The Meeting at Jerusalem
1 Some men came from Judea to Antioch and started teaching the believers, “You cannot be saved unless you are circumcised as the Law of Moses requires.” 2 Paul and Barnabas got into a fierce argument with them about this, so it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and some of the others in Antioch should go to Jerusalem and see the apostles and elders about this matter.
3 They were sent on their way by the church; and as they went through Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported how the Gentiles had turned to God; this news brought great joy to all the believers. 4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, to whom they told all that God had done through them. 5 But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders met together to consider this question. 7 After a long debate Peter stood up and said, “My friends, you know that a long time ago God chose me from among you to preach the Good News to the Gentiles, so that they could hear and believe. 8 And God, who knows the thoughts of everyone, showed his approval of the Gentiles by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he had to us. 9 He made no difference between us and them; he forgave their sins because they believed. 10 So then, why do you now want to put God to the test by laying a load on the backs of the believers which neither our ancestors nor we ourselves were able to carry? 11 No! We believe and are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”
12 The whole group was silent as they heard Barnabas and Paul report all the miracles and wonders that God had performed through them among the Gentiles. 13 When they had finished speaking, James spoke up: “Listen to me, my friends! 14 Simon has just explained how God first showed his care for the Gentiles by taking from among them a people to belong to him. 15 The words of the prophets agree completely with this. As the scripture says,
16 ‘After this I will return, says the Lord,
and restore the kingdom of David.
I will rebuild its ruins
and make it strong again.
17 And so all the rest of the human race will come to me,
all the Gentiles whom I have called to be my own.
18 So says the Lord, who made this known long ago.’
19 “It is my opinion,” James went on, “that we should not trouble the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write a letter telling them not to eat any food that is ritually unclean because it has been offered to idols; to keep themselves from sexual immorality; and not to eat any animal that has been strangled, or any blood. 21 For the Law of Moses has been read for a very long time in the synagogues every Sabbath, and his words are preached in every town.”
The Letter to the Gentile Believers
22 Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, decided to choose some men from the group and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose two men who were highly respected by the believers, Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, 23 and they sent the following letter by them:
“We, the apostles and the elders, your brothers, send greetings to all our brothers of Gentile birth who live in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. 24 We have heard that some who went from our group have troubled and upset you by what they said; they had not, however, received any instruction from us. 25 And so we have met together and have all agreed to choose some messengers and send them to you. They will go with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We send you, then, Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things we are writing. 28 The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to put any other burden on you besides these necessary rules: 29 eat no food that has been offered to idols; eat no blood; eat no animal that has been strangled; and keep yourselves from sexual immorality. You will do well if you take care not to do these things. With our best wishes.”
30 The messengers were sent off and went to Antioch, where they gathered the whole group of believers and gave them the letter. 31 When the people read it, they were filled with joy by the message of encouragement. 32 Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, spoke a long time with them, giving them courage and strength. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off in peace by the believers and went back to those who had sent them.
35 Paul and Barnabas spent some time in Antioch, and together with many others they taught and preached the word of the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas Separate
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in every town where we preached the word of the Lord, and let us find out how they are getting along.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, 38 but Paul did not think it was right to take him, because he had not stayed with them to the end of their mission, but had turned back and left them in Pamphylia. 39 There was a sharp argument, and they separated: Barnabas took Mark and sailed off for Cyprus, 40 while Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the care of the Lord's grace. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Oshigongi shomuJerusalem
1 Nena kuJudea okwa zi aalumentu yamwe e taye ya kuAntiokia. Oyo oya tameke okulonga aakwanegongalo taa ti: “Kalunga ita vulu oku mu hupitha, ngele inamu fukalekwa, ngashika shu uthwa mompango yaMoses.” 2 Nena Paulus naBarnabas oya li ye na oontamanana nomaludhi omanene naantu mboka. Onkee okwa tokolwa kutya Paulus naBarnabas nayamwe yomaakwanegongalo yomuAntiokia ya ye kuJerusalem, ya ka kundathane oshinima shika naayapostoli naakuluntu.
