Asomafo 7
1 Ɔsɔfopanyin no bisaa Stefano se, “Nsɛm a wɔaka agu wo so no nyinaa yɛ nokware ana?”
Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are the things that [these people are saying about you(sg)] true?”
2 Stefano buae se, “Anuanom ne agyanom, muntie me! Ansa na yɛn agya Abraham rebefi Mesopotamia akɔtena Haran no, Onyankopɔn daa nʼanuonyam adi kyerɛɛ no,
Stephen replied, “Fellow Jews and respected leaders, [please] listen to me! The glorious God [whom we(inc) worship] appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was still [living] in Mesopotamia [region], before he moved to Haran [town].
3 ka kyerɛɛ no se, ‘Fi wʼabusuafo nkyɛn ne wʼasase so kɔ baabi a mɛkyerɛ wo no.’
God said to him, ‘Leave this land where you [(sg)] and your relatives [are living], and go into the land to which I will lead you.’
4 “Enti ofii Kaldea asase so kɔtenaa Haran. Abraham agya wu akyi no Onyankopɔn ma ɔbɛtenaa asase a mote so mprempren yi so.
So Abraham left that land, [which was also called] Chaldea, and he arrived in Haran and lived there. After his father died, God told him to move to this land in which you [and I] are now living.”
5 Onyankopɔn amfa asase no fa baabiara ankyɛ Abraham sɛ nʼankasa de. Nanso Onyankopɔn hyɛɛ no bɔ sɛ ɛbɛyɛ ɔne nʼasefo nyinaa dea. Bere a Onyankopɔn hyɛɛ Abraham bɔ yi na onni mma.
“[At that time] God did not give Abraham any [land here], not even a small plot of [this] land that would belong to him. God promised that he would [later] give this land to him and his descendants, and that it would [always] belong [to them. However], at that time Abraham did not have any children [who would] ([inherit it/receive it after he died]).”
6 Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ Abraham se, ‘Wʼasefo bɛtena ananafo asase so ayɛ nkoa wɔ hɔ na wɔayɛ wɔn ayayade mfe ahannan.
“[Later] God told Abraham, ‘Your descendants will go and live in a foreign country. They [will live there] for 400 years, and [during that time their leaders] will mistreat your descendants and force them to work as slaves.’
7 Na mɛtwe ɔman a wɔbɛsom wɔn no aso; na ɛno akyi wobefi saa ɔman no mu abɛsom me wɔ ha.’
But God [also] said, ‘I will punish the people who make them work as slaves. Then, after that, your descendants will leave [that land] and they will [come and] worship me in this land.’”
8 Onyankopɔn ne Abraham yɛɛ apam na wɔde twetiatwa yɛɛ apam no ho nsɛnkyerɛnne. Eyi nti wɔwoo Isak nnaawɔtwe akyi na wotwaa no twetia; Isak nso twaa Yakob twetia, saa ara na Yakob twitwaa agyanom mpanyin dumien no nso twetia.
“Then God commanded Abraham that [every male in his household and all of his male descendants] should be circumcised [to show that they all belonged to God] and that they would obey what he had told Abraham to do. Later Abraham’s son, Isaac, was born, and when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. [Later] Isaac’s son, Jacob, was born, and Isaac [similarly circumcised] him. And Jacob [similarly circumcised] his twelve sons. They are the twelve men [from whom we(inc) Jews have all descended].”
9 “Agyanom mpanyin no ani beree Yosef enti wɔtɔn no ma ɔkɔyɛɛ akoa wɔ Misraim. Nanso esiane sɛ na Onyankopɔn wɔ nʼafa nti
“[You know that] Jacob’s [older] sons became jealous [because their father favored their younger brother] Joseph. So they sold him [to merchants/traders who took him] [MTY] to Egypt. There he became a slave [of an official who lived there]. But God [helped] Joseph.
10 oyii no fii ne haw nyinaa mu. Ɔmaa Yosef nyansa na Misraimhene Farao pɛɛ nʼasɛm. Eyi maa Farao yɛɛ Yosef ɔman no so amrado ne ahemfi hɔ nyinaa sohwɛfo.
He protected him whenever people caused him to suffer. He enabled Joseph to be wise; and he caused Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to think well of Joseph. So Pharaoh appointed him to rule [over] Egypt and to look after all of Pharaoh’s property [MTY].”
11 “Saa bere no mu na ɔkɔm kɛse ne ahohia sii Misraim ne Kanaan asase nyinaa so a na yɛn agyanom nnya aduan mpo nni.
