Matendo 9
1 Wakati huo Saulo alikuwa akizidisha vitisho vikali vya kuwaua wafuasi wa Bwana. Alikwenda kwa Kuhani Mkuu,
And Saul was still full of threats and deadly hatred against the disciples of our Lord.
2 akaomba apatiwe barua za utambulisho kwa masunagogi ya Kiyahudi kule Damasko, ili akikuta huko wanaume au wanawake wanaofuata Njia ya Bwana, awakamate na kuwaleta Yerusalemu.
And he requested that a letter from the high priest might be given him unto Damascus to the synagogues; that if he should find persons pursuing this course, men or women, he might bind and bring them to Jerusalem.
3 Lakini alipokuwa njiani karibu kufika Damasko, ghafla mwanga kutoka angani ulimwangazia pande zote.
And as he was going, and began to approach Damascus, suddenly there was poured upon him a light from heaven.
4 Akaanguka chini na kusikia sauti ikimwambia: “Saulo, Saulo! Kwa nini unanitesa?”
And he fell to the ground; and he heard a voice which said to him: Saul! Saul! why persecutest thou me? It will be hard for thee to kick against the goads.
5 Naye Saulo akauliza, “Ni nani wewe Bwana?” Na ile sauti ikajibu, “Mimi ni Yesu ambaye wewe unamtesa.
He replied, and said: Who art thou, my Lord? And our Lord said: I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest.
6 Lakini simama sasa, uingie mjini na huko utaambiwa unachopaswa kufanya.”
But arise and go into the city, and there it will be told thee what thou oughtest to do.
7 Wale watu waliokuwa wanasafiri pamoja na Saulo walisimama pale, wakiwa hawana la kusema; walisikia ile sauti lakini hawakumwona mtu.
And the men who travelled with him in the way, stood amazed; for they heard merely the voice, and no one was visible to them.
8 Saulo aliinuka, na alipofumbua macho yake hakuweza kuona chochote; hivyo wale watu wakamwongoza kwa kumshika mkono mpaka mjini Damasko.
And Saul arose from the ground; and nothing was visible to him, with his eyes opened. And they took him by the hand, and led him into Damascus.
9 Saulo alikaa siku tatu bila kuona, na wakati huo hakula au kunywa chochote.
And he had no sight for three days; and he neither ate nor drank.
10 Basi, huko Damasko kulikuwa na mfuasi mmoja aitwaye Anania. Bwana akamwambia katika maono, “Anania!” Anania akaitika, “Niko hapa, Bwana.”
And there was in Damascus a certain disciple, whose name was Ananias. And the Lord said to him, in a vision: Ananias! And he said: Lo, I am here, my Lord.
11 Naye Bwana akamwambia, “Jitayarishe uende kwenye barabara inayoitwa Barabara ya Moja kwa Moja, na katika nyumba ya Yuda umtake mtu mmoja kutoka Tarso aitwaye Saulo. Sasa anasali;
And our Lord said to him: Arise, go to the street which is called Straight; and inquire in the house of Judas, for Saul who is from the city of Tarsus: for, lo, while he prayed,
12 na katika maono ameona mtu aitwaye Anania akiingia ndani na kumwekea mikono ili apate kuona tena.”
he saw in vision a man named Ananias, who came and laid his hand upon him, that his eyes might be opened.
13 Lakini Anania akajibu, “Bwana, nimesikia habari za mtu huyu kutoka kwa watu wengi; nimesikia juu ya mabaya aliyowatendea watu wako huko Yerusalemu.
And Ananias said: My Lord, I have heard of this man, from many, how much evil he hath perpetrated towards thy saints at Jerusalem.
14 Na amekuja hapa akiwa na mamlaka kutoka kwa makuhani wakuu kuwatia nguvuni wote wanaoomba kwa jina lako.”
And, lo, here also, he hath authority from the chief priests, to bind all them that call on thy name.
15 Lakini Bwana akamwambia, “Nenda tu, kwa maana nimemchagua awe chombo changu, alitangaze jina langu kwa mataifa na wafalme wao na kwa watu wa Israeli.
