1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
5 ¶ But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. 8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
10 ¶ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people. 14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still. 15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
16 ¶ Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is ? 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 ¶ Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 ¶ And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter . 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Mu Tesalonika
1 Paulo na Silasi bakayenda bakapinda ne mu Amfipoli ne Apoloniya bakaswika ku Tesalonika, iko kwakabe kuna ng'umba ye mitembezelo ye Bajuta. 2 Se wolobela kukwe Paulo kayenda ku ng'umba ye mitembezelo. Kagala tshipi thatu enyanyayidzana nabo ngekwe hwalo, ebala 3 etjenesa Hwalo dze Ndzimu elakidza mudzili kuti Mesiya wakabe akafanila kudziyila ne kumuka mu bafi. Paulo kati, “Jesu iwoyu wandinoleba nge kukwe kumuli ndiye Mesiya.” 4 Bamwe babo bakahwisisa, ndizo bakama na Paulo na Silasi; ne bafumakadzi bana mamo banjinji ne Bagiriki banjinji bakabe benamata Ndzimu.
5 Koga Bajuta bakabe ne ndandala, ngono bakakubunganya bamwe bathu basibe tjimwe mu dzizila bakabumba mbunga. Bakadzonga nzi wose, ngono bakangina mu nzi we nlume wakabe edang'wa Jasoni, beti banowowana Paulo na Silasi kuti babazhise ku bathu. 6 Koga bakati babasheta, bakazuzuta Jasoni ne zwimwe zwikamu bakabayisa mbeli kwe babusi be nzi bemimila beti, “Ibaba balume bakadzonga pamwe ne pamwe! Ngwenu batjizhabo ngeno, 7 ngono Jasoni wakabagadza mu ng'umba iye. Bose banotjuluka milayo ya Kaisara, beti kuna mmwe mambo, unoyi Jesu.” 8 Bathu ne balauli be nzi bakadzongeka ha behwa ikoku. 9 Balauli bakalipisa Jasoni na ibabo bamwe, themba ye mari inoshakika kuti basunungugwe, ndizo bakabaletja bakayenda.
Mu Bhereya
10 Kukati kube busiku, zwikamu zwikanyelusila Paulo na Silasi ku Bhereya. Bakati beswika bakayenda ku ng'umba ye mitembezelo ye Tjijuta. 11 Bathu baikoko bakabe bakashaladuka kupinda Batesalonika. Bakaamutjila dama nge mazwihwo abo wose, ngono mazhuba wose bakabe belingisisa mu Hwalo dze Ndzimu kubona kene tjadiyiwa ndi Paulo tjili malebeswa. 12 Bunji mubali bakagalamoyo; ne bakadzi be Tjigiriki banjinji bana mamo ne balume banjinji be Tjigiriki na ibo bakagalamoyo. 13 Koga Bajuta mu Tesalonika bakati behwa kuti Paulo wakasumikilabo dama le Ndzimu mu Bhereya, bakazha ikoko bakatangisa kudzonga bathu. 14 Tjinyolotjo zwikamu zwikadusa Paulo kayenda ku gungwa; koga Silasi na Timoti bakasala mu Bhereya. 15 Balume bakabe bepelekedza Paulo bakayenda naye kunoti mu Atene ipapo bakashandukila ku Bhereya ne ndayilo inodwa muna Paulo kuti Silasi na Timoti bantobele tjinyolotjo.
Mu Atene
16 Paulo kati atjakamilila Silasi na Timoti mu Atene meya iye ikakodzongeka mukati kukwe ha ebona nzi sekwa uli zhele midzimu. 17 Ndizo kalebesana ne Bajuta ne Bezwitjaba banonamata Ndzimu mu ng'umba ye mitembezelo ne mu lubazhe mazhuba wose elebeleka ne bathu banopinda zwabo. 18 Badiyi bamwe be zwidiyo zwe Tjiepikuri ne be zwidiyo zwe Tjisitoiki bakanyanyayidzana naye. Bamwe babo bakabhuzwa beti, “Nlebanyi iwoyu katini?”
Bamwe bakadabila beti, “Unonga unoleba ngekwe midzimu ipoga.” Bakaleba ikoku, ngobe Paulo wakabe esumikila ngekwa Jesu nenge kumuka mu bafi. 19 Ndizo bakatola Paulo bakanzhisa pa lubazhe gwe nzi iwoyo gunoyi Areopago, ngono bakati, “Toshaka kuziba kudiya ikoku kutshwa kwaunoleba nge kwako. 20 Zwithu zwatinohwa uzwileba zwitshwa mutili, ngono toshaka kuziba kuti zodwani.” 21 Bathu bose be Atene ne bataya bakabe begala ikoko bakapitsha tjibaka tjabo beleba kene behwilila tjimwe tjitshwa.
22 Paulo kama pakati kwe lubazhe gwe Areopago kati, “Ndobona kuti mu zila dzose imwi Baatene mu banamati. 23 Ngobe ndati ndipalama nzi wenyu ndilinga magalo amunonamata, ndawana tjibeso tjakakwagwa kuyi, ‘Ku Ndzimu usingazibgwe.’ Itjetjo tjamunonamata, nenguba musingatjizibe, nditjo tjandinoleba kumuli nge kwatjo ngwenu. 24 Ndzimu iwo wakathama shango ne tjimwe ne tjimwe tjimuili, ndi She we kudzimu ne shango, ngono autogala mu ng'umba dze mitembezelo dzakathamwa nge nthu, 25 kene kuli kushaka tjimwe tjatingaunamata nge kuushingila, se uli iwo unopa butjilo ne meya inofemiwa ne tjimwe ne tjimwe ku mmwe ne mmwe. 26 Wakathama zwitjaba zose kudwa mu nthu nng'ompela kuti bagale mu shango yose. Iwo nge kwawo wakabiga kale misi ne migathu ye magalo kwabanowogala. 27 Wakathama ikoku kuti ndizo baushake, kuti pamwe bangaambamba bakauwana. Nenguba Ndzimu usi kule kule ne mmwe ne mmwe wedu ngoti; 28 ‘Muuli totjila tikayenda tikabepo.’
“Koga sekwa kalebgwa nge batetembeli bamwe benyu beti, ‘Nge malebeswa ti bana bawo.’
29 “Se tili bana be Ndzimu, tisikumbule kuti mbumbiko yawo inonga ye tjifano tjakathamwa nge golide kene siliva kene bgwe, tjithamwa nge bunyambi ne njalakang'wa dze nthu. 30 Misi ye kusaziba Ndzimu wakailinga ukaitjuludza mesho, koga ngwenu unolaya bose kumwe ne kumwe kuti bashandukile matjinyo abo. 31 Ngobe wakabiga zhuba launowosumikilisa shango yose nge ndulamo nge nlume wawakashalula. Wakalakidza malebeswa a ikoku ku mmwe ne mmwe nge kumusa nlume iwoyo mu bafi!”
32 Bakati behwa Paulo eleba ngekwe kumusiwa kwe bafi, bamwe babo bakanseka mahanya, koga bamwe bakati, “Toshaka kukuhwa ulebeleka ngekwa ikoku kakale.” 33 Ndizo Paulo kadwa mubali. 34 Koga bamwe balume bakabhatana naye, ngono bakagalamoyo, pakati kwabo kwakabe kuna Diyonisiyo we N'areopago; ne mmwe nkadzi edang'wa Damarisi ne bamwe.