“[While Joseph was doing that work], there was a time (when there was very little food/of famine) throughout Egypt and also throughout Canaan. People did not have enough food to eat. People were suffering. [At that time] Jacob and his sons [in Canaan] also could not find [enough] food.
12 Enti bere a Yakob tee sɛ aduan wɔ Misraim no, ɔsomaa ne mma a wɔyɛ yɛn agyanom ma wɔkɔɔ hɔ nea edi kan.
When Jacob heard [people report that] there was grain/food [that people could buy] in Egypt, he sent Joseph’s older brothers [to go there to buy grain. They went and bought grain from Joseph, but they did not recognize him. Then they returned home].
13 Wɔkɔɔ ne mprenu so no, Yosef daa ne ho adi kyerɛɛ ne nuanom, na ɛnam so ma Farao huu Yosef abusuafo.
When Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt the second time, [they again bought grain from Joseph]. But this time [he] told them who he was. [And] people told Pharaoh that Joseph’s people were Hebrews [and that those men who had come from Canaan were his brothers].
14 Yosef kraa nʼagya Yakob se ɔne nʼabusuafo nyinaa mmra Misraim. Na wɔn nyinaa dodow yɛ aduɔson anum.
Then after Joseph sent [his brothers back home, they] told their father Jacob [that Joseph wanted] him and his entire family to come [to Egypt. At that time] ([Jacob’s family consisted of] 75 people/there were 75 people in Jacob’s family) [SYN].
15 Afei, Yakob kɔtenaa Misraim na ɛhɔ na ɔne yɛn agyanom nyinaa wuwui.
[So when] Jacob [heard that, he and all his family] went to [live in] Egypt.” Acts 7:15b-16 “[Later on], Jacob died [there], and our [other] ancestors, [his sons, also died there].
16 Wɔde wɔn amu no kɔɔ Sekem kosiee wɔn wɔ Abraham asiei bi a ɔtɔ fii Hamor abusua mu no hɔ.
[But] the bodies [of Jacob and Joseph] were brought {[they] brought the bodies [of Jacob and Joseph]} [back to our land], and [Jacob’s body] was buried {they buried [Jacob’s body]} [in the tomb that Abraham had bought, and they buried Joseph’s body] in Shechem in the ground that [Jacob] had bought from Hamor’s sons.”
17 “Bɔ a Onyankopɔn hyɛɛ Abraham no bere redu no, na yɛn nkurɔfo a wɔwɔ Misraim no ase atrɛw.
“Our ancestors had become very numerous when it was almost time for [God to rescue them] from Egypt, [as] he had promised Abraham that he would do.
18 Akyiri no, ɔhene foforo bi bedii ade wɔ Misraim a na onnim Yosef ho asɛm.
Another king had begun to rule in Egypt. He did not know that Joseph, [long before that time, had greatly helped the people of Egypt] [MTY].
19 Saa ɔhene yi de atirimɔden dii yɛn agyanom so, hyɛɛ wɔn ma wɔtotow wɔn mma gui sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wobewuwu.
That king cruelly tried to get rid of our ancestors. He oppressed them and caused them to suffer greatly. He [even commanded] them to leave their baby [boys] outside [their homes] so that they would die.”
20 “Saa bere yi mu na wɔwoo Mose a na okura Onyankopɔn anuonyam no. Wɔhwɛɛ no wɔ nʼagya fi asram abiɛsa,
“During that time Moses was born, and he was a very beautiful [LIT] [child]. So his parents [secretly] cared for him in their house for three months.
21 na woyii no fii hɔ no, Farao babea kɔfaa no de no baa ne fi hwɛɛ no sɛ nʼankasa ne ba.
Then they had to put him outside [the house, but] Pharaoh’s daughter [found him and] adopted him and cared for him as [though he were] her own son.
22 Wɔtetew no wɔ Misraimfo nimdeɛ mu ma ɔyɛɛ den wɔ ɔkasa ne nneyɛe mu.
Moses was taught {[The Egyptian teachers] taught Moses} many kinds of wise things [HYP] that the people in Egypt knew, and [when he grew up], he spoke powerfully and did things powerfully.”
23 “Mose dii mfe aduanan no, ɔyɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔrekɔsra ne nuanom Israelfo.
“[One day] when Moses was about 40 years old, he decided that he would [go and] see his fellow Israelis. [So he went to the place where they worked].
24 Oduu hɔ no ohuu sɛ Misraimni bi resisi ne nuanom mu baako bi. Mose kɔboaa ne nua no ma Mose kum Misraimni no.
He saw an Egyptian beating one of the Israelis. So he went over to help [MTY] the Israeli man who was being hurt/beat {whom [the Egyptian] was hurting/beating}, and he (got revenge on/paid back) the Israeli man by killing the Egyptian [who was hurting/beating him].
