On to Jerusalem
1After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
7We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. 8Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, “In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.” ’
12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ 14When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’
15After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
Paul’s arrival at Jerusalem
17When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. 18The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: ‘You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.’
26The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
Paul arrested
27When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28shouting, ‘Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.’ 29(They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)
30The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36The crowd that followed kept shouting, ‘Get rid of him!’
Paul speaks to the crowd
37As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, ‘May I say something to you?’
‘Do you speak Greek?’ he replied. 38‘Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?’
39Paul answered, ‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.’
40After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic21:40 Or possibly Hebrew; also in 22:2:
Paulo Apita ku Yerusalemu
1Titalawirana nawo, tinachoka kumeneko mʼsitima ya pamadzi, ndipo tinayenda molunjika mpaka kufika ku Kosi. Mmawa mwake tinapita ku Rode, kuchokera kumeneko tinapita ku Patara. 2Kumeneko tinapeza sitima yapamadzi yopita ku Foinike. Choncho tinalowamo nʼkunyamuka. 3Tinaona chilumba cha Kupro ndipo tinadutsa kummwera kwake nʼkupita ku Siriya. Tinakayima ku Turo chifukwa sitima yathuyo imayenera kusiya katundu kumeneko. 4Tinafunafuna ophunzira kumeneko, ndipo titawapeza tinakhala nawo masiku asanu ndi awiri. Iwowa, mwa Mzimu Woyera anakakamiza Paulo kuti asapite ku Yerusalemu. 5Koma nthawi yathu itatha, tinachokako ndi kupitiriza ulendo wathu. Ophunzira onse pamodzi ndi akazi awo ndi ana anatiperekeza mpaka kunja kwa mzinda. Ndipo kumeneko tinagwada mʼmbali mwa nyanja ndi kupemphera. 6Titatsanzikana, tinalowa mʼsitima ija, iwowo anabwerera ku nyumba zawo.
7Ife tinapitiriza ulendo wathu wochokera ku Turo mpaka tinafika ku Ptolemayi. Kumeneko tinalonjera abale ndi kukhala nawo tsiku limodzi. 8Tinachoka mmawa mwake, mpaka tinakafika ku Kaisareya. Tinapita kukakhala mʼnyumba ya mlaliki Filipo, amene anali mmodzi mwa atumiki a mpingo asanu ndi awiri aja. 9Iye anali ndi ana aakazi anayi osakwatiwa amene anali ndi mphatso ya uneneri.
10Titakhala kumeneko masiku ambiri, kunabwera mneneri wina wochokera ku Yudeya dzina lake Agabu. 11Atafika kwa ife, anatenga lamba wa Paulo, nadzimanga naye manja ake ndi mapazi ake ndipo anati, “Mzimu Woyera akuti, ‘Mwini lambayu, Ayuda adzamumanga chomwechi ku Yerusalemu, ndipo adzamupereka mʼmanja mwa anthu a mitundu ina.’ ”
12Titamva zimenezi, ife pamodzi ndi anthu kumeneko tinamudandaulira Paulo kuti asapite ku Yerusalemu. 13Koma Paulo anayankha kuti, “Chifukwa chiyani mukulira ndi kunditayitsa mtima? Ndine wokonzeka osati kumangidwa kokha ayi, komanso kufa ku Yerusalemu chifukwa cha dzina la Ambuye Yesu.” 14Titalephera kumuletsa tinamuleka ndipo tinati, “Chifuniro cha Ambuye chichitike.”
15Pambuyo pake, ife tinakonzeka ndi kunyamuka kumapita ku Yerusalemu. 16Ena mwa ophunzira a ku Kaisareya anatiperekeza mpaka kukatifikitsa ku nyumba ya Mnasoni, kumene tinakonza kuti tizikhalako. Iye anali wa ku Kupro ndiponso mmodzi wa ophunzira oyambirira.
Paulo Afika ku Yerusalemu
17Titafika ku Yerusalemu, abale anatilandira mwachimwemwe. 18Mmawa mwake Paulo pamodzi ndi ife tonse tinapita kwa Yakobo, ndipo akulu onse a mpingo anali komweko. 19Paulo anawalonjera ndi kuwafotokozera mwatsatanetsatane zimene Mulungu anachita pakati pa anthu a mitundu ina kudzera mu utumiki wake.
