Acts 16 – NIVUK & NEN

New International Version – UK

Acts 16:1-40

Timothy joins Paul and Silas

1Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they travelled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

Paul’s vision of the man of Macedonia

6Paul and his companions travelled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ 10After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia’s conversion in Philippi

11From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12From there we travelled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district16:12 The text and meaning of the Greek for the leading city of that district are uncertain. of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15When she and the members of her household were baptised, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in prison

16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.’ 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned round and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her.

19When her owners realised that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place to face the authorities. 20They brought them before the magistrates and said, ‘These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practise.’

22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’

29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’

31They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’ 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptised. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his whole household.

35When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: ‘Release those men.’ 36The jailer told Paul, ‘The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.’

37But Paul said to the officers: ‘They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.’

38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

Kiswahili Contemporary Version (Neno: Bibilia Takatifu)

Matendo 16:1-40

Timotheo Aungana Na Paulo Na Sila

116:1 Mdo 14; 6; Rum 16:21; Flp 1:1; Mdo 14:6; 1Kor 4:17; 16:10; 2Kor 1:1; Flp 1:1Paulo akafika Derbe na kisha Listra, ambako kulikuwa na mwanafunzi mmoja jina lake Timotheo, ambaye mama yake alikuwa Myahudi aliyeamini, lakini baba yake alikuwa Myunani. 216:2 Mdo 1:16; 13:51; 16:40; 1:16; 13:51Alikuwa amesifiwa sana na wale ndugu waliokuwa wameamini huko Listra na Ikonio 316:3 Gal 2:3Paulo alitaka Timotheo afuatane naye, hivyo akamchukua na kumtahiri kwa sababu ya Wayahudi waliokuwa wanaishi eneo lile kwa maana wote walimjua baba yake ni Myunani. 416:4 Mdo 11:30; 15:2; 15:28, 29Walipokuwa wakienda mji kwa mji, wakawa wanawapa maamuzi yaliyotolewa na mitume na wazee huko Yerusalemu ili wayafuate. 516:5 Mdo 9:31; 15:41Hivyo makanisa yakawa imara katika imani na kuongezeka kiidadi kila siku.

616:6 Mdo 18; 23; Gal 1:2; 3:1; Mdo 2:9Paulo pamoja na wenzake wakasafiri sehemu za Frigia na Galatia, kwa kuwa Roho Mtakatifu hakuwaruhusu kulihubiri neno huko Asia. 716:7 Flp 1:19; 1Pet 1:11Walipofika mpaka wa Misia, wakajaribu kuingia Bithinia lakini Roho wa Yesu hakuwaruhusu. 816:8 2Kor 2:12; 2Tim 4:12Kwa hiyo wakapita Misia, wakafika Troa. 916:9 Mdo 9:10; 20:1Wakati wa usiku Paulo akaona maono, mtu wa Makedonia amesimama akimsihi, “Vuka uje huku Makedonia utusaidie.” 1016:10 Mdo 20:11-38Baada ya Paulo kuona maono haya, tulijiandaa kwa haraka kuondoka kwenda Makedonia tukiwa tumesadiki kuwa Mungu alikuwa ametuita kuhubiri habari njema huko.

Kuokoka Kwa Lidia

1116:11 Mdo 16:8Tukasafiri kwa njia ya bahari kutoka Troa na kwenda moja kwa moja hadi Samothrake, kesho yake tukafika Neapoli. 1216:12 Flp 1:1; 1The 2:2Kutoka huko tukasafiri hadi Filipi, mji mkuu wa jimbo hilo la Makedonia, uliokuwa koloni ya Warumi. Nasi tukakaa huko siku kadhaa.

1316:13 Mdo 13:14Siku ya Sabato tukaenda nje ya lango la mji kando ya mto, mahali ambapo tulitarajia tungepata mahali pa kufanyia maombi. Tukaketi, tukaanza kuongea na baadhi ya wanawake waliokuwa wamekusanyika huko. 1416:14 Ufu 1:1; Lk 24:45Mmoja wa wale wanawake waliotusikiliza aliitwa Lidia, mfanyabiashara wa nguo za zambarau, mwenyeji wa mji wa Thiatira, aliyekuwa mcha Mungu. Bwana akaufungua moyo wake akaupokea ujumbe wa Paulo. 1516:15 Mdo 11:14Basi alipokwisha kubatizwa yeye na watu wa nyumba yake, alitukaribisha nyumbani kwake akisema, “Kama mmeona kweli mimi nimemwamini Bwana, karibuni mkae nyumbani mwangu.” Naye akatushawishi.

Paulo Na Sila Watiwa Gerezani

1616:16 Kum 18:11; 1Sam 28:3-7Siku moja, tulipokuwa tukienda mahali pa kusali, tulikutana na mtumwa mmoja wa kike ambaye alikuwa na pepo wa uaguzi. Naye alikuwa amewapa mabwana zake mapato makubwa ya fedha kwa ubashiri. 1716:17 Mk 5:7; 15:17Huyu msichana alikuwa akimfuata Paulo na sisi akipiga kelele, “Watu hawa ni watumishi wa Mungu Aliye Juu Sana, wao wanawatangazieni njia ya wokovu.” 1816:18 Mk 16:17; 1:25Akaendelea kufanya hivi kwa siku nyingi, lakini Paulo akiwa ameudhika sana, akageuka na kumwambia yule pepo mchafu, “Ninakuamuru katika jina la Yesu Kristo, umtoke!” Yule pepo mchafu akamtoka saa ile ile.