3 Oyo oya lalekwa ihe kegongalo, ya ye mondjila, nomokupitila muFoinikia nomuSamaria oya hokolola, nkene aapagani yi itedhulula noyi itaale Kalunga. Onkundana ndjika oye etele ooitaali ayehe enyanyu. 4 Ano sho ya thiki kuJerusalem, oya taambwa kegongalo, kaayapostoli nokaakuluntu yegongalo. Oyo noye ya hokololele ayihe mbyoka Kalunga e yi ya longitha, sho a kala pamwe nayo. 5 Ihe ooitaali yamwe yomongundu yaafarisayi oya popi noya ti: “Oyo oye na okufukalekwa, ya vulike kompango yaMoses.”
6 Nena aayapostoli naakuluntu yegongalo oya gongala, ya kundathane oshinima shika. 7 Ano sho ya kundathana ethimbo ele, Petrus okwa thikama e ta ti: “Aamwameme, omu shi shi nawa kutya pomasiku gopetameko Kalunga okwa hogolola ndje mokati keni okuuvithila aapagani elaka etoye, opo ye li uve noyi itaale. 8 Nokuli Kalunga ngoka a tseya omadhiladhilo gaantu ayehe, oku ulike kutya ota taamba naapagani wo, sho e ya pe Ombepo Ondjapuki, ngaashi naanaa e yi tu pe wo. 9 Kalunga oku ulike kutya kape na nando eyooloko lyasha pokati ketu nayo. Onkee okwa dhimi po oondjo dhawo, oshoka oyi itaala. 10 Omolwashike ano ngashingeyi mwa hala ishewe okuhinda Kalunga, sho tamu tsike ooitaali omutenge omudhigu komapepe? Omutenge tuu ngoka tse yene nootate twa nyengwa oku gu humbata. 11 Tse otwi itaala kutya otatu hupithwa kesilohenda lyOmuwa Jesus, osho nayo wo.”
12 Nena ongundu ayihe oya mwena thilu noya pulakene Barnabas naPaulus, sho taa hokolola iikumithalonga niilongankondo mbyoka Kalunga e yi ya longitha mokati kaapagani. 13 Ano sho ya mana okupopya, Jakob okwa ti: “Aamwameme, pulakenii ndje! 14 Simon opo a hulitha okupopya nokwa fatulula ngashingeyi, nkene Kalunga a tameke okwiilikolela egongalo lye mwene mokati kaapagani. 15 Oohapu dhomuhunganeki otadhi tsu kumwe thiluthilu noshinima shika. Ngaashi enyolo tali ti:
16 ‘Konima yaambika otandi ka galuka natango,
Omuwa osho ta ti.
Ngame notandi ka tungulula egumbo lyaDavid, ndyoka lya teka po.
Otandi ka fululula omikanka nomakulukuma galyo.
Otandi ke ga tungulula ishewe.
17 Nena aantu yalwe ayehe otaa ka konga Omuwa,
iigwana ayihe mbyoka nde yi ithana, yi ninge aantu yandje.
18 Omuwa ngoka a tseyithile nale aantu oshinima shika, osho ta ti.’ ”
19 Jakob okwa tsikile okupopya ta ti: “Omadhiladhilo gandje ogo ngaka: Inatu tsikeni aapagani uudhigu, ngele taa itedhulula notaye ya kuKalunga. 20 Ihe naa nyolelwe ashike ontumwafo, ya lombwelwe kutya naa idhilike iikulya ayihe mbyoka ya yambelwa iikalunga, oshoka oya nyata. Osho wo naa idhilike oluhondelo, onyama yoshinamwenyo sha pondwa, nombinzi. 21 Oshoka okuza koomvula dhonalenale ompango yaMoses oya kala hayi leshwa kehe Esabati moosinagoga adhihe dhAajuda, noohapu dhe ohadhi uvithwa miilando ayihe.”
