Kau ʻAposetolo 7
1 Pea toki pehē ʻe he taulaʻeiki lahi, “ʻOku moʻoni ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni?
“Are these allegations true?” the high priest asked.
2 Pea pehē ʻe ia, “ʻAe kau tangata kāinga mo e mātuʻa, mou fanongo; naʻe hā mai ʻae ʻOtua lāngilangi ki heʻetau tamai ko ʻEpalahame, ʻi heʻene kei ʻi Mesopōtemia, kae teʻeki nofo ia ʻi Kalana,
“Brothers and fathers, listen to me!” Stephen replied. “God in his glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was living in Mesopotamia, before he moved to Haran.
3 ʻO ne pehē kiate ia, ‘ʻAlu ʻi ho fonua, mei ho kāinga, pea ke ʻalu ki he fonua te u fakahā kiate koe.’
God told him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and go to the country that I'm going to show you.’
4 Pea toki haʻu ia mei he fonua ko Kalitia, ʻo nofo ʻi Kalana: pea ʻi he pekia ʻa ʻene tamai, pea toki hiki ia mei ai ki he fonua ni, ʻaia ʻoku mou nofo ai ni.
So he left the country of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father's death, God sent him here to this country where you now live.
5 Pea naʻe ʻikai te ne foaki kiate ia ha ʻapi ʻi ai, pe ha potu ke tuʻu ai hono vaʻe: ka naʻa ne fakaʻilo te ne foaki ia moʻona, pea mo hono hako ki mui ʻiate ia, ka naʻe teʻeki ai haʻane fānau.
God didn't give Abraham an inheritance here, not even one square foot. But God did promise Abraham that he would give him and his descendants possession of the land, even though he had no children.
6 Pea naʻe pehē ʻae folofola ʻae ʻOtua, ‘ʻE nofo ʻāunofo hono hako ʻi ha fonua kehe; pea ʻe fakapōpulaʻi ʻakinautolu ʻe he kakai, mo ngaohi kovi ʻi he taʻu ʻe fāngeau.’
God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign country, and that they would be enslaved there, and would be mistreated for four hundred years.
7 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he ʻOtua, Te u tautea ʻae puleʻanga te nau pōpula ki ai: pea hili ia, te nau haʻu mei ai, ʻo tauhiʻi au ʻi he potu ni.
God said, ‘I will punish the nation that enslaves them. Eventually they will leave and come here to worship me.’
8 Pea ne tuku kiate ia ʻae fuakava ʻoe kamu: pea naʻe tupu ʻa ʻAisake, pea kamu ia ʻi hono ʻaho valu; pea tupu ʻia ʻAisake ʻa Sēkope; pea tupu ʻia Sēkope, ʻae houʻeiki mātuʻa ʻe toko hongofulu ma toko ua.
God also gave Abraham the agreement regarding circumcision, and so when Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day. Isaac was the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of the twelve patriarchs.
9 “Pea naʻe loto meheka ʻae kau mātuʻa kia Siosefa, pea naʻa nau fakatau ia ki ʻIsipite: ka naʻe ʻiate ia ʻae ʻOtua,
The patriarchs, who were jealous of Joseph, sold him into slavery in Egypt. But God was with him,
10 ʻO ne fakamoʻui ia mei heʻene mamahi kotoa pē, pea naʻa ne pule ke ʻofeina ia mo poto ʻi he ʻao ʻo Felo ko e tuʻi ʻo ʻIsipite; pea ne fakanofo ia ko e pule ki ʻIsipite mo hono fale kotoa pē.
and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave him wisdom and helped him gain the favor of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and the royal household.
11 Pea naʻe hoko ʻae honge mo e mamahi lahi ki he fonua kotoa pē ʻo ʻIsipite mo Kēnani: pea naʻe ʻikai maʻu ha meʻakai ʻe heʻetau ngaahi tamai.
Now a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan. It caused terrible misery, and our forefathers had no food.
12 Pea ʻi he fanongo ʻa Sēkope ʻoku ʻi ʻIsipite ʻae uite, naʻa ne tomuʻa fekau atu) ʻa ʻetau ngaahi tamai.
When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt he sent our forefathers down on their first visit.
