Paul Goes to Jerusalem
1 After saying goodbye, we sailed straight to Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and from there sailed on to Patara. 2 We found a ship going to Phoenicia, so we got on board and sailed off.
3 We came within sight of Cyprus and then sailed south of it on to the port of Tyre in Syria, where the ship was going to unload its cargo. 4 We found the Lord's followers and stayed with them for a week. The Holy Spirit had told them to warn Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 But when the week was over, we started on our way again. All the men, together with their wives and children, walked with us from the town to the seashore. We knelt on the beach and prayed. 6 Then after saying goodbye to each other, we got into the ship, and they went back home.
7 We sailed from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the followers and stayed with them for a day. 8 The next day we went to Caesarea and stayed with Philip, the preacher. He was one of the seven men who helped the apostles, 9 and he had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10 We had been in Caesarea for several days, when the prophet Agabus came to us from Judea. 11 He took Paul's belt, and with it he tied up his own hands and feet. Then he told us, “The Holy Spirit says that some of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this belt. They will also hand him over to the Gentiles.” 12 After Agabus said this, we and the followers living there begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
13 But Paul answered, “Why are you crying and breaking my heart? I am not only willing to be put in jail for the Lord Jesus, but I am even willing to die for him in Jerusalem!”
14 Since we could not get Paul to change his mind, we gave up and prayed, “Lord, please make us willing to do what you want.”
15 Then we got ready to go to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the followers from Caesarea went with us and took us to stay in the home of Mnason. He was from Cyprus and had been a follower from the beginning.
Paul Visits James
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the Lord's followers gladly welcomed us. 18 Paul went with us to see James the next day, and all the church leaders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and told how God had used him to help the Gentiles. 20 Everyone who heard this praised God and said to Paul:
My friend, you can see how many tens of thousands of our people have become followers! And all of them are eager to obey the Law of Moses. 21 But they have been told that you are teaching those who live among the Gentiles to disobey this Law. They claim that you are telling them not to circumcise their sons or to follow our customs.
22 What should we do now that our people have heard you are here? 23 Please do what we ask, because four of our men have made special promises to God. 24 Join with them and prepare yourself for the ceremony that goes with the promises. Pay the cost for their heads to be shaved. Then everyone will learn that the reports about you are not true. They will know you do obey the Law of Moses.
25 Some while ago we told the Gentile followers what we think they should do. We instructed them not to eat anything offered to idols. They were told not to eat any meat with blood still in it or the meat of an animal that has been strangled. They were also told not to commit any terrible sexual sins.
26 The next day Paul took the four men with him and got himself ready at the same time they did. Then he went into the temple and told when the final ceremony would take place and when an offering would be made for each of them.
Paul Is Arrested
27 When the period of seven days for the ceremony was almost over, some of the Jewish people from Asia saw Paul in the temple. They got a large crowd together and started attacking him. 28 They were shouting, “Friends, help us! This man goes around everywhere, saying bad things about our nation and about the Law of Moses and about this temple. He has even brought shame to this holy temple by bringing in Gentiles.” 29 Some of them thought that Paul had brought Trophimus from Ephesus into the temple, because they had seen them together in the city.
30 The whole city was in an uproar, and the people turned into a mob. They grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Then suddenly the doors were shut. 31 The people were about to kill Paul when the Roman army commander heard that all Jerusalem was starting to riot. 32 So he quickly took some soldiers and officers and ran to where the crowd had gathered.
As soon as the mob saw the commander and soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 The army commander went over and arrested him and had him bound with two chains. Then he tried to find out who Paul was and what he had done. 34 Part of the crowd shouted one thing, and part of them shouted something else. But they were making so much noise that the commander could not find out a thing. Then he ordered Paul to be taken into the fortress. 35 As they reached the steps, the crowd became so wild that the soldiers had to lift Paul up and carry him. 36 The crowd followed and kept shouting, “Kill him! Kill him!”
Paul Speaks to the Crowd
37 When Paul was about to be taken into the fortress, he asked the commander, “Can I say something to you?”
“How do you know Greek?” the commander asked. 38 “Aren't you that Egyptian who started a riot not long ago and led 4,000 terrorists into the desert?”
