1 N ow the apostles (special messengers) and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles (heathen) also had received and accepted and welcomed the Word of God.

وَسَمِعَ الرُّسُلُ وَالإخوَةُ فِي جَمِيعِ أنحاءِ إقليمِ اليَهُودِيَّةِ أنَّ غَيرَ اليَهُودِ قَدْ تَلَقُّوا أيضاً كَلِمَةَ الرَّبِّ.

2 S o when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party found fault with him,

فَلَمّا صَعِدَ بُطرُسُ إلَى القُدسِ، انتَقَدَهُ أولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدعُونَ إلَى الخِتانِ.

3 S aying, Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?

وَقالُوا لَهُ: «لَقَدْ دَخَلتَ بُيُوتَ أشخاصٍ غَيرِ مَختُونِينَ وَأكَلتَ مَعَهُمْ!»

4 B ut Peter began and narrated and explained to them step by step. He said:

فَبَدَأ بُطرُسُ يَشرَحُ لَهُمْ ما حَدَثَ تَماماً.

5 I was in the town of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision of something coming down from heaven, like a huge sheet lowered by the four corners; and it descended until it came to me.

قالَ: «كُنتُ فِي بَلْدَةِ يافا أُصَلِّي، فَوَقَعَ عَلَيَّ سُباتٌ وَرَأيتُ رُؤيا. رَأيتُ شَيئاً يَشبِهُ قِطعَةَ قُماشٍ كَبِيرَةً مُعَلَّقَةً مِنْ أطرافِها الأربَعَةِ وَمُدَلّاةً مِنَ السَّماءِ، وَنَزَلَتْ عَلَيَّ.

6 G azing intently and closely at it, I observed in it four-footed animals and wild beasts and reptiles of the earth and birds of the air,

فَدَقَّقْتُ النَّظَرَ فِيها، فَرَأيتُ بَهائمَ وَحَيواناتٍ مُتَوَحِّشَةً وَزَواحِفَ وَطُيُوراً.

7 A nd I heard a voice saying to me, Get up, Peter; kill and eat.

ثُمَّ سَمِعْتُ صَوتاً يَقُولُ لِي: ‹انهَضْ يا بُطرُسُ. اذبَحْ وَكُلْ.›

8 B ut I said, No, by no means, Lord; for nothing common or unhallowed or unclean has ever entered my mouth.

«لَكِنِّي قُلْتُ: ‹لَنْ أفعَلَ هَذا يا رَبُّ! لَمْ يَدخُلْ فَمِي طَعامٌ مُحَرَّمٌ أوْ نَجِسٌ مِنْ قَبلُ!›

9 B ut the voice answered a second time from heaven, What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, do not you defile and profane by regarding or calling it common or unhallowed or unclean.

«فَأجابَني الصَّوتُ ثانِيَةً مِنَ السَّماءِ: ‹ما طّهَّرَهُ اللهُ، لا تُحَرِّمُهُ أنتَ!›

10 T his occurred three times, and then all was drawn up again into heaven.

«وَقَدْ حَدَثَ ذَلِكَ ثَلاثَ مَرّاتٍ. ثُمَّ ارتَفَعَ كُلُّ شَيءٍ إلَى السَّماءِ.

11 A nd right then the three men sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house in which we were.

وَفِي تِلكَ اللَّحظَةِ، وَصَلَ ثَلاثَةُ رِجالٍ إلَى البَيتِ الَّذِي كُنّا نَنزِلُ فِيهِ. وَكانُوا قَدْ أُرسَلُوا إلَيَّ مِنْ مَدِينَةِ قَيصَرِيَّةَ.

12 A nd the Spirit instructed me to accompany them without hesitation or misgivings or discrimination. So these six brethren accompanied me also, and we went into the man’s house.

فَأمَرَنِي الرُّوحُ بِأنْ أذهَبَ مَعَهُمْ دُونَ تَرَدُّدٍ. كَما ذَهَبَ مَعِي هَؤُلاءِ الإخوَةُ السِّتَّةُ، وَدَخَلنا بَيتَ الرَّجُلِ.

13 A nd he related to us how he had seen the angel in his house which stood and said to him, Send men to Joppa and bring Simon who is surnamed Peter;

فَأخبَرَنا كَيفَ أنَّهُ رَأى مَلاكاً واقِفاً فِي بَيتِهِ يَقُولُ لَهُ: ‹أرسِلْ رِجالاً إلَى بَلدَةِ يافا وَاَسْتَدْعِ سِمعانَ الَّذِي يُدعَى بُطرُسَ.