13 Pea ʻi hono tuʻo ua [hifo], naʻe fakahā ʻa Siosefa ki hono kāinga; pea naʻe fakahā ʻae kāinga ʻo Siosefa kia Felo.
During their second visit, Joseph revealed to his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh discovered Joseph's family background.
14 Pea toki fekau ʻe Siosefa, ke ʻomi ʻa ʻene tamai ko Sēkope, mo hono kāinga kotoa pē, ko e toko fitungofulu ma toko nima.
Joseph sent for his father and all his relatives—seventy-five in total.
15 Pea naʻe ʻalu hifo ʻa Sēkope ki ʻIsipite, pea naʻe pekia ai, ʻaia mo e tau ngaahi tamai.
Jacob traveled to Egypt, and died there—as did our forefathers.
16 Pea naʻe fetuku ʻakinautolu ki Sikemi, ʻo tuku ki he fonualoto naʻe fakatau ʻe ʻEpalahame ʻaki ʻae ngaahi paʻanga mei he foha ʻo ʻEmoa ko e tamai ʻa Sikemi.
Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought with silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 “Ka kuo fakaʻaʻau ʻo ofi ʻae kuonga naʻe talaʻofa ki ai, ʻaia naʻe fuakava ki ai ʻe he ʻOtua kia ʻEpalahame, pea tupu ʻo tokolahi ʻae kakai ʻi ʻIsipite,
As the time approached regarding the promise that God had made to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt increased.
18 ʻO aʻu ki he hoko ʻae tuʻi ʻe taha, ʻaia naʻe ʻikai ʻilo ʻe ia ʻa Siosefa.
A new king came to the throne in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
19 Pea naʻe fai kākā ia ki hotau kāinga, mo fai fakamamahi ki heʻetau ngaahi tamai, pea naʻa nau lī ai kituaʻā ʻenau fānau valevale, ke ʻoua naʻa nau moʻui.
He took advantage of our people and treated our ancestors badly, forcing them to abandon their babies so they would die.
20 Pea feʻunga mo ia naʻe fanauʻi ʻa Mōsese, pea naʻe fakaʻofoʻofa lahi ia, pea naʻe tauhi [fufū ]ia ʻi he fale ʻo ʻene tamai ʻi he māhina ʻe tolu:
It was at this time that Moses was born. He was a handsome child, and for three months he was looked after in his father's home.
21 Pea ʻi he tuku ia kituʻa, naʻe toʻo hake ia ʻe he ʻofefine ʻo Felo, pea naʻe ngaohi ia maʻane tama.
When he had to be abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter rescued him and took care of him as her own son.
22 Pea naʻe akonakiʻi ʻa Mōsese ʻi he poto kotoa pe ʻoe kakai ʻIsipite, pea naʻe mālohi ia ʻi he lea mo e ngaue.
Moses received instruction in all areas of Egyptian knowledge, and he became a powerful speaker and leader.
23 “Pea kuo kakato kiate ia ʻae taʻu ʻe fāngofulu, pea tupu ʻi hono loto ke ʻaʻahi ki hono kāinga ko e fānau ʻa ʻIsileli.
However, when he was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the Israelites.
24 Pea ʻi heʻene mamata ki he tokotaha naʻe teʻia taʻetotonu, naʻa ne langomakiʻi ia, ʻo totongi, ia kuo fakamālohiʻi, mo tāmateʻi ʻae tangata ʻIsipite:
He saw one of them being mistreated, so he intervened to defend him. On behalf of the man he took revenge and killed the Egyptian.
25 He naʻe mahalo ʻe ia kuo ʻilo ʻe hono kāinga ʻe fakamoʻui ʻe he ʻOtua ʻakinautolu ʻi hono nima: ka naʻe ʻikai te nau ʻilo.
Moses thought his fellow Israelites would see that God was rescuing them through him, but they didn't.
26 Pea pongipongi ai, naʻa ne fakahā ia kiate kinautolu lolotonga ʻenau kē, pea ne fai ke fakalelei ʻakinautolu, ʻo ne pehē, ‘Kau tangata, ko e kāinga ʻakimoutolu; ko e hā ʻoku mo fefaikoviʻaki ai?’
