Kau ʻAposetolo 17
1 Pea kuo nau ʻalu ʻi ʻAmifipoli mo ʻApolonia, pea nau aʻu ki Tesalonika, pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻae falelotu ʻoe kakai Siu.
After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica. Here the Jews had a synagogue;
2 Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻa Paula kiate kinautolu, ʻo hangē ko ʻene faʻa fai, pea ne malangaʻaki ʻae ngaahi tohi kiate kinautolu ʻi he ʻaho Sāpate ʻe tolu,
and, following his usual custom, Paul joined them, and for three Sabbaths addressed them, drawing his arguments from the scriptures.
3 “ʻO fakamatala mo fakamoʻoni, naʻe taau mo Kalaisi ke mamahi, mo toetuʻu mei he pekia; pea ko Sisu eni, ʻoku ou malangaʻaki kiate kimoutolu, ko e Kalaisi ia.”
He laid before them and explained that the Christ must undergo suffering and rise from the dead; and “It is this man,” he declared, “who is the Christ – this Jesus about whom I am telling you.”
4 Pea naʻe tui honau niʻihi, ʻonau kau taha mo Paula mo Sailosi; pea mo e tokolahi ʻi he Kiliki kuo lotu, pea mo e kau fineʻeiki tokolahi.
Some of the people were convinced, and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, as did also a large body of Greeks who were accustomed to join in the Jewish services, and a great number of leading women.
5 Ka ko e kakai Siu naʻe ʻikai tui, naʻa nau meheka, pea naʻa nau ʻave mo kinautolu ʻae kau siana pauʻu, pea tānaki ʻae tokolahi, ʻonau veuveuki ʻae kolo, pea feʻohofi ki he fale ʻo Sesoni, ʻo kumi ke ʻomi ʻakinaua kituʻa ki he kakai.
But the Jewish leaders, becoming jealous, engaged some worthless fellows from the streets, and, getting a mob together, kept the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason’s house, with the intention of bringing Paul and Silas before the Popular Assembly;
6 Pea ʻi he ʻikai te nau ʻilo ʻakinaua, naʻa nau toho ʻa Sesoni mo e kāinga niʻihi ki he kau fakamaau ʻoe kolo, mo nau kalanga, Ko kinautolu kuo fulihi ʻa māmani, kuo nau haʻu foki ki heni;
and, not finding them there, they proceeded to drag Jason and some of the Lord’s followers before the city magistrates, shouting out, “These men, who have turned the world upside down, have now come here,
7 Pea kuo maʻu ʻakinautolu ʻe Sesoni pea ʻoku nau fai kehe kotoa pē mo e ngaahi fono ʻa Sisa, mo nau pehē, ‘ʻOku ai ʻae tuʻi ʻe taha, ko Sisu.’
and have been harbored by Jason! They are all defying the decrees of the Emperor. They say that someone else is king – a man called Jesus!”
8 Pea naʻa nau fakamanavahēʻi ʻae kakai mo e kau fakamaau ʻoe kolo, ʻi heʻenau fanongo ki he ngaahi meʻa ni.
On hearing this, the people and the city magistrates were much concerned;
9 Pea ʻi heʻenau maʻu ʻae tuku lea totongi ʻa Sesoni mo hono toe ʻoe kāinga, naʻa nau tukuange ʻakinautolu.
and, before letting them go, they took bail from Jason and the others.
10 Pea naʻe tukuange leva ʻe he kāinga ʻa Paula mo Sailosi ke na ō poʻuli ki Pelea: pea kuo na aʻu ki ai, pea na hū ki he falelotu ʻoe kakai Siu.
That very night the followers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and on reaching that place, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
11 Pea naʻe loto lelei ʻakinautolu ni ʻiate kinautolu ʻi Tesalonika, he naʻa nau maʻu ʻae folofola mo e loto fiefia, ʻonau kumi ʻi he ngaahi tohi ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, ki hono moʻoni ʻoe ngaahi meʻa ni.
These Jews of Beroea were better disposed than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message with great readiness, and daily examined the scriptures to see if what was said was true.
12 Ko ia naʻe tui ai ʻae tokolahi ʻiate kinautolu; pea mo e kau fineʻeiki ʻi he kakai Kiliki, pea mo e kau tangata tokolahi.