25 Mose susuw sɛ nʼankasa nkurɔfo behu sɛ Onyankopɔn nam ne so bɛma wɔade wɔn ho nanso wɔante ase.
Moses was thinking that his fellow Israelis would understand that God had sent him to free them [from being slaves]. But they did not understand that.
26 Ade kyee no, ohuu sɛ Israelfo baanu bi reko enti ɔkɔɔ hɔ sɛ ɔrekɔpata. Obisaa wɔn se, ‘Adɛn nti na moatwa mo ho reko? Munnim sɛ moyɛ anuanom ana?’
The next day, Moses saw two Israeli men fighting [each other]. He tried to make them stop fighting by saying to them, ‘Men, you two are fellow [Israelis! So] (stop hurting each other!/why are you hurting each other?) [RHQ]’
27 “Nea ɔresisi ne yɔnko no sum Mose bisaa no se, ‘Hena na ɔyɛɛ wo yɛn so panyin ne otemmufo?
But the man who was injuring the other man pushed Moses away and said to him, ‘(No one appointed you [(sg)] to rule and judge us [(exc)]!/Do you [(sg)] think someone appointed you [(sg)] to rule and judge us [(exc)]?) [RHQ]
28 Wopɛ sɛ wukum me sɛnea nnɛra wukum Misraimni no ana?’
Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 Mose tee saa no, otu fii Misraim kɔtenaa Midian asase so. Ɛhɔ na ɔwoo mmabarima baanu.
When Moses heard that, [he thought to himself, ‘Obviously, people know what I have done, and someone will kill me.’ He was afraid, so] he fled [from Egypt] to Midian land. He lived there [for some years]. He [got married, and he and his wife] had two sons.”
30 “Mfe aduanan akyi no, ɔbɔfo nam wura bi gyaframa mu yii ne ho adi kyerɛɛ Mose wɔ sare bi a ɛbɛn bepɔw Sinai no so.
“[One day] 40 years later, [the Lord God appeared as] an angel to Moses. He appeared in a bush that was burning in the desert near Sinai Mountain.
31 Nea Mose huu no maa ne ho dwiriw no enti otwiw bɛn ho pɛɛ sɛ ɔhwɛ no yiye. Ɔtee Awurade nne se,
When Moses saw that, he was greatly surprised, [because the bush was not burning up]. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord [God] say [to him],
32 ‘Mene wo agyanom Abraham, Isak ne Yakob Nyankopɔn.’ Ehu kaa Mose nti wantumi anhwɛ.
‘I [am] the God [whom] your ancestors [worshipped]. I [am] the God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [worship].’ Moses [was so afraid that he] began to shake. He was afraid to look [at the bush any longer].
33 “Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Mose se, ‘Worɔw wo mpaboa, efisɛ faako a wugyina no yɛ asase kronkron.
Then the Lord [God] said to him, ‘Take your sandals off [to show that you(sg) revere me]. Because I [am here], the place where you are standing is holy/sacred.
34 Mahwɛ na mahu atirimɔden a wɔde yɛ me manfo a wɔwɔ Misraim no. Mate apini a wɔresi no nyinaa na maba sɛ merebegye wɔn. Yɛ ntɛm na mensoma wo nkɔ Misraim.’
I have surely seen how the people of Egypt are continually causing my people to suffer. I have heard my people when they groan [because those people continually oppress them]. So I have come down to rescue them [from Egypt]. Now get ready, because I am going to send you [back] to Egypt [to do that].’”
35 “Saa Mose yi ne obi a Israelfo poo no bere a wobisaa no se, ‘Hena na ɔyɛɛ wo yɛn so panyin ne otemmufo no?’ Ɔno na Onyankopɔn nam ɔbɔfo a oyii ne ho adi kyerɛɛ no wɔ nwura a ɛrehyew no gyaframa mu no, yɛɛ no ɔpanyin ne ogyefo.
“This Moses [is the one who had tried to help our Israeli people, but] whom they rejected [by saying], ‘No one [RHQ] appointed you to rule and judge [us!’] Moses [is the one whom] God [himself] sent to rule them and to free them [from being slaves. He is the one whom] an angel in the bush [commanded to do that].
36 Ɔno na ɔnam anwonwade ne nsɛnkyerɛnne so yii Israelfo fii Misraim de wɔn twaa Po Kɔkɔɔ no, dii wɔn anim wɔ sare so mfe aduanan no.
Moses [is the one who] led our ancestors out [from Egypt]. He did many kinds of miracles in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and during the 40 years [that the Israelite people lived] in the desert.
37 “Mose yi ara na ɔka kyerɛɛ Israelfo se, sɛnea Onyankopɔn somaa me no, saa ara na obeyi odiyifo a ɔte sɛ me afi mo mu aba mo nkyɛn.
This Moses is the one who said to the Israelite people, ‘God will appoint a prophet for you from among your own people. [He will speak words from God], just like I [speak his words to you].’
38 Ɔno ne obi a ɔne Israelfo yɛɛ nhyiamu wɔ sare no so hɔ; ɔne yɛn agyanom ne ɔbɔfo a ɔkasa kyerɛɛ wɔn wɔ Sinai Bepɔw no so no. Ne nsa kaa Onyankopɔn asɛm a nkwa wɔ mu no de brɛɛ yɛn.
This man [Moses] was [our people’s leader] when they gathered together in the desert. It is Moses to whom [God sent] the angel on Sinai Mountain to [give him our laws], and [he was the one who told] our [other] ancestors [what the angel had said]. He was the one who received [from God] words that tell us how to live [eternally, and Moses] passed [them] on to us.”
39 “Nanso yɛn agyanom antie no. Wɔpoo no pɛɛ sɛ wɔsan kɔ Misraim asase so bio.
“[However], our ancestors did not want to obey [Moses]. Instead, [while he was still on the mountain], they rejected him [as their leader] and decided that they wanted to return to Egypt.
40 Enti wɔka kyerɛɛ Aaron se, ‘Yɛ ahoni bi a wobedi yɛn anim ma yɛn, efisɛ yennim asɛm a ato saa Mose a oyii yɛn fii Misraim asase so no!’
So they told [his older brother] Aaron, ‘Make idols for us who will be our gods to lead us [back to Egypt]! As for that fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt we [(exc)] do not know what has happened to him!’
41 Wɔyɛɛ nantwi ba sɛso honi bi bɔɔ afɔre maa no, gyee wɔn ani sɛnea ɛsɛ.
So, they made [out of gold] an image [that looked like] a calf. Then they sacrificed [animals and offered other things] to [honor] that idol, and they sang and danced to honor the idol that they themselves had made.
42 Onyankopɔn twee ne ho fii wɔn ho ma wɔsom ɔsoro nsoromma sɛnea wɔakyerɛw wɔ adiyifo nhoma mu se, “‘Israelfo, ɛnyɛ me na mode afɔrebɔde ne ayɛyɛde brɛɛ me mfe aduanan wɔ sare so ana?
So God rejected them. He abandoned them to worship the sun, moon and stars in the sky. This agrees with the words that one of the prophets wrote that God said, You Israelite [people] [MTY], when you [repeatedly] killed animals and offered them as sacrifices during those 40 years [that you were] in the desert, (you [most certainly] were not offering them to me!/what makes you think that you were offering them to me?) [RHQ]
43 Mode mo ho nyinaa ato Molek nyame, ne mo honi Rɛfan so; wɔyɛ ahoni a moayɛ sɛ mobɛsom wɔn. Saa nti mɛpam mo akogu Babilonia akyi.’
[On the contrary], you carried [with you from place to place] the tent [that contained the idol] representing [the god] Molech [that you worshipped]. You also [carried with you] the image of the star [called] Rephan. [Those] were idols that you had made, [and you] worshipped [them instead of me]. So I will [cause you to] be taken away {[people to] take you} [from your own country. You will be taken] {[They will take you]} [far from your homes to regions] even farther than Babylon [Country].”
44 “Saa bere no na ntamadan a edi adanse sɛ Onyankopɔn ka ne manfo ho no ka yɛn agyanom ho wɔ sare so hɔ. Mose sii ntamadan yi sɛnea Onyankopɔn kyerɛɛ no sɛ onsi no no ara pɛ.
“While our ancestors were in the desert, they worshipped God at the tent that showed [that he was there with them]. They had made the tent exactly like God had commanded Moses [to make it. It was] exactly like the model that Moses had seen [when he was up on the mountain].
45 Akyiri no, yɛn agyanom a Yosua dii wɔn anim no de ntamadan no baa asase a Onyankopɔn pam so nnipa de maa wɔn no so. Esii hɔ ara kosii Dawid bere so.
[Later on], other ancestors of ours carried that tent with them when Joshua led them [into this land]. That was during the time that they took this land for themselves, when God forced the people [who previously lived here] to leave. So the Israelis were able to possess this land. [The tent remained in this land and was still here] when [King] David ruled.
46 Onyankopɔn hyiraa Dawid enti obisaa Onyankopɔn se ɔmma onsi asɔredan mma Yakob Nyankopɔn.
David pleased God, and he asked God to let him build a house where [he and] all of our Israeli people could worship God.