The next day when he arrived, two Israelites were fighting one another. He tried to reconcile them and stop the fight. ‘Men! You are brothers!’ he told them. ‘Why are you attacking each other?’
27 Ka ko ia naʻe fai kovi ki hono kaungāʻapi, ne ne tekeʻi atu ia, ʻo pehē, ‘Ko hai naʻa ne fakanofo koe koe pule mo e fakamaau kiate kimautolu?’
But the man who had started the fight pushed Moses away. ‘Who put you in charge over us? Are you our judge now?’ he asked.
28 Te ke tāmateʻi au, ʻo hangē ko hoʻo tāmateʻi ʻaneafi ʻae tangata ʻIsipite?
‘Are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 Pea toki hola ʻa Mōsese ʻi he lea ko ia, pea ʻāunofo ia ʻi he fonua ko Mitiani, pea naʻe tupu ʻiate ia ʻi ʻae foha ʻe toko ua.
When he heard this, Moses ran away. He went and lived in exile in the land of Midian, where two sons were born to him.
30 “Pea kuo hili ʻae taʻu ʻe fāngofulu, pea hā mai kiate ia, ʻi he toafa ʻoe moʻunga ko Sainai, ha ʻāngelo ʻae ʻEiki, ʻi he ulo afi ʻi he ʻulu ʻakau.
Forty years later, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the flames of a burning bush.
31 Pea ʻi he mamata ʻa Mōsese ki ai, naʻe ofo ia ʻi heʻene hā mai: pea ʻi heʻene ʻunuʻunu atu ke vakai, naʻe ongo mai kiate ia ʻae leʻo ʻoe ʻEiki,
When Moses saw this, he was amazed at the sight, and went over to take a closer look. The voice of the Lord spoke to him:
32 [ʻO pehē], ‘Ko e ʻOtua au ʻo hoʻo ngaahi tamai, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻEpalahame, ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻAisake, pea ko e ʻOtua ʻo Sēkope.’ Pea naʻe toki tetetete ʻa Mōsese, pea manavahē ke sio.
‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and didn't dare look up.
33 Pea pehē ʻe he ʻEiki kiate ia, Toʻo ho topuvaʻe ʻi ho vaʻe; he ko e potu ʻoku ke tuʻu ai ko e potu māʻoniʻoni.
The Lord told him, ‘Take off your sandals, because where you are standing is holy ground.
34 Kuo u mamata, kuo u mamata, ki he mamahi, ʻa hoku kakai ʻi ʻIsipite, pea kuo u fanongo ki heʻenau toʻe, pea kuo u ʻalu hifo ke fakamoʻui ʻakinautolu. Pea ke haʻu, te u fekau koe ki ʻIsipite.
I have closely observed the suffering of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groans. I have come down to rescue them. Now come over here, for I'm sending you to Egypt.’
35 Ko Mōsese ʻeni, ʻaia naʻa nau liʻaki, ʻo pehē, ‘Ko hai ne ne fakanofo koe koe pule mo e fakamaau?’ Ko ia ia naʻe fekau ʻe he ʻOtua ko e ʻeiki mo e huhuʻi, ʻi he nima ʻoe ʻāngelo naʻe hā mai kiate ia ʻi he ʻulu ʻakau.
This was the same Moses that the people had rejected when they said, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ God sent him to be both a ruler and a liberator, by means of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 Pea ne ʻomi ʻakinautolu mei ai, kuo hili ʻene fai ʻae ngaahi mana mo e ngāue fakaofo ʻi he fonua ko ʻIsipite, mo e Tahi Kulokula, pea mo e toafa, ʻi he taʻu ʻe fāngofulu.
Moses led them out after performing miraculous signs in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and continued to do so in the desert for forty years.
37 Pea ko e Mōsese ko ia eni, naʻe pehē ki he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, ‘ʻE fokotuʻu kiate kimoutolu ʻe he ʻEiki ko homou ʻOtua ha palōfita ʻi homou kāinga, ke hangē ko au; pea te mou fanongo kiate ia.’
This is the same Moses who promised the Israelites, ‘God will send you a prophet like me from among your people.’
38 Ko ia ia naʻe ʻi he fakataha ʻi he toafa, mo e ʻāngelo ʻaia naʻe lea kiate ia ʻi he moʻunga ko Sainai, pea mo ʻetau ngaahi tamai; ʻaia naʻe maʻu ʻae ngaahi fekau moʻui ke tuku kiate kitautolu:
Moses was with God's assembled people in the desert when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and there with our forefathers he received God's living word to give to us.
39 “ʻAia naʻe ʻikai talangofua ki ai ʻetau ngaahi tamai, ka naʻe tekeʻi atu ia ʻiate kinautolu, pea nau foki ʻi honau loto ki ʻIsipite,
He was the one our fathers wouldn't listen to. They rejected him and decided to return to Egypt.
40 ʻO nau pehē kia ʻEloni, ‘Ngaohi moʻotautolu ha ngaahi ʻotua ke muʻomuʻa ʻiate kitautolu: he ko e Mōsese ni, ʻaia naʻe ʻomi ʻakitautolu mei he fonua ko ʻIsipite, ʻoku ʻikai te tau ʻilo pe ʻoku ʻi fē ia.’
They told Aaron, ‘Make gods for us to lead us, because we don't know what's happened to this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt.’
41 Pea naʻa nau ngaohi ʻae ʻuhikiʻi pulu ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia, pea feilaulau ki he tamapua, ʻo fiefia ʻi he ngāue ʻa honau nima.
Then they made an idol in the shape of a calf, sacrificed to it, and celebrated what they themselves had made!
42 Pea naʻe tafoki ʻae ʻOtua, ʻo fakatukutukuʻi ʻakinautolu, ke nau lotu ki he ngaahi meʻa ʻoe langi; ʻo hangē ko ia kuo tohi ʻi he tohi ʻoe kau palōfita, ‘ʻAe fale ʻo ʻIsileli, he kuo mou tauhi ʻaki au ʻae manu tāmateʻi, mo e feilaulau, ʻi he taʻu ʻe fāngofulu ʻi he toafa?
So God gave up on them. He left them to their worship of the stars in the sky. This is what the prophets wrote, ‘Were you giving offerings or making sacrifices to me during the forty years in the desert, you Israelites?
43 ʻIo, pea mou toʻo hake ʻae fale fehikitaki ʻo Moloke, mo e fetuʻu ʻo homou ʻotua ko Lemafani, ʻae ngaahi fakatātā naʻa mou ngaohi ke mou lotu ki ai: pea te u fetuku ʻakimoutolu kituʻa Papilone.’
No, you carried the Tabernacle of the god Moloch and the image of the god Rephan's star, images that you made so you could worship them. So I will banish you in exile beyond Babylon.’
44 “Naʻe ʻi heʻetau ngaahi tamai ʻae fale fehikitaki ʻoe fakamoʻoni ʻi he toafa, ʻo hangē ko e tuʻutuʻuni ʻo ia naʻe folofola kia Mōsese, ke ne ngaohi ia ʻo fakatatau ki he fakatātā kuo ne mamata ki ai.
Our ancestors had the Tabernacle of Testimony in the desert. God had told Moses how he should make it following the blueprint he had seen.
45 ʻAia naʻe ʻomi ʻe heʻetau ngaahi tamai mo Siosiua ki he fonua ʻoe kakai Senitaile, ʻakinautolu naʻe kapusi ʻe he ʻOtua mei he ʻao ʻo ʻetau ngaahi tamai, ʻo aʻu ki he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo Tevita,
Later on, our forefathers carried it with them when they went in with Joshua to occupy the land taken from the nations the Lord drove out before them. It stayed there until the time of David.
46 ʻAia naʻe ʻofeina ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua, pea ne holi ke ne ʻilo ha nofoʻanga mo e ʻOtua ʻo Sēkope.
David found favor with God and asked to make a more permanent home for the God of Jacob.
47 Ka naʻe langa ʻe Solomone ʻae fale moʻona.
But it was Solomon who built a Temple for him.
48 “Ka ʻoku ʻikai nofo ʻae Fungani Māʻolunga ʻi he ngaahi fale kuo ngaohi ʻaki ʻae nima; ʻo hangē ko e lea ʻae palōfita,
Of course the Almighty doesn't live in temples we make. As the prophet said,
49 ‘ʻOku pehē ʻe he ʻEiki, Ko hoku nofoʻa ʻae langi, pea ko hoku tuʻungavaʻe ʻa māmani: ko e hā ʻae fale te mou langa moʻoku? pea ko e hā hoku mālōlōʻanga?
‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth the place I put my feet. What kind of dwelling could you build for me?’ the Lord asks. ‘What bed could you make for me to rest in?
50 ʻIkai naʻe ngaohi ʻe hoku nima ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni kotoa pē?’
Didn't I make everything?’
51 “ʻAe kau kia kekeva, pea taʻekamu ʻae loto mo e telinga, ʻoku mou tekeʻi maʻuaipē ʻae Laumālie Māʻoniʻoni: ʻo hangē ko hoʻomou ngaahi tamai.
You arrogant, hard-hearted people! You never listen! You always fight against the Holy Spirit! You act just like your fathers did!
52 Ko e palōfita fē naʻe ʻikai fakatangaʻi ʻe hoʻomou ngaahi tamai? Pea kuo nau tāmateʻi ʻakinautolu naʻe muʻaki fakahā ʻae haʻu ʻoe Toko Taha Angatonu; ʻaia kuo mou toki lavakiʻi mo tāmateʻi:
Was there ever a prophet your fathers didn't persecute? They killed those who prophesied about the coming of the one who is truly good and right. He is the one you betrayed and murdered—
53 ʻAkimoutolu naʻe maʻu ʻae fono ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kau ʻāngelo, kae ʻikai fai ki ai.”
you who received the law by means of the angels, but refused to keep it.”
54 Pea kuo nau fanongo ki he ngaahi meʻa ni, naʻe tekelili honau loto ʻi he ʻita, pea nau fakalili honau nifo kiate ia.
When they heard this, the council members became mad with rage, and snarled at him, grinding their teeth.
55 Ka naʻe pito ia ʻi he Laumālie Māʻoniʻoni, pea sio fakamamaʻu ia ki he langi, ʻo ne mamata ki he nāunau ʻoe ʻOtua, mo Sisu ʻoku tuʻu ʻi he nima toʻomataʻu ʻoe ʻOtua,
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed up into heaven and saw God's glory, with Jesus standing at God's right hand.
56 ʻO ne pehē, “Vakai, ʻoku ou mamata ki he langi kuo matangaki, mo e Foha ʻoe tangata ʻoku tuʻu ʻi he nima toʻomataʻu ʻoe ʻOtua.”
“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open, and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand.”
57 Pea naʻa nau toki kalanga ʻaki ʻae leʻo lahi, mo tāpuni honau telinga, ʻo feʻohofi fakataha kiate ia,
But they held their hands over their ears and shouted as loudly as they could. They rushed together at him,
58 ʻO lī ia ki he tuaʻā kolo, mo tolongaki ʻaki ʻae maka: pea naʻe tuku hifo ʻe he kau fakamoʻoni honau kofu ʻi he vaʻe ʻoe talavou, ko Saula hono hingoa.
dragged him out of the city, and began to stone him. His accusers laid their coats down beside a young man called Saul.
59 Pea naʻa nau tolongaki ʻa Setiveni, kae lotu pe ia, mo pehē, “ʻEiki Sisu, ke ke maʻu hoku laumālie.”
As they went on stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 Pea tuʻulutui ia, ʻo kalanga ʻaki ʻae leʻo lahi, “ʻEiki, ʻoua naʻa lau ʻae angahala ni kiate kinautolu.” Pea kuo ne leaʻaki ia, pea mohe. Pea naʻe loto lelei ʻa Saula ki heʻene mate.
He kneeled down, calling out, “Lord, please don't hold this sin against them!” And after he said this, he died.