As a consequence, many of them became believers in Christ, besides a considerable number of Greek women of position, and of men also.
13 Pea kuo ʻilo ʻe he kakai Siu ʻi Tesalonika kuo malangaʻaki ʻe Paula ʻae folofola ʻae ʻOtua ʻi Pelea, naʻa nau ʻalu ki ai, ʻo fakamaveuveuʻi ʻae kakai.
But, when the Jewish leaders in Thessalonica found out that God’s message had been delivered by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, exciting and disturbing the minds of the people.
14 Pea tukuange leva ʻe he kāinga ʻa Paula ke hala tahi ia ʻo ʻalu: ka naʻe nofo pe ʻi ai ʻa Sailosi mo Timote.
The followers immediately arranged for Paul to go away to the coast, but both Silas and Timothy stayed behind in Beroea.
15 Pea ko kinautolu naʻe fakahinohino ʻa Paula, naʻa nau ʻomi ia ki ʻAtenisi: pea kuo nau maʻu ʻae fekau kia Sailosi mo Timote, ke na haʻu vave kiate ia, naʻa nau ʻalu.
The friends who escorted Paul took him as far as Athens, and, after receiving a message for Silas and Timothy to join him as quickly as possible, they started on their return.
16 Pea naʻe kei tatali ʻa Paula kiate kinaua ʻi ʻAtenisi, pea ngaueue hono laumālie ʻiate ia, ʻi heʻene mamata kuo pito ʻae kolo ʻi he tamapua.
While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his heart was stirred at seeing the whole city full of idols.
17 Pea naʻe kikihi ia ʻi he falelotu mo e kakai Siu, pea mo e kakai kuo lotu, pea mo kinautolu naʻa nau fetaulaki mo ia ʻi he potu fakatau ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē.
So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who joined in their worship, as well as daily in the public Square with those who happened to be there.
18 Pea naʻe toki fetaulaki mo ia ʻae kau fiepoto [ʻoe faʻahinga ]ʻo ʻEpikulio, mo Sitoiko. Pea pehē ʻe he niʻihi, “Ko e hā ʻoku lau ʻe he palau na?” Pea pehē ʻe he niʻihi, “ʻOku matamata fakahā ʻotua foʻou ia:” koeʻuhi naʻa ne malangaʻaki kiate kinautolu ʻa Sisu, mo e toetuʻu.
Among others, some Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers joined issue with him. Some asked “What is this prater wanting to make out?”, while others said “He seems to be a preacher of foreign Deities.” (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection).
19 Pea naʻe ʻomi ia, ʻo ʻave ki he ʻAleopeiko, mo nau pehē, “ʻOku mau fie ʻilo pē ko e hā ʻae akonaki foʻou ni, ʻoku ke leaʻaki.
So they laid hold of him and took him to the Court of Areopagus. “May we hear,” they asked, “what new teaching this is which you are giving?
20 He ʻoku ke ʻomi meʻa foʻou ki homau telinga: ko ia ʻoku mau fie ʻilo ai hono ʻuhinga ʻoe ngaahi meʻa ni.”
For you are bringing some strange things to our notice, and we should like to know what they mean.”
21 (He ko e kakai ʻAtenisi kotoa pē, mo e ʻāunofo ʻi ai, naʻa nau mātuʻaki nofo pe ke lau, mo fakafanongo ki he meʻa foʻou.)
(All Athenians and the foreigners staying in the city found no time for anything else but telling, or listening to, the last new thing.)
22 Pea naʻe tuʻu ʻa Paula ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe ʻAleopeiko, ʻo ne pehē, “ʻAkimoutolu ʻi ʻAtenisi, ʻoku ou vakai ʻoku mou faʻa fai ʻo lahi ʻae lotu.
So Paul took his stand in the middle of the Court, and said – “People of Athens, on every hand I see signs of your being very devout.
23 Koeʻuhi ʻi heʻeku ʻalu, ʻoku ou mamata ki he meʻa ʻoku mou lotu ki ai, pea ne u ʻilo ʻae ʻesifeilaulau, ʻoku tuʻu ai ʻae tohi ni, ‘KI HE ʻOTUA ʻOKU ʻIKAI ʻILOA.’ Pea ko ia ʻoku mou lotu taʻeʻilo ki ai, ko ia ia ʻoku ou fakahā kiate kimoutolu.