47 Nanso Salomo na osii dan no maa Onyankopɔn.
But [instead, God let David’s son] Solomon build a house [where people could worship] God.”
48 “Nanso ɔsorosoro Nyankopɔn nte ɔdan a nnipa asi mu, sɛnea odiyifo no ka se,
“However, [we(inc) know that] God is greater than everything, and he does not live in [houses that] people [SYN] have made. It is like the prophet [Isaiah] wrote. He wrote [these words that God had spoken: ]
49 “‘Ɔsoro yɛ mʼahengua, Awurade na ose. Na asase yɛ mʼanan ntiaso. Ɔdan bɛn na wubesi ama me? Na mʼahomegyebea wɔ he?
Heaven is (my throne/the place from which I rule the entire universe), and the earth is (my footstool/[merely like] a stool on which I may rest my feet). I myself [SYN] have made everything [both in heaven and on the earth]. So you [human beings], ([you] really cannot build a house that would be [adequate] for me!/do you think you can build a house that would be [appropriate] for me?) [RHQ] You cannot [RHQ] make a place good enough for me [to live in]!”
50 Ɛnyɛ mʼankasa na meyɛɛ eyinom nyinaa?’
51 “Mo asoɔdenfo, mo a mo koma apirim na muntie Onyankopɔn asɛm. Mote sɛ mo agyanom pɛpɛɛpɛ. Mo nso daa musiw Honhom Kronkron no ho kwan.
“You people are extremely stubborn [MET], not wanting to obey God or listen [MTY] [to him!] You are exactly like your ancestors! You always resist the Holy Spirit [as they did]!
52 Odiyifo bi wɔ hɔ a mo agyanom antaa no ana? Wokum Onyankopɔn asomafo a wodii kan bɔɔ ɔtreneeni a ɔbɛba no ho dawuru. Saa ara nso na moapa no, akum no.
Your ancestors caused [RHQ] every prophet to suffer, [including Moses]. They even killed those who long ago announced [that the Messiah] would come, the one who always did what pleased God. [And the Messiah has come! He is the one whom] you [recently] turned over [to his enemies] and [insisted that] they kill him!
53 Mo ara ne nnipa a monam abɔfo so nyaa Onyankopɔn mmara no, nanso moanni so.”
You [are the people] who have received God’s laws. [Those were laws] that God caused angels to give [to our ancestors]. However, [incredibly], you have not obeyed them!”
54 Agyinatufo no tee asɛm a Stefano kae no, wɔn bo fuw yiye.
When the Jewish Council members [and others there] heard all that [Stephen said], they became very angry. They were grinding their teeth [together because they were so angry] at him!
55 Nanso Stefano a Honhom Kronkron ahyɛ no ma no maa nʼani so hwɛɛ ɔsoro huu Onyankopɔn anuonyam ne Yesu Kristo sɛ ogyina Onyankopɔn nsa nifa so.
But the Holy Spirit completely controlled Stephen. He looked up into heaven and saw a dazzling light from God, and [he saw] Jesus standing at God’s right side.
56 Stefano kae se, “Mihu sɛ ɔsoro abue na Onipa Ba no gyina Onyankopɔn nsa nifa so!”
“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open, and I [see] the one who came from heaven standing at God’s right side!”
57 Wɔteɛteɛɛ mu de wɔn nsa sisiw wɔn aso. Afei wɔn nyinaa bɔɔ twi kɔtow hyɛɛ no so,
[When the Jewish Council members and others heard that], they shouted loudly. They put their hands over their ears [so that they could not hear Stephen, and immediately] they all rushed at him.
58 twee no kɔɔ kurotia kosiw no abo. Wɔn a wosiw no abo no yiyii wɔn ntama de maa aberante bi a wɔfrɛ no Saulo sɛ ɔnhwɛ so.
They dragged him outside the city [of Jerusalem] and started to throw stones at him. The people who were accusing him [took off] their outer garments [in order to throw stones more easily, and] they put their clothes [on the ground] next to a young man whose name was Saul, [so that he could guard them].
59 Wɔresiw Stefano abo no nyinaa na ɔrebɔ mpae se, “Awurade Yesu, wo nsam na mede me honhom hyɛ!”
While they continued to throw stones at Stephen, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”
60 Afei obuu nkotodwe teɛɛ mu dennen se, “Awurade, fa wɔn bɔne kyɛ wɔn.” Ɔkaa saa no, owui.
Then Stephen fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not punish them (OR, forgive them) [LIT] for this sin!” After he had said that, he died.