Ontumwafo ya nyolelwa ooitaali mboka ya za maapagani
22 Nena aayapostoli, aakuluntu yegongalo negongalo alihe oya tokola okuhogolola mokati kawo aalumentu yamwe, ye ya tume kuAntiokia pamwe naPaulus naBarnabas. Oyo oya hogolola mo ihe Judas, ngoka hi ithanwa Barsabas, naSilas. Aalumentu mbaka yaali oya li ya simanekwa kaakwanegongalo ayehe. 23 Aayapostoli naakuluntu oya nyolele ihe aakwanegongalo yokuAntiokia ontumwafo noye yi pe Judas naSilas, ye yi fale ko. Ontumwafo oya li ya nyolwa ngeyi: “Otse aayapostoli naakuluntu yegongalo, ooitaali pamwe nane, otatu kundu ooitaali ooyakwetu ayehe yomuAntiokia, muSiria nomuKilikia, mboka ya za muupagani. 24 Otse otu uvu kutya aalumentu yamwe yomutse, nando inatu ya tuma, oye mu pukitha noku mu piyaganeka noohapu dhawo. 25 Onkee ano sho twa gongala notwa kundathana, otwa tokola okuhogolola mo aalumentu yamwe yomutse, tu ya tume kune. Oyo otaye ya pamwe nookuume ketu aaholike Barnabas naPaulus, 26 mboka ya hupula oomwenyo dhawo omolwoshilonga shOmuwa gwetu Jesus Kristus. 27 Ano otatu mu tumine Judas naSilas, opo ye mu lombwele kokana iinima mbyoka tatu yi mu nyolele montumwafo. 28 Tse otwa tokola mewiliko lyOmbepo Ondjapuki, twaa mu tsike we nando omutenge gulwe. Omalombwelo getu ge na oshilonga ogo ngaka: 29 Inamu lya iikulya mbyoka ya yambelwa iikalunga, ombinzi nonyama yoshinamwenyo shoka sha pondwa ne mu idhilike oluhondelo. Otamu opaleke, ngele tamu idhilike iinima mbika. Kalii po nawa!”
30 Aatumwa oya lalekwa e taa yi kuAntiokia. Ano sho ya thiki ko, oya hiya egongalo alihe noye li pe ontumwafo. 31 Oohapu ndhika odha tsu aantu omukumo noye dhi nyanyukilwa noonkondo. 32 Judas naSilas, ayehe yaali oya li aahunganeki. Oyo oya kumagidha ooitaali olule noye ya tsu omukumo. 33 Ano sho ya kala ko iiwike yimwe, ooitaali oye ya laleke nombili, ya shune kumboka ye ya tumine. 34 Ihe Silas okwa tokola okukala puyo.
35 Paulus naBarnabas oya menekele muAntiokia. Oyo oya longo e taa uvitha oohapu dhOmuwa pamwe nooyakwawo yalwe.
Paulus naBarnabas taa topoka: Ondjenda ontiyali
36 Ano sho pwa piti omasiku gamwe, Paulus okwa lombwele Barnabas ta ti: “Tu ye, tu ka talele po ooitaali ooyakwetu yomiilando ayihe moka tu uvithile oohapu dhOmuwa, tse tu ka tale, nkene ye li po.”
37 Barnabas okwa li a hala okukutha Johannes Markus, ya ye pamwe naye. 38 Ihe Paulus okwa dhiladhila kutya inashi opala okuya naye, oshoka okwa li e ya iteka muPamfilia e ta shuna kegumbo kuJerusalem. 39 Oyo oya kuthathana po e taa topoka. Barnabas okwa kutha Markus, e taa yi nosikepa kuKipro. 40 Paulus okwa hogolola Silas, ye ende pamwe naye. 41 Ano ooitaali sho ye ya gandja miikaha yesilohenda lyaKalunga, oya yi kuSiria nokuKilikia e taa kumike omagongalo.
