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.
Paulus ta hovele olweendo lotete letumo
1 Ndele meongalo lomuAntiokia omwa li ovaxunganeki novalongindjovo Barnabas naSimeon a lukwa Nigeri naLukius Omukireni, naManahen, ou a tekulilwa pamwe naHerodes, omupangeli woshitine, naSaulus. 2 Ndele fimbo tava ningi elongelokalunga lokulongela Omwene nove lidilika eendja, Omhepo Iyapuki oya tya kuvo: “Yoololelei nge Barnabas naSaulus va ka longe oshilonga osho nde shi va ifanena.” 3 Ndele eshi ve lidilika eendja ndele tava ilikana, ve va tenheka omake nove va lekela.
Paulus muKipro
4 Hano ava ngaashi va tumwa kOmhepo Iyapuki, ova ya kuSeleukia, ndele oko nee va dja, tava yauka, ndele tava i kuKipro. 5 Ndele eshi va fika kuSalamis, ova udifa eendjovo daKalunga meeshinagoga dOvajuda; vo va li naJohannes, omuyakuli wavo.
6 Ndele eshi va endaenda onhunhu ei aishe fiyo omuPafo, ova hanga mo omhule, omuxunganeki omunaipupulu, Omujuda, edina laye Barjesus. 7 Ye okwa li ha kala pomupangeli wonhunhu Sirgius Paulus, ou a li omulumenhu omunaendunge, nokwa ifana Barnabas naSaulus, a hala okuuda eendjovo daKalunga. 8 Ndele omhule ei Elimas, osheshi osho edina laye tali lundululwa, okwe va twila ondubo a hala okulimbilika omupangeli aha itavele. 9 Ndele Saulus, ou a lukwa Paulus, mokuyadifwa Omhepo Iyapuki okwe mu tala nokutongolola 10 ndele ta ti: “Omona waSatana ove, ou yadi oihelele noukolokoshi keshe, ove omutondi wouyuki aushe, ito efa nande okupengifa eendjila da yuka dOmwene. 11 Ndele paife eshi, tala, eke lOmwene oli li kombada yoye, ndele to twika uha mone etango omafiku amwe.” Opo tuu opo omulaulu fokofoko owe mu tuvikila, ye ta pumauka ta kongo ou te mu kwata komhango. 12 Opo nee omupangeli eshi a mona osho sha ningwa po, okwa itavela ndele a kuminwa omalongo Omwene.
Paulus ta udifa muAntiokia shomuPisidia
13 Ndele Paulus naava va li pamwe naye, eshi va dja muPafo, ova yauka vali, va ya kuPerge shomuPamfilia, oko Johannes okwa tukuka navo, ndele okwa shuna kuJerusalem. 14 Ndelenee vo ova dja muPerge ndele tava ehene ko, va fika kuAntiokia shomuPisidia nomefiku lEshabata ova ya moshinagoga ndele tava kala omutumba. 15 Ndele omhango novaxunganeki eshi ya leshwa, oovene voshinagoga ova tuma kuvo ndele tava ti: “Ovalumenhu nye ovamwatate, ngeenge mu nondjovo yekumaido yokulombwela ovanhu, popyeni hano.” 16 Opo nee Paulus a fikama ndele e va mweneka neke ndele ta ti:
“Ovalumenhu nye Ovaisraeli, nanye vamwe hamu tila Kalunga, pwilikineni! 17 Kalunga ou koshiwana eshi shaIsrael okwa hoolola ootate, noshiwana eshi shetu e shi lenga fimbo va kala ovanailongo medu laEgipiti ndele te va pitifa mo nokwooko kwaye kwa yeluka. 18 Ndele okwe lididimikila eenghedi davo mombuwa efimbo li fike lwopomido omilongo ine, 19 ndele okwa nyona po oiwana iheyali ya kala medu laKaanan, nedu lavo okwe li va tukulila efyuululo. 20 Ndele eshi sha ningwa mefimbo li fike lwopomido omafele ane nomido omilongo itano. Ye okwe va pa ovapangelitokoli fiyo okomuxunganeki Samuel. 21 Ndele opo nee vo ve lihalela ohamba, ndele Kalunga okwe va pa Saul, omona waKis, omulumenhu womepata laBenjamin. Osho ngaha pa pita omido omilongo ine. 22 Ndele eshi ye e mu shundula, okwe va tumbila David, a ninge ohamba, ngaashi Ye e mu tonga, ta ti: ‘Ame onda mona David, omona waIsai, omulumenhu nde mu hokwa komutima wange, ndele ye ota wanifa ehalo lange alishe.’ 23 Omoludalo laau, Kalunga okwa pendulila Israel Omukulili Jesus, ngaashi e shi udaneka, 24 Oye eshi a holoka, okwa hanga Johannes ta udifile oshiwana ashishe shaIsrael eshasho lelidilululo. 25 Ndele pokuxulifa okweenda kwaye, Johannes okwa tya: ‘Aame haame ou tamu diladilile nge, tala, ohandi shikulwa kwaau, inandi wana okuditula nande omiya deenghaku dokeemhadi daye.’
26 “Ovalumenhu nye ovamwatate, onye ovana vomoludalo laAbraham, nanye ava vamwe hamu tila Kalunga, fye otwa tuminwa ondjovo yexupifo eli. 27 Osheshi Ovajerusalem novakulunhu vavo eshi inava koneka Jesus, omoku mu tokola, va wanifa yo eendjovo dovaxunganeki, edi hadi leshwa keshe Eshabata. 28 Ndele nande inava mona mo muye etimba lokufya, ova indila Pilatus e mu yandje a dipawe. 29 Ndele eshi va wanifa ngaha omishangwa adishe de mu popya, ove mu kufa ko komuti nove mu nangeka mombila. 30 Ndelenee Kalunga okwe mu nyumuna movafi. 31 Ndele momafiku mahapu e lihololela venya va dile kuGalilea ve uya pamwe naye kuJerusalem, nopaife ovo eendobwedi mokati kovanhu. 32 Hano fye ohatu mu udifile eenghundana diwa nokutya, eudaneko linya Kalunga e li pa ootate, 33 okwe li wanifila ovana, ofye tuu ava, eshi e tu nyumunina Jesus. Ngaashi mwa shangwa mEpsalome etivali:
‘Oove Omona wange,
onena eli nde ku dala.’
34 Ndele eshi e mu nyumuna movafi, Oye ke na vali okushuna mefyo, mokupopya ota ti:
‘Ohandi ke mu pa omapuniko mayapuki a pama aDavid.’
35 Opo nee ta popi yo monhele imwe:
‘Omuyapuki woye ito efa a mone eolelo.’
36 Osheshi David eshi a longele ehalo laKalunga pefimbo laye, okwa kofa, ndele okwa ongelwa pooxekulu, ndele okwa mona eolelo. 37 Ndelenee ou a nyumunwa kuKalunga ina mona eolelo. 38 Opo nee hano ovalumenhu nye ovamwatate, kaleni mu shi shii, omolwaau nye otamu udifilwa ekufilepo lomatimba. 39 Ndele moinima ei aishe mwa nyengwa okuyukipalifwa komhango yaMoses, omwaau keshe ou ta itavele, ota ningi omuyuki. 40 Litaleni hano, muha hangike kwaashi sha popiwa kovaxunganeki:
41 ‘Taleni onye ovadini,
mu kumwe, nye mu nyonauke po,
osheshi ame ohandi longo oshilonga shimwe
momafiku aa eni,
heeno, oshilonga eshi, ngeno mu shi lombwelwe,
itamu shi itavele.’ ”
Ovayapostoli tava ame kovapaani
42 Ndele vo eshi va dja mo moshinagoga, ova indilwa va hepaulule eendjovo edi nomEshabata tali uya. 43 Ndele eshi va dja mo moshinagoga nova hanauka, Ovajuda vahapu novatilikalunga ova shikula Paulus naBarnabas, ndele ava ove va longa nove va kumaida okukala monghenda yaKalunga.
44 Ndele mEshabata la shikula hanga oshilando ashishe sha ongala okuuda eendjovo daKalunga. 45 Ndele Ovajuda eshi va mona eengudu dovanhu, ova yada ondubo unene, nova twifa Paulus eemhata ndele va sheka eendjovo daye. 46 Opo nee Paulus naBarnabas ova popya nouladi tava ti: “Onye tuu ava mu nokuudifilwa tete eendjovo daKalunga; ndele nye eshi tamu di kandula po, nomwe litala inamu wapala okuya momwenyo waalushe, hano taleni, ohatu liameke kovapaani. 47 Osheshi osho ngaha Omwene e tu lombwela:
‘Ame nde ku tula po ouyelele wovapaani,
u ninge exupifo fiyo okominghulo dedu.’ ”
48 Ndele ovapaani eshi ve shi uda, ova hafa nova fimaneka eendjovo daKalunga, nova ninga ovaitaveli, aveshe ava va nuninwa okuya momwenyo waalushe. 49 Ndele eendjovo dOmwene oda tandavela moshikandjo ashishe. 50 Ndele Ovajuda ova hongaula ovakainhu ovanamadina ovatilikalunga novalumenhu ovafimanekwa moshilando, va pendulila Paulus naBarnabas ehaulo, ndele tave va te mo moikandjo aishe yavo. 51 Opo nee ove va pupulile ondwi yokeemhadi davo nova ya kuIkonium. 52 Ndele ovalongwa ova yadifwa ehafo nOmhepo Iyapuki.