1916:19 Mdo 19:25, 26; 15:22; 21:30; Yak 2:6Basi mabwana wa yule mtumwa wa kike walipoona kuwa tumaini lao la kuendelea kujipatia fedha limetoweka, wakawakamata Paulo na Sila wakawaburuta mpaka sokoni mbele ya viongozi wa mji. 2016:20 Mdo 17:16Baada ya kuwafikisha mbele ya mahakimu wakawashtaki wakisema, “Hawa watu wanaleta ghasia katika mji wetu, nao ni Wayahudi. 2116:21 Es 3:8Wanafundisha desturi ambazo sisi raiya wa Kirumi hatuwezi kuzikubali au kuzitimiza.”

2216:22 2Kor 11:25; 1The 2:2Umati wa watu waliokuwepo wakajiunga katika kuwashambulia Paulo na Sila na wale mahakimu wakaamuru wavuliwe nguo zao na wachapwe viboko. 2316:23 Mdo 16:27, 36Baada ya kuwachapa sana, wakawatupa gerezani na kumwagiza mkuu wa gereza awalinde kikamilifu. 2416:24 Ay 33:11; Yer 29:26Kufuata maelekezo haya, yule mkuu wa gereza akawaweka katika chumba cha ndani sana mle gerezani, na akawafunga miguu yao kwa minyororo.

2516:25 Efe 5:19Ilipokaribia usiku wa manane, Paulo na Sila walikuwa wakiomba na kuimba nyimbo za kumsifu Mungu, nao wafungwa wengine walikuwa wakiwasikiliza. 2616:26 Mdo 4:31; 12:10; 12:7Ghafula pakatokea tetemeko kubwa la ardhi, hata msingi wa gereza ukatikisika. Mara milango ya gereza ikafunguka na ile minyororo iliyowafunga kila mmoja ikafunguka. 2716:27 Mdo 11:14Yule mkuu wa gereza alipoamka na kuona milango ya gereza iko wazi, akachomoa upanga wake akataka kujiua, akidhani ya kuwa wafungwa wote wametoroka. 28Lakini Paulo akapiga kelele kwa sauti kubwa, akasema, “Usijidhuru kwa maana sisi sote tuko hapa!”

29Yule askari wa gereza akaagiza taa ziletwe, akaingia ndani ya kile chumba cha gereza, akapiga magoti akitetemeka mbele ya Paulo na Sila. 3016:30 Mdo 2:37; 9:6; Lk 3:10Kisha akawaleta nje akisema, “Bwana zangu, nifanye nini nipate kuokoka?”

3116:31 Yn 3:16, 36; 6:47; 1Yn 5:10Wakamjibu, “Mwamini Bwana Yesu Kristo, nawe utaokoka, pamoja na watu wa nyumbani mwako.” 32Wakamwambia neno la Bwana yeye pamoja na wote waliokuwako nyumbani mwake. 3316:33 Mdo 16:25; 2:38Wakati ule ule, yule mkuu wa gereza akawachukua, akawaosha majeraha yao, kisha akabatizwa yeye pamoja na wote waliokuwa nyumbani mwake bila kuchelewa. 3416:34 Mdo 11:14Akawapandisha nyumbani mwake akawaandalia chakula, yeye pamoja na nyumba yake yote wakafurahi sana kwa kuwa sasa walikuwa wamemwamini Mungu.

35Kulipopambazuka wale mahakimu wakawatuma maafisa wao kwa mkuu wa gereza wakiwa na agizo linalosema, “Wafungue wale watu, waache waende zao.” 3616:36 Mdo 15:33Mkuu wa gereza akamwambia Paulo “Mahakimu wameagiza niwaache huru, kwa hiyo tokeni na mwende zenu kwa amani.”

3716:37 Mdo 22:25-29Lakini Paulo akawaambia wale maafisa, “Wametupiga hadharani bila kutufanyia mashtaka na kutuhoji, nao wakatutupa gerezani, hata ingawa sisi ni raiya wa Rumi. Nao sasa wanataka kututoa gerezani kwa siri? Hapana! Wao na waje wenyewe watutoe humu gerezani.”

3816:38 Mdo 22:29Wale maafisa wakarudi na kuwaambia wale mahakimu maneno haya, wakaogopa sana walipofahamu kuwa Paulo na Sila ni raiya wa Rumi. 3916:39 Mt 8:34Kwa hiyo wakaja wakawaomba msamaha, wakawatoa gerezani, wakawaomba waondoke katika ule mji. 4016:40 Mdo 1:16Baada ya Paulo na Sila kutoka gerezani walikwenda nyumbani kwa Lidia, ambapo walikutana na wale ndugu walioamini, wakawatia moyo, ndipo wakaondoka.