanamke mmoja aitwaye Damari na wengineo.
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].
