Paul Goes to Jerusalem
1 We said good-bye to them and left. After sailing straight across, we came to Cos; the next day we reached Rhodes, and from there we went on to Patara. 2 There we found a ship that was going to Phoenicia, so we went aboard and sailed away. 3 We came to where we could see Cyprus, and then sailed south of it on to Syria. We went ashore at Tyre, where the ship was going to unload its cargo. 4 There we found some believers and stayed with them a week. By the power of the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 5 But when our time with them was over, we left and went on our way. All of them, together with their wives and children, went with us out of the city to the beach, where we all knelt and prayed. 6 Then we said good-bye to one another, and we went on board the ship while they went back home.
7 We continued our voyage, sailing from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the believers and stayed with them for a day. 8 On the following day we left and arrived in Caesarea. There we stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen as helpers in Jerusalem. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who proclaimed God's message. 10 We had been there for several days when a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea. 11 He came to us, took Paul's belt, tied up his own feet and hands with it, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: The owner of this belt will be tied up in this way by the Jews in Jerusalem, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles.”
12 When we heard this, we and the others there begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 13 But he answered, “What are you doing, crying like this and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”
14 We could not convince him, so we gave up and said, “May the Lord's will be done.”
15 After spending some time there, we got our things ready and left for Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and took us to the house of the man we were going to stay with —Mnason, from Cyprus, who had been a believer since the early days.
Paul Visits James
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the believers welcomed us warmly. 18 The next day Paul went with us to see James; and all the church elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and gave a complete report of everything that God had done among the Gentiles through his work. 20 After hearing him, they all praised God. Then they said, “Brother Paul, you can see how many thousands of Jews have become believers, and how devoted they all are to the Law. 21 They have been told that you have been teaching all the Jews who live in Gentile countries to abandon the Law of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or follow the Jewish customs. 22 They are sure to hear that you have arrived. What should be done, then? 23 This is what we want you to do. There are four men here who have taken a vow. 24 Go along with them and join them in the ceremony of purification and pay their expenses; then they will be able to shave their heads. In this way everyone will know that there is no truth in any of the things that they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in accordance with the Law of Moses. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have become believers, we have sent them a letter telling them we decided that they must not eat any food that has been offered to idols, or any blood, or any animal that has been strangled, and that they must keep themselves from sexual immorality.”
26 So Paul took the men and the next day performed the ceremony of purification with them. Then he went into the Temple and gave notice of how many days it would be until the end of the period of purification, when a sacrifice would be offered for each one of them.
Paul Is Arrested in the Temple
27 But just when the seven days were about to come to an end, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and grabbed Paul. 28 “People of Israel!” they shouted. “Help! This is the man who goes everywhere teaching everyone against the people of Israel, the Law of Moses, and this Temple. And now he has even brought some Gentiles into the Temple and defiled this holy place!” ( 29 They said this because they had seen Trophimus from Ephesus with Paul in the city, and they thought that Paul had taken him into the Temple.)
30 Confusion spread through the whole city, and the people all ran together, grabbed Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple. At once the Temple doors were closed. 31 The mob was trying to kill Paul, when a report was sent up to the commander of the Roman troops that all of Jerusalem was rioting. 32 At once the commander took some officers and soldiers and rushed down to the crowd. When the people saw him with the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 The commander went over to Paul, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked, “Who is this man, and what has he done?” 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing, others something else. There was such confusion that the commander could not find out exactly what had happened, so he ordered his men to take Paul up into the fort. 35 They got as far as the steps with him, and then the soldiers had to carry him because the mob was so wild. 36 They were all coming after him and screaming, “Kill him!”
Paul Defends Himself
37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the fort, he spoke to the commander: “May I say something to you?”
“You speak Greek, do you?” the commander asked. 38 “Then you are not that Egyptian fellow who some time ago started a revolution and led four thousand armed terrorists out into the desert?”
39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Please let me speak to the people.”
40 The commander gave him permission, so Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand for the people to be silent. When they were quiet, Paul spoke to them in Hebrew:
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:
