Bhanabhasi na Saulo
1 Ku gubungano liku Antiyoki kwakabe kuna balebesambeli ne badiyi, Bhanabhasi, na Simiyoni wakabe edang'wa Ntema na Lukiyo edwa ku Sirene, na Manaeni iye wakakula na Herode nlauli, na Saulo. 2 Bakati batjanamata She kakale bezwinyima zojiwa, Meya yakayengemala ikati ku bali, “Mundishalulile Bhanabhasi na Saulo kushinga nshingo wandakabadanila.”
3 Bakati bazwinyima zojiwa kakale batembezela, bakababiga maboko ngono bakati bayende.
Mu Sipuro
4 Ndizo bakati batumwa nge Meya yakayengemala, Bhanabhasi na Saulo bakadelukila ku Selusiya, ngono bakayenda nge gungwa kudwa ikoko kunoti ku Sipuro. 5 Bakati beswika ku Salamisi, bakasumikila dama le Ndzimu mu ng'umba dze mitembezelo dze Bajuta. Bakabe bana Johani kubabhatsha mu nshingo.
6 Bakayenda bakapalama tjigwizi bakanoti ku Pafosi kwabakashangana ne nlume we ng'anga wakabe eyi Bharijesu, ali Njuta wakabe ali nlebesambeli we manyepkhwa, 7 wakabe ali mbhatshi we nlauli we tjigwizi itjetjo unoyi Segiyo Paulo, wakabe ali nlume wakatjenjela. Wakadana Bhanabhasi na Saulo, ngobe eshaka kuhwa dama le Ndzimu. 8 Koga Elimasi we ng'anga (ngobe zina lile lotjenesiwa sa ikoko), kanyanyayidzana nabo eshaka pambusa nlauli mu bugalimoyo. 9 Koga Saulo unodang'wabo kuyi Paulo, wakati ali zhele Meya yakayengemala, kanlingisisa, 10 ngono kati, “Iwe nkololo wa Satani, iwe tjita tje ndulamo yose. Uzhele kutjebela ne bubi, apa aungaletje kukombamisa zila dza She dzakatambunuka kene? 11 She banowokuloba, unowobe bhofu, ngono autowobona tjedza tje zhuba kwe tjibaka.”
Tjinyolotjo fulele ne zhalima zwikazwimba mesho awe, ngono kayenda yenda eshaka bangankweba nge luboko. 12 Nlauli kati ebona tjashingikala, kagalamoyo, ngobe wakabe atjenamila kwazo kudiya ngekwa She.
Mu Antiyoki mu Pisidiya
13 Ndizo Paulo ne baakabe anabo bakayenda nge gungwa kudwa mu Pafosi kunoti mu Pega, nzi umu Pamufiliya, Johani wakabasiya kabgwilila ku Jerusalema. 14 Bakabhuda mu Pega bakanoswika ku Antiyoki mu Pisidiya, ngono nge nsi we Sabata bakangina mu ng'umba ye mitembezelo bakagala pasi. 15 Shule kwe kubagwa kwe nlayo ne hwalo dze balebesambeli, balauli be ng'umba ye mitembezelo bakayisa dama ku bali linoti “Zwikamu, amuna dama le gulumbidzo ku bathu mulilebe.” 16 Paulo kamilika, kalakidza nge luboko gugwe, ngono katangisa kulebeleka eti:
“Balume be Iziraela namwi banotja Ndzimu bhulutanani. 17 Ndzimu we bathu ibaba be Iziraela wakashalula bobatategulu bedu ngono ukabathama itjaba tjikulu kulu mu tjibaka tjabakabe bali gele mu shango ye Egipiti. Ndzimu wakabadusa mu Egipiti nge simba lawo gulu, 18 ngono mu makole angabe makumi manna wakabe ne moyonlefu nabo mu tjilambanyika. 19 Wakalobesa tjaba dzili kutendeka mu shango ye Kanana, ngono ukapa bathu bawo shango iyeyo se thaka. 20 Kose ikoku kwakatola makole ali mazana manna ana makole ali makumi mashanu (450).
“Shule kwa ikoku ukabapa basumikilisi kunoti mu tjibaka tja Samuele nlebesambeli. 21 Ndizo bakakumbila kupiwa mambo ngono Ndzimu ukabapa Saulo nkololo wa Kishi we ludzi gwa Bhenjamini, kabe mambo wabo makole ali makumi manna. 22 Shule kwe wan'dusa, Ndzimu ukabiga Dafite kube mambo wabo. Etji nditjo Ndzimu tjawakaleba nge kukwe uti, ‘Ndawana Dafite nkololo wa Jesi ali iye nthu upa moyo wangu, iye unowoshinga kose kuda kwangu.’ 23 Kudwa mu ludzi gwa Dafite, Ndzimu wakathama Jesu Ntjidzi we bathu be Iziraela sekwa wakagadzabgwe. 24 Jesu wakati asathu kazha, Johani kasumikila ku bathu bose be Iziraela kuti bashandukile matjinyo abo badubikwe. 25 Johani kati wowidza nshingo uwe, kati ku bathu, ‘Mokumbula kuti ndiani kene? Ate ndili iye wamakalindila. Koga shule kwangu kuna unowozha wandisakalizana kusunungula mitjili ye khwebana dzidze.’
26 “Zwikamu, bana be nsha wa Abhurahama, na bose pakati kwenyu banotja Ndzimu, thumo ye jidzo ileli yakatumigwa ku tili! 27 Ngobe bathu banogala mu Jerusalema ne balauli babo abazoziba kuti iye Ntjidzi, kene kuli kuhwisisa matama e balebesambeli iyawa anobagwa Sabata limwe ne limwe. Koga bakazhadzisa matama e balebesambeli nge kulasha Jesu. 28 Nenguba bakasheta tjabangansumikilisila lufu, bakakumbila Pilato kuti ambulaye. 29 Bakati bazhadzisa tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakakwagwa nge kukwe bakantulula mu nti bakanlonga mu ikumbu. 30 Koga Ndzimu wakammusa mu bafi, 31 ngono mu mazhuba manjinji wakaboneka kuna ibabo bakabe bayenda naye kudwa ku Galili kunoti ku Jerusalema. Ndibo ngwenu batendeki babe ku bathu. 32 Ndizo tomuzhisila ndebo mbuya kumuli inoti, Ndzimu tjawakagadzabgwe bobatategulu bedu kuti unowotjithama, 33 wakatjithamila iswi ngwenu, iswi bana babo, nge kumusa Jesu. Sekwa kwakakwagwa mu lukwalo gwe bubili gwe Njimbo kuyi,
“ ‘U Nkololo wangu,
nasi ndabe tate babo.’
34 “Oku ndiko Ndzimu kwaunoleba nge kummusa mu bafi, kuti aatjowobgwilila mu kubola uti,
“ ‘Ndowomupa makombolelo akayengemala e malebeswa
andakagadzabgwe Dafite.’
35 “Ndizo mu gumwe Lumbo nkwali eti,
“ ‘Amutowoletja N'yengemali wenyu ebola.’
36 “Nge kuti Dafite wakashinga tjakabe tjalongolosiwa nge Ndzimu mu tjibaka tjitje kafa, kabiganyiwa na bobatategulu babe, ngono kabola. 37 Koga iye wakamusiwa nge Ndzimu mu bafi aazobola. 38 Ndizo zibani zwikamu kuti ndebo ye kuzwiibhatigwa zwibi inosumikigwa kumuli ndi Jesu 39 kakale munli mmwe ne mmwe unogalamoyo unosunungugwa mu tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaakabe asingake kasunungugwa mutjili nge nlayo wa Mushe. 40 Ndizo ibeni ne njele, kuti tjakalebgwa nge balebesambeli tjisimushingikalile,
41 “ ‘Bonani, imwi badadi! Kaabalani mufe!
Ngobe ndoshinga nshingo mu misi yenyu,
nshingo wamusingawogalamoyo muuli,
ha mmwe emubudza iwo!’ ”
42 Paulo na Bhanabhasi bakati bedwa mu ng'umba ye mitembezelo, bathu bakabakumbila kuti zwithu izwezwi bazwibudziwe kakale mu Sabata linobuya. 43 Bathu bakati bapalala pa nshangano, Paulo na Bhanabhasi bakatobegwa nge Bajuta banjinji nenge bathu bakasima mu bugalimoyo gwe Tjijuta. Bakalebeleka nabo bakabakulumbidza kutjilila mu ngoni dze Ndzimu.
44 Sabata linotobela nzi wose kuzhe kwe bathu basibangana bakazha kuhwilila dama la She. 45 Bajuta bakati bebona bunji gwe bathu bakabe ne ndandala, bakanyanyayidza tjakabe tjilebgwa ndi Paulo, kakale bakan'gongobola. 46 Koga Paulo na Bhanabhasi bakaleba ngosimamoyo beti, “Kwakabe kwakafanila kuti dama le Ndzimu lilebgwe kumuli kutanga. Koga se makalilamba muzwibona musakafanigwa nge butjilo gusingapele, bonani tolinga kuna Bezwitjaba. 47 Ngobe She wakatidwa eti,
“ ‘Ndamuthama tjedza tje Bezwitjaba,
kuti muyise jidzo ku bupelo gwe shango.’ ”
48 Bezwitjaba bakati behwa ikoku, bakashatha bakakudza dama le Ndzimu ngono ibabo bakashaluligwa butjilo gusingapele bakabe bagalimoyo.
