Paulus mOefese
1 Apolos ngunda a ri mOkorinte, Paulus wa tapakaṋa orukondwa aruhe rwehi ndo nu eya kOefese. Nu mOefese eye wa vazere mo ovakambure tjiva, 2 ne ve pura nai: “Eṋe mwa pewa Ombepo Ondjapuke indu tji mwa rira ovakambura?”
Owo arire tji va ziri ave tja: “Eṱe katu na pu twa zuva nangarire ingwi okutja ku nOmbepo Ondjapuke.”
3 Paulus a pura a tja: “Neṋe hapo mwa pewa ombapitisimo yatjike?”
Owo ave ziri nai: “Twa pewa ombapitisimo ya Johanes.”
4 Paulus otja tja: “Ombapitisimo ya Johanes ya ri oyaimba mbe ritanaura kourunde wawo; neye wa raerere Ovaisrael kutja ve kambure mu ingwi ngu mee ya kombunda ye, okutja omu Jesus.”
5 Nowo tji va zuvire omambo nga, arire tji va papitisiwa mena ra Muhona Jesus. 6 Paulus wa yambeka omake ku wo, nOmbepo Ondjapuke ai ya kombanda yawo; owo va hungire omaraka wozonganda nu wina ave zuvarisa ombuze ya Ndjambi. 7 Owo va ri ovarumendu mangara omurongo na vevari avehe kumwe.
8 Paulus wa hita mosinagoge, nu oure womieze vitatu a hungire nouvanḓe kuna ovandu ama patasana na wo, nama roro kutja owo ve yakure ouhona wa Ndjambi. 9 Nungwari tjiva vawo va ri noviuru ovikututu, nu kave vangere okukambura nave hungirire ondjira ya Muhona oviṋa ovivi komurungu waavehe. Paulus ope ve sira na toora ovakambure a i puna wo, neyuva arihe aa kakara nomahungi novandu mondjuwo yomahongero ya Tiranus. 10 Nu pa tjitwa nao oure wozombura mbari, kokutja ovature avehe vorukondwa rwehi ra Asie, Ovajuda naimba mbe he ri Ovajuda, ve zuve embo ra Muhona.
Ovazandu va Skeva
11 Ndjambi wa tjitire oviungura ovihimise nomake wa Paulus. 12 Nangarire ouriyeke we womondjaṱu notuhira twe twa tuwa kovavere, nomitjise vyawo avi veruka, nozombepo ozohakohoke aze piti mu wo. 13 Ovajuda tjiva mbaa ve ryanga nokupitisa ozombepo ozohakohoke movandu, wina va rorere okutjita nao mena ra Muhona Jesus. Owo aave tja nai kozombepo ozohakohoke nḓa: “Ami me mu rakiza mena ra Jesus ngu zuvarisiwa i Paulus kutja mu pite momundu ngwi.” 14 Otjiṋa hi aatji tjitwa i ovazandu hambombari wOmupristeri Otjiuru Omujuda wena Skeva. 15 Nungwari ombepo ohakohoke ya tja ku wo: “Ami Jesus mbi mu i, nu Paulus wina mbi mu i; nu hapo eṋe oweṋe oowaṋi?”
16 Omundu ngwi ngwa ri nombepo ohakohoke we ve rwisa nomasa tjinene nga tje ve uru avehe. Owo va purukuta mondjuwo ye ave tupuke, tjandje va hara ovirwaro, nu va kasewa muzu. 17 Ovajuda naimba mbe he ri Ovajuda avehe, mba turire mOefese va zuva otjiṋa hi; owo avehe va tira tjinene, nena ra Muhona Jesus arire tji ra pewa ondjozikiro onene. 18 Novakambure ovengi ve ya ave rihepurire mokati kovandu imbi oviungura vyawo vyoundjai nu ave vi tjiukisa ku wo. 19 Otjingi tjaimba mba tjitire oundjai va woronganisa omambo wawo nave ye nyosire momurungu wovandu. Owo va vara onḓengu yotjimariva tjomambo nga, notjivaro atjihe kumwe tja vazere ovimariva ovisilveri 50,000. 20 Momuhingo omuhimise mbwi embo ra Muhona otji ra handjaukira ko nari zeuparere ko.
