Nshangano ku Jerusalema
1 Bamwe balume bakazha bedwa ku Judiya, ngono bakatangisa kudiya zwikamu beti, “Amungatjidziwe ha musakathumbigwa kuyendidzana ne mpanga wa Mushe.” 2 Paulo na Bhanabhasi bakanyanyayidzana nabo kwazo ngekwa ikoku, ndizo kukathamwa kuti Paulo na Bhanabhasi ne bamwe bayende ku Jerusalema banobona batumwa ne bakulu ngekwa ikoku.
3 Bakalongwa mu zila nge gubungano; ngono bakati bepinda ne mu Fenikiya ne Samariya, bakabika ngekwe kushandugwa kwe Bezwitjaba, ngono bakashathisa zwikamu zose kwazo. 4 Bakati beswika mu Jerusalema bakaamutjigwa nge gubungano ne batumwa ne bakulu, ngono bakababudza kose Ndzimu kwawakashinga ndibo. 5 Koga bamwe be bagalimoyo bakabe bali be bhiko le Bafarasi bakamilika bakati, “Bezwitjaba bakafanila thumbigwa kakale babudziwe kulondolodza nlayo wa Mushe.”
6 Batumwa ba Jesu ne bakulu bakashangana kukanuka ndebo iyeyi. 7 Shule kwe kunyanyayidzana nge tjibaka tjilefu Pita kamilika, ngono kati “Zwikamu zwangu, moziba kuti Ndzimu wakandishalula mu kutangisa pakati kwenyu kusumikila ndebo mbuya kuna Bezwitjaba kuti bahwe, bagalemoyo. 8 Koga Ndzimu iwo unoziba moyo we nthu wakabatendekela nge kupa Meya yakayengemala koga sekwa wakathama ku tili. 9 Auzothubukanya pakati kwedu na ibo, wakasuka mimoyo yabo nge kugalamoyo. 10 Ngono ngwenu ini mulika Ndzimu nge kubiga jokwi mu mitshibha ye badiyiwa, ilo lisakatubugwa kusengwa ndi bobatategulu bedu kene ndiswi? 11 Koga iswi takagalamoyo kuti towotjidziwa nge ngoni dza She Jesu, koga sa ibo.”
James-2
12 Gubungano lose lakanyalala lihwa Bhanabhasi na Paulo beleba zwilakidzo ne matjenamiso Ndzimu zwawakashinga ndibo pakati kwe Bezwitjaba. 13 Bakati bepedza kulebeleka, Jakubo kalebeleka eti, “Mundibhulutane, zwikamu! 14 Simoni watjenesa Ndzimu sekwa wakazha muna Bezwitjaba gwe kutanga kutola bathu pakati kwabo kuti babe bawo. 15 Matama e balebesambeli anodumana nge buzhalo na ikoku, sekwa kwakakwagwa kuyi,
16 “ ‘Shule kwa ikoku ndowobuya,
ngono ndowomusa bugalo gwa Dafite igo gwakakolomoka.
Ndowomusa matongo ago,
ngono agumusa kakale,
17 kuti ndizo bathu bose bashake She
na bose Bezwitjaba banodang'wa nge zina langu.
18 Kojalo She ibo bakathama ikoku
kuti kuzibgwe kudwa ntolo.’ ”
19 Jakubo kadwilila eti, “Bona kwangu hwuti tisidziyidzeni Bezwitjaba banoshandukila ku Ndzimu. 20 Koga ngatibakwalileni, kuti basije zojiwa zwisizwibuyanana, ngobe zwakapigwa midzimu, bazwidzibe mu bupombgwe ne mu kuja phuka yabulawa ngosiniwa nenge kuja malopa. 21 Kudwila ntolo nlayo wa Mushe wakabe ubagwa mu ng'umba dze mitembezelo dzose, Sabata limwe ne limwe ne mahwi awe anosumikigwa mu mizi yose.”
Lukwalo gunoyenda ku bagalimoyo Bezwitjaba
22 Ndizo batumwa ne bakulu ne gubungano lose bakawana kwakalulwama kushalula balume kudwa mubali kuti babatume ku Antiyoki bana Paulo na Bhanabhasi. Bakashalula balume babili bakabe bali bakulu mu zwikamu, Judasi wakabe edang'wa Bhasabhasi na Silasi, 23 ngono bakatumila lukwalo ogu nabo,
“Iswi, batumwa ne bakulu be gubungano, tili zwikamu zwenyu, tomudumilisa imwi zwikamu zwedu zwe Bezwitjaba zwinogala mu Antiyoki, Siriya ne Silisiya. 24 Takahwa kuti bamwe balume bakadwa mutili bakamudziyidza nge matama, betjinya mikumbulo yenyu, nenguba iswi tisakabatuma. 25 Ndizo takawana kwakalulwama shule kwe tadumana kushalula bathu tibatuma kumuli bana badiwa bedu Bhanabhasi na Paulo, 26 ibo bakalonga matjilo abo mu mbhatsha ngekwe nshingo wa She wedu Jesu Kirisiti. 27 Ndizo tatumila Judasi na Silasi, ibo banowomubudza nge nlomo izwezwi zwithu zwatakwala. 28 Meya yakayengemala naswi takabona kwakafanila kuti tisibige ntolo pezhugwi kwenyu kuzhe kwe zwithu izwezwi zwakafanila: 29 musije zojiwa zwakapiwa midzimu, musije malopa, musije phuka yakabulawa ngosiniwa, muzwidzibe mu bupombgwe. Mowotjila zubuyanana amuzwidziba muna izwezwi. Salani zubuyanana.”
30 Bakati batjidusiwa bakadelukila ku Antiyoki ngono bakati bakubunganya gubungano bakayisa lukwalo. 31 Bathu bakati begubala bakashathisiwa nge gulumbidzo lago. 32 Judasi na Silasi ibo bakabe nge kwabo bali balebesambeli bakakulumbidza zwikamu nge matama manjinji bakabasimisa. 33 Bakati bapitsha tjibaka, bakabgwilila shule kuna bakabe babatuma, bakadusiwa nge kunyalala. [34 Koga Silasi kabona kwakafanila kusala ikoko.]
35 Paulo na Bhanabhasi bakasala mu Antiyoki bediya kakale besumikila dama la She bana bamwebo banjinji.
Paulo na Bhanabhasi banothubukana
36 Shule kwe mazhuba Paulo kati kuna Bhanabhasi, “Ngatibgwilile shule kukumba zwikamu zwedu mu nzi mmwe ne mmwe kwatakasumikila dama la She, tibone kuti batjani.” 37 Bhanabhasi wakabe eshaka kuti batole Johani wakabe edang'wa Mako bayende naye. 38 Koga Paulo wakabe ekumbula ha kusakalulwama kuntola, ngobe aazodwilila nabo mu nshingo wabo, koga wakashanduka kabasiya mu Pamufiliya. 39 Kwakabe ne kunyanyayidzana kwakasima, ngono bakathubukana. Bhanabhasi katola Mako, ngono kayenda nge gungwa ku Sipuro, 40 Paulo iye kashalula Silasi, ngono kayenda, ebigwa mu ngoni dza She nge zwikamu. 41 Wakapalama Siriya ne Silisiya, esimisa makubungano.
1 Some people came from Judea and started teaching the Lord's followers that they could not be saved, unless they were circumcised as Moses had taught. 2 This caused trouble, and Paul and Barnabas argued with them about this teaching. So it was decided to send Paul and Barnabas and a few others to Jerusalem to discuss this problem with the apostles and the church leaders.
The Church Leaders Meet in Jerusalem
3 The men who were sent by the church went through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling how the Gentiles had turned to God. This news made the Lord's followers very happy. 4 When the men arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, including the apostles and the leaders. They told them everything God had helped them do. 5 But some Pharisees had become followers of the Lord. They stood up and said, “Gentiles who have faith in the Lord must be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and church leaders met to discuss this problem about Gentiles. 7 They had talked it over for a long time, when Peter got up and said:
My friends, you know that God decided long ago to let me be the one from your group to preach the good news to the Gentiles. God did this so they would hear and obey him. 8 He knows what is in everyone's heart. And he showed he had chosen the Gentiles, when he gave them the Holy Spirit, just as he had given his Spirit to us. 9 God treated them in the same way that he treated us. They put their faith in him, and he made their hearts pure.
10 Now why are you trying to make God angry by placing a heavy burden on these followers? This burden was too heavy for us or our ancestors. 11 But we believe that we will be saved by the gift of undeserved grace from our Lord Jesus Christ, just as the Gentiles are.
12 Everyone kept quiet and listened as Barnabas and Paul told how God had given them the power to work a lot of miracles and wonders for the Gentiles.
13 After they had finished speaking, James said:
My friends, listen to me! 14 Simon Peter has told how God first came to the Gentiles and made some of them his own people. 15 This agrees with what the prophets wrote,

16 “I, the Lord, will return
and rebuild
David's fallen house.
I will build it from its ruins
and set it up again.
17 Then other nations
will turn to me
and be my chosen ones.
I, the Lord, say this.
18 I promised it long ago.”

19 And so, my friends, I don't think we should place burdens on the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 We should simply write and tell them not to eat anything that has been offered to idols. They should be told not to eat the meat of any animal that has been strangled or that still has blood in it. They must also not commit any terrible sexual sins.
21 We must remember that the Law of Moses has been preached in city after city for many years, and every Sabbath it is read in our synagogues.
A Letter to Gentiles Who Had Faith in the Lord
22 The apostles, the leaders, and all the church members decided to send some men to Antioch along with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Silas and Judas Barsabbas, who were two leaders of the Lord's followers. 23 They wrote a letter that said:
We apostles and leaders send friendly greetings to all of you Gentiles who are followers of the Lord in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.
24 We have heard that some people from here have terribly upset you by what they said. But we did not send them! 25 So we met together and decided to choose some men and to send them to you along with our good friends Barnabas and Paul. 26 These men have risked their lives for our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We are also sending Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things that we are writing.
28 The Holy Spirit has shown us that we should not place any extra burden on you. 29 But you should not eat anything offered to idols. You should not eat any meat that still has the blood in it or any meat of any animal that has been strangled. You must also not commit any terrible sexual sins. If you follow these instructions, you will do well.
We send our best wishes.
30 The four men left Jerusalem and went to Antioch. Then they called the church members together and gave them the letter. 31 When the letter was read, everyone was pleased and greatly encouraged. 32 Judas and Silas were prophets, and they spoke a long time, encouraging and helping the Lord's followers.
33 The men from Jerusalem stayed on in Antioch for a while. And when they left to return to the ones who had sent them, the followers wished them well. 34-35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached about the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas Go Their Separate Ways
36 Sometime later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let's go back and visit the Lord's followers in the cities where we preached his message. Then we will know how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take along John, whose other name was Mark. 38 But Paul did not want to, because Mark had left them in Pamphylia and had stopped working with them.
39 Paul and Barnabas argued, then each of them went his own way. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, 40 but Paul took Silas and left after the followers had placed them in God's care. 41 They traveled through Syria and Cilicia, encouraging the churches.