For as I was going about, looking at your sacred shrines, I came upon an altar with this inscription – ‘To an Unknown God.’ What, therefore, you worship in ignorance, that I am now proclaiming to you.
24 Ko e ʻOtua ʻaia naʻa ne ngaohi ʻa māmani mo e meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi ai, ʻoku ʻikai nofo ia ʻi he ngaahi fale kuo ngaohi ʻe he nima, he ko e ʻEiki ia ʻoe langi mo māmani;
The God who made the world and all things that are in it – he, Lord as he is of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hands,
25 Pea ʻoku ʻikai tauhi ʻaki ia ʻae nima ʻoe tangata, ʻo hangē ʻoku masiva ia ʻi ha meʻa, he ʻoku foaki ʻe ia ki he meʻa kotoa pē ʻae moʻui, mo e mānava, mo e meʻa kotoa pē;
neither do human hands minister to his wants, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives, to all, life, and breath, and all things.
26 Pea naʻe ngaohi ʻe ia ʻi he toto pe taha ʻae ngaahi kakai kotoa pē ke nofo ʻi he funga ʻo māmani kotoa pē, pea kuo tomuʻa tukupau ʻae ngaahi kuonga, mo e ngataʻanga ʻo honau nofoʻanga;
He made all races of the earth’s surface – fixing a time for their rise and fall, and the limits of their settlements –
27 Ke nau kumi ki he ʻEiki, ʻo tautaufā ki ai, heiʻilo pe te nau maʻu ia, ka ʻoku ʻikai mamaʻo ia mo kitautolu taki taha kotoa pē.
That they might search for God, if by any means they might feel their way to him and find him. And yet he is not really far from any one of us;
28 ‘He ʻoku tau moʻui, mo ngaueue, mo nofo pē, ʻiate ia;’ ʻo hangē ko e lea ʻae niʻihi ʻi hoʻomou kau tohi hiva, ‘He ko hono hako foki ʻakitautolu.’
for in him we live and move and are. To use the words of some of your own poets – ‘His offspring, too, are we.’
29 Pea kapau ko e hako ʻoe ʻOtua ʻakitautolu, ʻoku ʻikai lelei ʻetau mahalo ʻoku tatau ʻae ʻOtua mo e koula, pe ko e siliva, pe ko e maka, kuo tongitongi ʻaki ʻae poto mo e filioʻi ʻoe tangata.
Therefore, as the offspring of God, we must not think that the Deity has any resemblance to anything made of gold, or silver, or stone – a work of human art and imagination.
30 Pea naʻe ʻikai fie ʻafioʻi ʻe he ʻOtua ʻae ngaahi kuonga ʻoe vale ni, ka ʻoku ne fekau eni ki he kakai kotoa pē, ʻi he potu kotoa pē, ke nau fakatomala:
True, God looked with indulgence on the days of people’s ignorance, but now he is announcing to everyone everywhere the need for repentance,
31 Koeʻuhi kuo ne kotofa ʻae ʻaho, te ne fakamaau māʻoniʻoni ai ʻa māmani, ʻi he tangata kuo ne fakanofo; pea kuo ne fakapapau ia ki he kakai kotoa pē, ʻI heʻene fokotuʻu ia mei he pekia.”
because he has fixed a day on which he intends to judge the world with justice, by a man whom he has appointed – and of this he has given all people a pledge by raising this man from the dead.”
32 Pea ʻi heʻenau fanongo ki he toetuʻu ʻae pekia, naʻe manuki ʻae niʻihi: kae pehē ʻe he niʻihi, “Te mau toe fanongo ʻiate koe ki he meʻa ni.”
On hearing of a resurrection of the dead, some began jeering, but others said that they wanted to hear what he had to say about that another time.
33 Pea ʻalu ai ʻa Paula ʻiate kinautolu.
And so Paul left the Court.
34 Ka naʻe pikitai ʻae kau tangata niʻihi kiate ia, pea nau tui: pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻa Taionisio ʻoe ʻAleopeiko, pea ko e fefine naʻe hingoa ko Temalisi, pea mo e niʻihi foki mo kinautolu.
There were, however, some people who joined him, and became believers in Christ. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and several others.