Ezunganeno mOefese
21 Oviṋa mbi tji vya za nokutjitwa, Paulus otje rimana okuryanga mehi ra Makedonie nora Akaja nokuyenda kOjerusalem. Eye wa tja: “Tji mba zu nokukavaza ngo, wina me sokukamuna Oroma.” 22 Eye arire tja hindi ovavatere ve vevari, Timoteus na Erastus, kOmakedonie, eye omuini ngunda ama kara omayuva ouṱiṱi morukondwa rwehi ra Asie.
23 Momayuva tjingewo nga mwa ri ezunganeno enene tjinene mOefese mena rondjira ya Muhona. 24 Omuhambure wosilveri worive wena Demetrius wa hambura oviserekarera vyosilveri vyondjuwo onḓere yomukuru wotjisenginina oserekaze Artemis, noviungura vye mbi vya eta ovihohe ovingi tjinene kovaungure.Otjiserekarera tjotjisenginina tjoserekaze Artemis 25 Neye otje ve woronganisa avehe puna ovakwao mba mbaa ve ungura otjiungura tjingetjo na tja ku wo: “Varumendu, eṋe mamu tjiwa kutja outumbe wetu u za motjiungura hi. 26 Nambano eṋe oveni mamu munu nokuzuva oviṋa omurumendu ngwi Paulus mbi ma tjiti. Eye u tja oomukuru mba ungurwa nomake wovandu kaoomukuru oparukaze, neye wa tanaurira ovandu ovengi okuriyameka ku ye, imwi mOefese na morukondwa mangara aruhe rwehi ra Asie. 27 Nu pe noumba wokutja otjiungura tjetu hi matji pewa ena evi. Karo ndi ena evi porwaro, nungwari wina pe noumba wokutja ondjuwo onḓere yomukuru omunene wotjisenginina oserekaze Artemis mai rire pouriri, nokutja ounene we mau yandisiwa, orondu omukuru oserekaze ngwi Artemis u rikotamenwa i avehe mehi ra Asie na mouye auhe!”
28 Notjimbumba tjovandu tji tja zuvire omambo nga arire tji tja pindike tjinene nu atji ravaere nai: “Artemis wa Efese eye omunene!” 29 Notjihuro atjihe tja zungana. Imba ovazunganise va kambura Gajus na Aristarkus, Ovamakedoni vevari mbaa ve ryanga puna Paulus, nu ave ve nanene koruveze rwomawongarero wovandu. 30 Paulus omuini wa vangere okukahungira notjimbumba, nungwari ovakambure ve mu tjaera. 31 Ovahonapare tjiva vorukondwa ndo, mba ri omapanga wa Paulus, wina va hinda ombuze yokukemuhekena kutja e he keriraisa omuini pomawongarero ngo. 32 Ovandu avehe tjandje nai mave rokoha mombongarero: Tjiva aave ravaere otjiṋa hi, novakwao ave ravaere tjarwe, owo tjinga aave ha tjiwa kutja hapo va woronganene tjike. 33 Ovandu tjiva va raera Aleksander kutja mape kayenda tjike, Ovajuda tjinga ave mu undurira komurunga wovandu. Tjazumba Aleksander e ve ṋanga neke kutja ve mwine nu a hara okuhungira kuna wo. 34 Nungwari owo tji va zemburuka kutja eye Omujuda, avehe pamwe arire tji va ravaere neraka rimwe oure wozoiri mbari amave tja: “Artemis wa Efese eye omunene!”
35 Korusenina omutjangerepo wotjihuro otja mwinisa otjimbumba na tja: “Vakwetu va Efese, amuhe mamu tjiwa kutja otjihuro Efese otji tji ri otjiṱakamise tjondjuwo onḓere onene ya Artemis na indi ewe ezere nda wa keyuru. 36 Kape nomundu ngu hi nokutjiwa oviṋa mbi. Okutja otji mwa sokuporimana amu ha tjiti oviṋa vyouyova. 37 Oweṋe mbu mwa eta ovarumendu mba poṋa mba nangarire kutja owo kave pundire oviṋa vyozondjuwo ozonḓere nu kave yambururire omukuru wetu oserekaze. 38 Ndovazu Demetrius novaungure va puna ye ve notjiposa kuna omundu, eṱe tu novapangure, nu pa zikamisiwa omayuva wombanguriro, oviposa vyawo ngavi twarewe ngo. 39 Nungwari tji mu notjiṋa tjarwe komurungu tji mamu vanga, otjo tji sokukaṱuninwa mombongarero yovature avehe votjihuro. 40 Tjapo imbi mbya tjitwa ndinondi mavi tu etere oumba wokurondorwa kutja twa tjiti ezunganeno. Ka ri ohepero okutjita omazunganeno aehe nga, neṱe kamaatu yenene okuyandja eziriro esemba kotjiṋa hi.” 41 Nu tja za nokuhungura omambo nga arire tja pata indji ombongarero.
Paul in Ephesus
1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the Lord's followers. 2 He asked them, “When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?”
“No!” they answered. “We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”
3 “Then why were you baptized?” Paul asked.
They answered, “Because of what John taught.”
4 Paul replied, “John baptized people so they would turn to God. But he also told them someone else was coming, and they should put their faith in him. Jesus is the one that John was talking about.” 5 After the people heard Paul say this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then Paul placed his hands on them. The Holy Spirit was given to them, and they spoke unknown languages and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in this group.
8 For three months Paul went to the synagogue and talked bravely with the people about God's kingdom. He tried to win them over, 9 but some of them were stubborn and refused to believe. In front of everyone they said terrible things about God's Way. Paul left and took the followers with him to the lecture hall of Tyrannus. He spoke there every day 10 for two years, until every Jew and Gentile in Asia had heard the Lord's message.
The Sons of Sceva
11 God gave Paul the power to work great miracles. 12 People even took handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul's body, and they carried them to everyone who was sick. All of the sick people were healed, and the evil spirits went out.
13 Some Jewish men started going around trying to force out evil spirits by using the name of the Lord Jesus. They said to the spirits, “Come out in the name of that same Jesus that Paul preaches about!”
14 Seven sons of a high priest named Sceva were doing this, 15 when an evil spirit said to them, “I know Jesus! And I have heard about Paul. But who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them up. They ran out of the house, naked and bruised.
17 When the Jews and Gentiles in Ephesus heard about this, they were so frightened that they praised the name of the Lord Jesus. 18 Many who were followers now started telling everyone about the evil things they had been doing. 19 Some who had been practicing witchcraft even brought their books and burned them in public. These books were worth about 50,000 silver coins. 20 So the Lord's message spread and became even more powerful.
The Riot in Ephesus
21 After all this had happened, Paul decided to visit Macedonia and Achaia on his way to Jerusalem. Paul had said, “From there I will go on to Rome.” 22 So he sent his two helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia. But he stayed on in Asia for a while.
23 At that time there was serious trouble because of the Lord's Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius had a business that made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis. Those who worked for him earned a lot of money. 25 Demetrius brought together everyone who was in the same business and said:
Friends, you know we make a good living at this. 26 But you have surely seen and heard how this man Paul is upsetting a lot of people, not only in Ephesus, but almost everywhere in Asia. He claims that the gods we humans make are not really gods at all. 27 Everyone will start saying terrible things about our business. They will stop respecting the temple of the goddess Artemis, who is worshiped in Asia and all over the world. Our great goddess will be forgotten!
28 When the workers heard this, they got angry and started shouting, “Great is Artemis, the goddess of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was in a riot, and some men grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, who had come from Macedonia with Paul. Then everyone in the crowd rushed to the place where the town meetings were held.
30 Paul wanted to go out and speak to the people, but the Lord's followers would not let him. 31 A few of the local officials were friendly to Paul, and they sent someone to warn him not to go.
32 Some of the people in the meeting were shouting one thing, and others were shouting something else. Everyone was completely confused, and most of them did not even know why they were there.
33 Several of the Jewish leaders pushed a man named Alexander to the front of the crowd and started telling him what to say. He motioned with his hand and tried to explain what was going on. 34 But when the crowd saw that he was Jewish, they all shouted for two hours, “Great is Artemis, the goddess of the Ephesians!”
35 Finally, a town official made the crowd be quiet. Then he said:
People of Ephesus, who in the world doesn't know that our city is the center for worshiping the great goddess Artemis? Who doesn't know that her image which fell from heaven is right here? 36 No one can deny this, and so you should calm down and not do anything foolish. 37 You have brought men in here who have not robbed temples or spoken against our goddess.
38 If Demetrius and his workers have a case against these men, we have courts and judges. Let them take their complaints there. 39 But if you want to do more than that, the matter will have to be brought before the city council. 40 We could easily be accused of starting a riot today. There is no excuse for it! We cannot even give a reason for this uproar.
41 After saying this, he told the people to leave.