39 “No!” Paul replied. “I am a Jew from Tarsus, an important city in Cilicia. Please let me speak to the crowd.”
40 The commander told him he could speak, so Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people. When they were quiet, he spoke to them in Aramaic:
Paulus ta i kuTirus
1 Ndele opa ningwa, fye eshi twa tukauka navo notwa ya moskepa, otwa yaukila konhunhu yaKos, nefiku la shikula okuRodos, ndele eshi twa dja ko, otwe uya kuPatara. 2 Ndele eshi twa hanga ko oskepa tai i kuFoinikia, otwa londa mo ndele twa ya. 3 Ndele mokweenda kwetu Kipro eshi ya monika, notwe i ameka kolumosho, otwa ya twa yukilila kuSiria ndele twa londoloka muTirus, osheshi oskepa oya li i nokuhelula ofulaxa yayo kwinya. 4 Ndele eshi twa mona ovalongwa, otwa kala ko omafiku aheyali, ndele vo ova lombwela Paulus ngaashi va li va pewa kOmhepo Iyapuki, aha ye kuJerusalem. 5 Ndelenee eshi twa menekela ko omafiku oo, otwa fikama, ndele hatu i, vo aveshe ove tu findikila pamwe novakainhu nounona fiyo twa dja moshilando, ndele komunghulo wefuta otwa twa eengolo ndele hatu ilikana. 6 Ndele fye eshi twa lekelafana notwa ya moskepa, venya ova shuna komaumbo avo.
MuPtolemais nomuKesarea
7 Ndelenee mokudja muTirus otwe uya kuPtolemais, oku twa xulifa okweenda kwetu moskepa, ndele twa kunda ovamwatate, ndele twa kala puvo efiku limwe. 8 Ndele mefiku la shikula fye ava twa enda naPaulus, otwa fikama twe uya kuKesarea, ndele twa ya meumbo lomuevaengeliste Filippus, ou a li umwe waava vaheyali, ndele twa kala puye. 9 Ndele ou okwa li e novana oukadona vane, ava va li ve noshali yokuxunganeka. 10 Ndele fimbo twa menekela mo omafiku mahapu, pe uya omuxunganeki womuJudea, edina laye Agabus. 11 Ndele eshi e uya oku tu talela po, okwa kufa ekwamo laPaulus, ndele e li limangifa komaulu nokomaoko aye ndele ta ti: “Omhepo Iyapuki otai ti ngaha: ‘Mwene wekwamo eli osho ngaha Ovajuda tave ke mu manga muJerusalem ndele tave mu yandje momake ovapaani.’ ” 12 Ndele eshi twe shi uda, ofye novadalelwamo, otwe mu indila shili aha ye kuJerusalem. 13 Ndelenee Paulus a nyamukula ta ti: “Nye otamu ningi ngahelipi, eshi tamu kwena ndele tamu teyaula omutima wange, osheshi ame onde lilongekida, hakokumangwa akuke, ndelenee okufila yo edina lOmwene Jesus muJerusalem.” 14 Opo nee, ye eshi ine tu itavela, otwa mwena ndele hatu ti: “Ehalo lOmwene nali longwe.”
Paulus ta talele po Jakob
15 Ndele omafiku enya eshi a pita, otwe lilongekida notwa ya kuJerusalem. 16 Ndele ovalongwa vamwe vomuKesarea ove uya pamwe nafye, nove tu twala meumbo laMnason, Omukipro, omulongwa mukulu, fye tu ka menekele meumbo laye.
17 Ndele eshi twe uya muJerusalem, ovamwatate ove tu tambula nehafo. 18 Nefiku la shikula Paulus okwa ya pamwe nafye kuJakob. Ovakulunhu aveshe va ongalela mo. 19 Ndele Paulus eshi e va kunda, okwe va hepaululila aishe ei Kalunga e i longa mokati kovapaani mokulonga kwaye ovanhu. 20 Ndele eshi ve di uda ova hambelela Omwene ndele tava ti kuye: “Omumwatate, ove owe shi mona, Ovajuda omayovi mahapu nhumbi va ninga ovaitaveli, ndele ovo ovadiinini vakukutu vomhango. 21 Ndele vo ove ku kundana, vati oove to longo Ovajuda aveshe venya ve li mokati kovapaani okweefa Moses, ndele to va lombwele vaha pitife vali ovana vavo etanda novaha ende vali paenghedi da ufwa. 22 Ohatu ningi ngahelipi hano? Ou wete kutya otapa ongala ongudu inene, shimha tuu tave ku udu we uya. 23 Hano ninga osho hatu shi ku lombwele paife. Omu otu novalumenhu vane, ve na eano oku li wanifa. 24 Tambula hano ava, ove u liyelife pamwe navo, ove u va futile yo ve likululife eexwiki davo dokomutwe, opo nee vo aveshe otave shi mono, aishe ei to i popilwa kai nomutwe noxulo, osheshi naave yo oho kala momhango, ndele to i diinine. 25 Ndele mokupopya ovapaani ovo va itavela, ofye twe va pangelela omhangela ndele twe va shangela, ovo ve nokulidilika eembelela domayambo nohonde nombelela ya pondwa, vo ve likelele ohole yoipala.” 26 Opo nee Paulus okwa tambula ovalumenhu venya ndele e liyelifa mefiku la shikula pamwe navo, nokwa ya motembeli ndele ta holola efimbo lokuxulifa omafiku omayelifo avo, opo eyandjelo lakeshe ou li etwe mo, efimbo olo manga inali xula po.
Paulus ta kwatwa
27 Ndelenee omafiku enya aheyali eshi e li pokuxula po, Ovajuda vomuAsia ove mu mona motembeli, va piyaaneka ongudu aishe yovanhu ndele ve mu kwata, 28 ndele tava popi pombada: “Ovalumenhu nye Ovaisraeli, tu kwafeni! Omunhu oye tuu ou ha longo akushe ovanhu aveshe noku va twifa ondubo noshiwana eshi nomhango nonhele ei, oye okwa etele mo Ovagreka motembeli omu, ndele okwa nyatekifa onhele ei iyapuki.” 29 Osheshi ova mona Trofimus, Omuefeso, oo a li pamwe naye moshilando, ndele va li ve shii, Paulus e mu eta motembeli. 30 Oshilando ashishe osha hovela okukulukuta, ovanhu ova tondokela ko ndele va kwata Paulus, ndele tave mu kokolola mo motembeli, opo nee oivelo oya idilwa po. 31 Ndele eshi va hetekela oku mu dipaa, omuneyovi okwa uda kutya Jerusalem ashishe osha dundakana. 32 Ndele ye okwa kufa diva ovakwaita novanefele, ndele okwa tondokela ko kuvo. Opo nee vo eshi va mona omuneyovi novakwaita, ova efa okudenga Paulus. 33 Omuneyovi okwe uya po ndele te mu kwatifa, ndele ta yandje elombwelo a mangwe nomalyenge avali, ndee ta pula kutya oye olyelye nokwa ninga shike. 34 Ndele mongudu yovanhu vamwe ova ingida onhumba, navakwao ongadi, naye eshi a nyengwa oku di shiiva mokati komapopyaano, okwa pula a twalwe kongulu youkwaita. 35 Ndele eshi e uya poilyatelelo, ovakwaita ova li ve noku mu humbata, ovanhu vaha dule oku mu nhukila. 36 Osheshi ongudu inene oya shikula mo ndele tai ingida: “Mu kufa po!”
37 Ndele eshi va li va hala ve mu twale meni longulu, Paulus okwa tya komuneyovi: “Otashi dulika tuu mbela tu likunde po?” Winya ta ti: “Ou shii tuu Oshigreka? 38 Hamba haave Omuegipiti ou a twifa ondubo momafiku opaife, ovakolokoshi venya omayovi ane nokwe va twala mombuwa?” 39 Ndele Paulus okwa nyamukula: “Aame Omujuda womuTarso, omunhu womoshilando shinya sha fimana shomuKilikia, ohandi ku indile, kwafe nge ndi popye novanhu ava.” 40 Ndele ye eshi e mu itavelela, Paulus okwa kala ofika koilyatelelo ndele ta yelulile ovanhu eke. Vo eshi va mwena, okwe va popifa mOshiheberi, ndele ta ti:
