28

Lub koog povtxwv Melita

¹Thaum peb dim tag lawm peb li paub tias lub koog povtxwv ntawd hu ua Melita. ²Cov neeg hauv lub tebchaws hlub peb heev. Lawv rauv taws tos txais peb rau qhov nag los thiab no heev. ³Povlauj mus khaws ib tsuag taws los rauv rau hauv qhov cub, ces muaj ib tug nab muaj taug txawm tawm hauv tsuag taws los vim yog kub mas tom Povlauj txhais tes. ⁴Thaum cov neeg hauv lub tebchaws ntawd pom tus nab dai vias ntawm Povlauj txhais tes, lawv sib hais tias, “Tus no yeej yog ib tug tua neeg tiag tiag li. Txawm yog nws dim hauv hiavtxwv los lawm, los tus uas txiav txim ncaj tsis pub nws muaj txojsia nyob.” ⁵Tiamsis Povlauj txawm tib ncho tus nab poob rau hauv qhov cub thiab nws tsis ua li cas kiag li. ⁶Lawv tos ntsoov saib nws yuav o o lossis ntog kiag tuag tamsid. Tiamsis thaum lawv tos ntev lawm kuj tsis pom nws ua li cas, lawv txawm hloov kev xav hais tias nws yog ib tug timtswv.
⁷Tus thawj uas kav lub tebchaws ntawd npe hu ua Pulia muaj teb nyob ze ntawd. Nws tos txais peb thiab yug peb zoo tau peb hnub. ⁸Pulia txiv tabtom ua npaws thiab raws plab, mas Povlauj mus saib nws thiab thov Vajtswv thiab muab tes npuab rau saum nws kho nws zoo. ⁹Thaum ua li ntawd lawm cov neeg muaj mob kis nyob hauv lub koog povtxwv ntawd txawm tuaj cuag nws mas nws kuj kho lawv tej mob zoo. ¹⁰Lawv kuj pub tshav ntuj rau peb ntau yam. Thaum peb yuav caij nkoj tawm mus, lawv kuj coj tej uas peb cheem tsum tuaj pub rau peb.

Povlauj mus txog lub nroog Loos

¹¹Dhau peb lub hli peb li caij ib lub nkoj uas tuaj nres tag lub caij ntuj no rau hauv koog povtxwv ntawd tawm mus. Lub nkoj ntawd yog tuaj ntawm lub nroog Alexadia tuaj, thiab muaj ob tug dab mlom ntxaib rau ntawm hauv nkoj. ¹²Peb mus nres so rau ntawm lub moos Xailakhu tau peb hnub. ¹³Thaum tawm qhov ntawd peb mus txog lub moos Leki‑u. Hnub tom qab cua ntsawj sab nrad tuaj mas hnub uas ob peb mus txog lub moos Puthi‑auli. ¹⁴Peb ntsib cov kwvtij qhov ntawd thiab lawv hu peb mus so hauv lawv tau xya hnub. Yog li uas hais no peb thiaj mus txog lub nroog Loos. ¹⁵Thaum cov kwvtij uas nyob hauv lub nroog Loos hnov xov, lawv txawm tuaj tos peb ntawm lub Kiab Apia thiab ntawm Peb Lub Tsev So. Thaum Povlauj pom lawv lawm nws txawm ua Vajtswv tsaug thiab txhawb tau nws lub zog. ¹⁶Thaum peb tuaj txog lub nroog Loos, nom tswv tso cai rau Povlauj nyob ib cag thiab muaj ib tug tub rog zov.

Povlauj qhuab qhia hauv Loos

¹⁷Dhau peb hnub lawm, Povlauj txawm hu Yudai cov thawj tuaj txoos ua ke. Thaum tuaj txhij lawd, nws hais rau lawv tias, “Cov kwvtij, txawm yog kuv tsis tau ua txhaum rau peb haiv neeg lossis ua txhaum peb tej poj koob yawm txwv tej kevcai los kuv tseem raug ntes hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees thiab raug muab cob rau hauv cov Loos txhais tes. ¹⁸Thaum lawv tshuaj kuv zaj lawm lawv xav muab kuv tso vim tsis muaj keeb puam dabtsi uas yuav rau txim tuag rau kuv. ¹⁹Thaum cov Yudai txwv tav, kuv thiaj li yuav tsum thov cia hais mus txog Xixa, tiamsis kuv tsis muaj ib zaj dabtsi yuav kom kuv haiv neeg. ²⁰Vim li no, kuv thiaj hu nej tuaj xwv thiaj ntsib nej thiab nrog nej hais lus. Qhov uas kuv raug saw hlau khi no twb yog tim cov Yixayee txojkev vam.”
²¹Lawv hais rau nws tias, “Peb tsis tau txais tsab ntawv uas xa hauv lub xeev Yudia tuaj hais txog koj thiab tsis muaj ib tug kwvtij twg coj xov tuaj hais phem txog koj. ²²Mas peb xav hnov koj hais saib koj xav li cas, vim peb paub tias cov uas ntseeg Txojkev no raug luag tawm tsam txhua qhov.”
²³Thaum lawv teem dua ib hnub tuaj ntsib nws, muaj neeg coob tuaj cuag nws hauv nws lub chaw nyob. Nws txawm qhia lawv txij thaum tagkis mus txog tsaus ntuj. Nws ua timkhawv txog Vajtswv lub tebchaws thiab muab tej lus hauv Mauxe phau kevcai thiab hauv cov xibhwb cev Vajtswv lus phau ntawv los qhia yaum kom lawv los ntseeg Yexus. ²⁴Tej lus uas nws hais ntawd muaj qee leej ntseeg, muaj qee leej tsis ntseeg. ²⁵Ces lawv txawm tsis sib hum lawm. Thaum lawv yuav sib ncaim mus, Povlauj hais dua ib nqes ntxiv tias, “Vaj Ntsuj Plig dawb huv hais raug lawm qhov uas nws kom xibhwb Yaxaya uas cev lus hais rau nej tej poj koob yawm txwv tias,
²⁶“ ‘Cia li mus thiab hais rau cov neeg no tias,
“ ‘ “Nej yeej yuav mloog tag mloog thiab
los tsis nkag siab,
nej yuav saib tag saib thiab
los tsis pom.”
²⁷Vim haiv neeg no lub siab tawv,
thiab lawv ua ntsej lag muag dig
thiab lawv kaw lawv lub qhov muag,
tsam ces lawv lub qhov muag ho pom,
thiab lawv lub qhov ntsej ho hnov,
thiab lawv lub siab yuav to taub,
ces lawv yuav tig rov los cuag kuv
kho lawv kom zoo.’⚓
²⁸Vim li no nej cia li paub tias Vajtswv txojkev dim no thiaj raug muab xa mus rau lwm haiv neeg lawm, mas lawv yuav mloog.”⚓
³⁰Povlauj nyob hauv lub tsev uas nws ntiav tau ob xyoos thiab tos txais txhua tus uas tuaj cuag nws. ³¹Nws tshaj tawm txog Vajtswv lub tebchaws thiab ua siab tuab qhia txog tus Tswv Yexus Khetos tsis muaj dabtsi khuam cheem.

28

Paul Ashore on Malta

¹Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. ²The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. ³Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ⁴When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. ⁶The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
⁷There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. ⁸His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. ⁹When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. ¹⁰They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Paul’s Arrival at Rome

¹¹After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. ¹²We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. ¹³From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. ¹⁴There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. ¹⁶When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

¹⁷Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. ¹⁹The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. ²⁰For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
²¹They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. ²²But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
²³They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. ²⁴Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. ²⁵They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
²⁶“ ‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
²⁷For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’⚓
²⁸“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” ^[29]⚓
³⁰For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. ³¹He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!