20Atamva zimenezi, iwo anayamika Mulungu. Kenaka anawuza Paulo kuti, “Mʼbale, ukuona kuti pali Ayuda ambirimbiri amene anakhulupirira, ndipo ndi okhulupirika potsatira Malamulo a Mose. 21Iwo anawuzidwa kuti iwe umaphunzitsa Ayuda onse amene akukhala pakati pa anthu a mitundu ina kuti asiye kutsatira Mose, kuti asamachite mdulidwe kapena kutsatira miyambo. 22Nanga pamenepa ife titani? Iwo adzamva ndithu kuti iwe wabwera, 23tsono iwe chita zimene ife tikuwuze. Tili nawo amuna anayi pano amene anachita lumbiro kwa Mulungu. 24Muwatenge anthu amenewa, ndipo muchite nawo mwambo wowayeretsa ndipo muwalipirire zoti apereke kuti amete tsitsi lawo. Kotero aliyense adzadziwa kuti palibe choonadi pa zimene anamva za inu, koma kuti inu mwini mumakhala moyo womvera Malamulo. 25Koma kunena za anthu a mitundu ina amene asandulika okhulupirira, ife tinawalembera zimene tinavomerezana zakuti asadye chakudya choperekedwa ku mafano, asadye magazi, asadye nyama yopotola ndiponso asachite zadama.”
26Mmawa mwake Paulo anatenga amuna aja ndipo anachita mwambo wodziyeretsa. Kenaka anapita ku Nyumba ya Mulungu nakadziwitsa ansembe za tsiku limene adzatsiriza nthawi ya kudziyeretsa ndi kuperekera nsembe aliyense wa iwo.
Agwira Paulo
27Ali pafupi kutsiriza masiku asanu ndi awiriwo, Ayuda ena ochokera ku Asiya anaona Paulo mʼNyumba ya Mulungu. Iwo anawutsa gulu lonse la anthu ndipo anamugwira Paulo, 28akufuwula kuti, “Inu Aisraeli, tithandizeni! Ndi uyu munthu uja amaphunzitsa anthu onse ponseponse kuti azinyoza mtundu wathu ndiponso Malamulo athu ndi malo ano. Kuwonjezera pamenepo, walowetsa Agriki mʼbwalo la Nyumba ino ndipo wadetsa malo opatulika.” 29Iwo ananena izi chifukwa anali ataona Trofimo wa ku Efeso ali ndi Paulo mu mzindamo ndipo iwo ankaganiza kuti Paulo anamulowetsa mʼbwalo la Nyumba ya Mulungu.
30Mzinda wonse unasokonezeka, ndipo anthu anabwera akuthamanga kuchokera kumbali zonse. Anamugwira Paulo, namukokera kunja kwa Nyumbayo, ndipo nthawi yomweyo anatseka zipata. 31Pamene anthuwo ankafuna kupha Paulo, nkhaniyi inamveka kwa mkulu wa magulu a asilikali a Aroma kuti mzinda wonse wa Yerusalemu wasokonezeka. 32Nthawi yomweyo iye anatenga asilikali ndi atsogoleri a magulu a asilikali ndi kuthamangira kumene kunali anthuwo. Anthuwo ataona mkuluyo ndi asilikali ake analeka kumenya Paulo.
33Mkulu wa asilikaliyo anabwera nagwira Paulo, ndipo analamula kuti amangidwe ndi maunyolo awiri. Kenaka iye anafunsa kuti ndi ndani ndipo wachita chiyani. 34Ena mʼgulumo anafuwula chinthu china ndi enanso chinanso. Tsono popeza mkulu wa asilikaliyo sanathe kudziwa choonadi chenicheni chifukwa cha phokoso, analamula kuti Paulo atengedwe kupita ku malo a asilikali. 35Paulo atafika pa makwerero olowera ku malo a asilikaliwo, ananyamulidwa ndi asilikali chifukwa cha ukali wa anthuwo. 36Gulu la anthu limene linamutsatira linapitiriza kufuwula kuti, “Ameneyo aphedwe basi!”
Paulo Ayankhula
37Asilikali ali pafupi kulowa naye ku malo awo, iye anapempha mkulu wa asilikaliyo kuti, “Kodi mungandilole ndiyankhulepo?”
Mkulu wa asilikaliyo anafunsa kuti, “Kodi umayankhula Chigriki? 38Kodi sindiwe Mwigupto uja amene masiku apitawo unayambitsa kuwukira ndi kutsogolera anthu 4,000 owukira aja nʼkupita nawo ku chipululu?”
39Paulo anayankha kuti, “Ine ndine Myuda, wa ku Tarisisi ku Kilikiya. Sindine nzika ya mzinda wamba. Chonde loleni ndiyankhule nawo anthuwa.”
40Ataloledwa ndi mkulu wa asilikaliyo, Paulo anayimirira pa makwereropo nakweza dzanja lake kwa gulu la anthuwo. Onse atakhala chete, iye anayankhula nawo mʼChihebri.