49 Dama la She likaandama mu ntuthu wose. 50 Koga Bajuta bakadzonga bakadzi bakashandukila mu bugalimoyo gwe Tjijuta kakale banokudziwa kose ne balume bana mamo mu nzi bakadzonga bathu kudziyidza Paulo na Bhanabhasi, ngono bakabatata mu ntuthu wabo. 51 Batumwa bakashashamula hwuluba mu makumbo abo kubalamba, ngono bakayenda ku Ikoniyo. 52 Bagalimoyo bakazhala kushatha nenge Meya yakayengemala.
Barnabas and Saul Are Chosen and Sent
1 The church at Antioch had several prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon, also called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who was Herod's close friend, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and going without eating, the Holy Spirit told them, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have chosen them.” 3 Everyone prayed and went without eating for a while longer. Next, they placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul to show that they had been appointed to do this work. Then everyone sent them on their way.
Barnabas and Saul in Cyprus
4 After Barnabas and Saul had been sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of Cyprus. 5 They arrived at Salamis and began to preach God's message in the synagogues. They also had John as a helper.
6 Barnabas and Saul went all the way to the city of Paphos on the other end of the island, where they met a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus. He practiced witchcraft and was a false prophet. 7 He also worked for Sergius Paulus, who was very smart and was the governor of the island. Sergius Paulus wanted to hear God's message, and he sent for Barnabas and Saul. 8 But Bar-Jesus, whose other name was Elymas, was against them. He even tried to keep the governor from having faith in the Lord.
9 Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas 10 and said, “You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop speaking against the true ways of the Lord? 11 The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while.”
Suddenly the man's eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia
13 Paul and the others left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and went back to Jerusalem. 14 The rest of them went on from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia. Then on the Sabbath they went to the synagogue and sat down.
15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders sent someone over to tell Paul and Barnabas, “Friends, if you have anything to say that will help the people, please say it.”
16 Paul got up. He motioned with his hand and said:
People of Israel, and everyone else who worships God, listen! 17 The God of Israel chose our ancestors, and he let our people prosper while they were living in Egypt. Then with his mighty power he led them out, 18 and for about 40 years he took care of them in the desert. 19 He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave their land to our people. 20 All this happened in about 450 years.
Then God gave our people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel, 21 but the people demanded a king. So for 40 years God gave them King Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. 22 Later, God removed Saul and let David rule in his place. God said about him, “David the son of Jesse is the kind of person who pleases me most! He does everything I want him to do.”
23 God promised that someone from David's family would come to save the people of Israel, and this one is Jesus. 24 But before Jesus came, John was telling everyone in Israel to turn back to God and be baptized. 25 Then, when John's work was almost done, he said, “Who do you people think I am? Do you think I am the Promised One? He will come later, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals.”
26 Now listen, you descendants of Abraham! Pay attention, all of you Gentiles who are here to worship God! Listen to this message about how to be saved, because it is for everyone. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their leaders didn't realize who Jesus was. And they didn't understand the words of the prophets they read each Sabbath. So they condemned Jesus just as the prophets had said.
28-29 They did exactly what the Scriptures said they would. Even though they couldn't find any reason to put Jesus to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
After Jesus had been put to death, he was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from death! 31 Then for many days Jesus appeared to his followers who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Now they are telling our people about him.
32 God made a promise to our ancestors. And we are here to tell you the good news 33 that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says about Jesus,
“You are my son because today
I have become your Father.”
34 God raised Jesus from death and will never let his body decay. It is just as God said,
“I will make to you
the same holy promises
that I made to David.”
35 And in another psalm it says, “God will never let the body of his Holy One decay.”
36 When David was alive, he obeyed God. Then after he died, he was buried in the family grave, and his body decayed. 37 But God raised Jesus from death, and his body did not decay.
38 My friends, the message is that Jesus can forgive your sins! The Law of Moses could not set you free from all your sins. 39 But everyone who has faith in Jesus is set free. 40 Make sure what the prophets have said doesn't happen to you. They said,
41 “Look, you people
who make fun of God!
Be amazed
and disappear.
I will do something today
that you won't believe,
even if someone
tells you about it!”
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people begged them to say more about these same things on the next Sabbath. 43 After the service, many Jews and a lot of Gentiles who worshiped God went with them. Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had treated them with undeserved grace.
44 The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came to hear the message about the Lord. 45 When the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said.
46 But Paul and Barnabas bravely said:
We had to tell God's message to you before we told it to anyone else. But you rejected the message! This proves that you don't deserve eternal life. Now we are going to the Gentiles. 47 The Lord has given us this command,
“I have placed you here
as a light
for the Gentiles.
You are to take
the saving power of God
to people everywhere on earth.”
48 This message made the Gentiles glad, and they praised what they had heard about the Lord. Everyone who had been chosen for eternal life then put their faith in the Lord.
49 The message about the Lord spread all over this region. 50 But the Jewish leaders went to some of the important men in the town and to some respected women who were religious. They turned them against Paul and Barnabas and started making trouble for them. They even chased them out of this part of the country.
51 Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from that place off their feet and went on to the city of Iconium.
52 But the Lord's followers in Antioch were very happy and were filled with the Holy Spirit.