The Lord said to him: Arise and go; for he is to me a chosen vessel, to carry my name to the Gentiles, and to kings, and among the sons of Israel.
16 Mimi mwenyewe nitamwonyesha mengi yatakayomlazimu kuteswa kwa ajili ya jina langu.”
For I will show him, how much he is to suffer on account of my name.
17 Basi, Anania akaenda, akaingia katika hiyo nyumba. Kisha akaweka mikono yake juu ya Saulo, akasema, “Ndugu Saulo, Bwana ambaye ndiye Yesu mwenyewe aliyekutokea ulipokuwa njiani kuja hapa, amenituma ili upate kuona tena na kujazwa Roho Mtakatifu.”
Then Ananias went to the house to him; and he laid his hand upon him, and said to him: Saul, my brother, our Lord Jesus, he who appeared to thee by the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thy eyes might be opened, and thou be filled with the Holy Spirit.
18 Mara vitu kama magamba vikaanguka kutoka macho ya Saulo, akaweza kuona tena. Akasimama, akabatizwa.
And immediately there fell from his eyes something like a scab; and his eyes were opened. And he arose and was baptized.
19 Na baada ya kula chakula, nguvu zake zikamrudia. Saulo alikaa siku chache pamoja na wafuasi huko Damasko.
And he took food, and was invigorated. And he was some days with the disciples of Damascus.
20 Mara alianza kuhubiri katika masunagogi kwamba Yesu ni Mwana wa Mungu.
And forthwith he announced Jesus, in the synagogues of the Jews, that he is the Son of God.
21 Watu wote waliomsikia walishangaa, wakasema, “Je, mtu huyu si yuleyule aliyewaua wale waliokuwa wanaomba kwa jina hili kule Yerusalemu? Tena alikuja hapa akiwa na madhumuni ya kuwatia nguvuni watu hao na kuwapeleka kwa makuhani!”
And all they that heard him were amazed; and they said: Is not this he, who persecuted all them that call on this name in Jerusalem? And lo, for this very thing also, was he sent hither, that he might bind and carry them to the chief priests.
22 Saulo alizidi kupata nguvu, na kwa jinsi alivyothibitisha wazi kwamba Yesu ndiye Kristo, Wayahudi wa huko Damasko walivurugika kabisa.
But Saul was the more strengthened; and he confounded those Jews who dwelt at Damascus, while be demonstrated that this is the Messiah.
23 Baada ya siku nyingi kupita, Wayahudi walikusanyika na kufanya mpango wa kumwua Saulo.
And when he had been there many days, the Jews formed a conspiracy against him, to kill him.
24 Lakini Saulo alipata habari ya mpango huo. Usiku na mchana walilinda milango ya kuingia mjini ili wapate kumwua.
And the plot which they sought to execute upon him, was made known to Saul: and they watched the gates of the city by day and by night, in order to kill him.
25 Lakini wakati wa usiku wanafunzi wake walimchukua, wakamteremsha chini ndani ya kapu kubwa kwa kupitia nafasi iliyokuwako ukutani.
Then the disciples placed him in a basket, and let him down from the wall by night.
26 Saulo alipofika Yerusalemu alijaribu kujiunga na wale wanafunzi. Lakini wote walimwogopa, na hawakuweza kuamini kwamba yeye amekuwa mfuasi.
And he went to Jerusalem; and he wished to join himself with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple.
27 Hapo, Barnaba alikuja akamchukua Saulo, akampeleka kwa mitume na kuwaeleza jinsi Saulo alivyomwona Bwana njiani na jinsi Bwana alivyoongea naye. Aliwaambia pia jinsi Saulo alivyokuwa amehubiri bila uoga kule Damasko.
But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the legates, and related to them how the Lord appeared to him in the way, and how he conversed with him; and how, in Damascus, he had discoursed openly in the name of Jesus.
28 Basi, Saulo alikaa pamoja nao, akatembelea Yerusalemu yote akihubiri neno la Bwana bila hofu.
And he went in and out with them, at Jerusalem.
29 Pia aliongea na kubishana na Wayahudi wasemao Kigiriki, lakini wao walijaribu kumwua.
And he spoke openly in the name of Jesus and disputed with those Jews who understood Greek. But they wished to kill him:
30 Wale ndugu walipogundua jambo hilo walimchukua Saulo, wakampeleka Kaisarea, wakamwacha aende zake Tarso.
and when the brethren knew it, they conducted him by night to Caesarea, and from there they sent him to Tarsus.
31 Wakati huo kanisa likawa na amani popote katika Yudea, Galilaya, na Samaria. Lilijengwa na kukua katika kumcha Bwana, na kuongezeka likitiwa moyo na Roho Mtakatifu.
Moreover the church, in all Judaea, and in Galilee, and in Samaria, had peace and was edified; and it walked in the fear of God, and abounded in the consolation of the Holy Spirit.
32 Petro alipokuwa anasafirisafiri kila mahali alifika pia kwa watu wa Mungu waliokuwa wanaishi Luda.
And it occurred, that, as Simon travelled about the cities, he came down to the saints also who dwelt in the city of Lydda.
33 Huko alimkuta mtu mmoja aitwaye Enea ambaye kwa muda wa miaka minane alikuwa amelala kitandani kwa sababu alikuwa amepooza.
And he found a certain man whose name was 'neas, who had lain on a bed and been paralytic eight years.
34 Basi, Petro akamwambia, “Enea, Yesu Kristo anakuponya. Amka utandike kitanda chako.” Enea akaamka mara.
And Simon said to him: 'neas, Jesus the Messiah doth heal thee; arise, and spread thy bed. And he rose up immediately.
35 Wakazi wote wa Luda na Saroni walimwona Enea, na wote wakamgeukia Bwana.
And all they that dwelt at Lydda and Saron, saw him; and they turned to God.
36 Kulikuwa na mfuasi mmoja mwanamke mjini Yopa aitwaye Tabitha (kwa Kigiriki ni Dorka, maana yake, Paa). Huyo mwanamke alikuwa akitenda mema na kuwasaidia maskini daima.
And there was in the city of Joppa, a certain female disciple named Tabitha; and she was rich in good works, and in the alms which she did.
37 Wakati huo ikawa kwamba aliugua, akafa. Watu wakauosha mwili wake, wakauzika katika chumba ghorofani.
And she fell sick in those days, and died; and they washed her, and laid her in an upper room.
38 Yopa si mbali sana na Luda; kwa hiyo wafuasi waliposikia kwamba Petro alikuwa Luda, wakawatuma watu wawili kwake na ujumbe: “Njoo kwetu haraka iwezekanavyo.”
And the disciples heard that Simon was in the city of Lydda, which is near to Joppa; and they sent two men to him, to request of him that he would not delay to come to them.
39 Basi, Petro akaenda pamoja nao. Alipofika alipelekwa ghorofani katika kile chumba. Huko wajane wengi walimzunguka Petro wakilia na kumwonyesha makoti na nguo ambazo Dorka alikuwa akitengeneza wakati alipokuwa hai.
And Simon arose and went with them. And when he arrived, they conducted him to the chamber; and there were assembled around her all the widows, weeping, and showing him the tunics and the cloaks which Tabitha had given them when alive.
40 Petro aliwatoa nje wote, akapiga magoti, akasali. Kisha akamgeukia yule maiti, akasema, “Tabitha, amka” Naye akafumbua macho yake na alipomwona Petro, akaketi.
And Simon put all the people out, and fell on his knees and prayed; and he turned to the corpse and said: Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes; and when she saw Simon, she sat up.
41 Petro akamsaidia kusimama, halafu akawaita wale watu wa Mungu na wale wajane, akamkabidhi kwao akiwa mzima.
And he reached to her his hand, and raised her up: and he called the saints and the widows, and presented her to them alive.
42 Habari ya tukio hili ilienea kila mahali huko Yopa, na watu wengi wakamwamini Bwana.
And this became known throughout the city; and many believed on our Lord.
43 Petro alikaa siku kadhaa huko Yopa, akiishi kwa mtu mmoja mtengenezaji wa ngozi aitwaye Simoni.
And he tarried in Joppa not a few days: and he lodged in the house of Simon a tanner.