14 H e will give and explain to you a message by means of which you and all your household will be saved '> from eternal death].

وَهُوَ سَيُخبِرُكَ كَلاماً بِهِ يَكُونُ خَلاصُكَ وَخَلاصُ كُلِّ عائِلَتِكَ.›

15 W hen I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as He did on us at the beginning.

«فَلَمّا بَدَأْتُ أتَكَلَّمُ، حَلَّ الرُّوحُ القُدُسُ عَلَيهِمْ، تَماماً كَما حَلَّ عَلَينا نَحنُ فِي البِدايَةِ.

16 T hen I recalled the declaration of the Lord, how He said, John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with ( be placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.

ثُمَّ تَذَكَّرتُ ما سَبَقَ أنْ قالَهُ الرَّبُّ: ‹كانَ يُوحَنّا يُعَمِّدُ فِي الماءِ، أمّا أنتُمْ فَسَتُعَمِّدُونَ فِي الرُّوحِ القُدُسِ.›

17 I f then God gave to them the same Gift as He gave to us when we believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I and what power or authority had I to interfere or hinder or forbid or withstand God?

فَإنْ كانَ اللهُ قَدْ أعطاهُمُ العَطِيَّةَ نَفسَها الَّتِي أعطاها لَنا عِندَما آمَنّا بِالرَّبِّ يَسُوعَ المَسِيحِ، فَمَنْ أنا لِأُقاوِمَ اللهَ؟»

18 W hen they heard this, they were quieted and made no further objection. And they glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life.

فَلَمّا سَمِعَ المُؤمِنُونَ هَذا، تَوَقَّفُوا عَنِ الجَدَلِ، وَمَجَّدُوا اللهَ وَقالوا: «إذاً، فَقَدْ أعطَى اللهُ حَتَّى غَيرَ اليَهُودِ فُرصَةَ التَّوبَةِ الَّتِي تَقُودُ إلَى الحَياةِ!» البِشارَةُ فِي أنطاكِيَّة

19 M eanwhile those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen had traveled as far away as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, without delivering the message '> the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] to anyone except Jews.

أمّا الَّذِينَ شَتَّتَهُمُ الاضْطِهادُ الَّذِي حَدَثَ فِي زَمَنِ إستِفانُوسَ، فَوَصَلُوا إلَى فِينِيقِيَّةَ وَقُبرُصَ وَأنطاكِيَّةَ. وَكانُوا لا يُبَشِّرُونَ أحَداً غَيرَ اليَهُودِ.

20 B ut there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on returning to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news (the Gospel) about the Lord Jesus.

وَكانَ بَينَهُمْ بَعضُ الرِّجالِ مِنْ قُبرُصَ وَقِيرِينَ. فَلَمّا جاءُوا إلَى أنطاكِيَّةَ، بَدَأُوا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ أيضاً مَعَ اليُونانِيِّيْنَ، ؤَيُبَشِّرونَهُمْ بِالرَّبِّ يَسُوعَ.

21 A nd the presence of the Lord was with them with power, so that a great number to believe (to adhere to and trust in and rely on the Lord) and turned and surrendered themselves to Him.

وَكانَتْ يَدُ الرَّبِّ مَعَهُمْ. فَآمَنَ عَدَدٌ كَبِيرٌ مِنَ النّاسِ وآمَنُوا بِالرَّبِّ.

22 T he rumors of this came to the ears of the church (assembly) in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

وَوَصَلَتْ هَذِهِ الأخبارُ إلَى الكَنِيسَةِ فِي القُدسِ، فَأرسَلُوا بَرنابا إلَى أنطاكِيَّةَ.

23 W hen he arrived and saw what grace (favor) God was bestowing upon them, he was full of joy; and he continuously exhorted (warned, urged, and encouraged) them all to cleave unto and remain faithful to and devoted to the Lord with purpose of heart.

فَلَمّا وَصَلَ وَرَأى نِعمَةَ اللهِ تَعمَلُ هُناكَ، فَرِحَ كَثِيراً، وَشَجَّعَهُمْ جَمِيعاً عَلَى أنْ يَظَلُّوا مُخلِصِينَ لِلرَّبِّ مِنْ كُلِّ قُلُوبِهِمْ.

24 F or he was a good man '> good in himself and also at once for the good and the advantage of other people], full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit and full of faith (of his belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation). And a large company was added to the Lord.

فَقَدْ كانَ بَرنابا رَجُلاً صالِحاً، مَملُوءاً مِنَ الرُّوحِ القُدُسِ وَالإيمانِ. فَجاءَ عَدَدٌ كَبِيرٌ مِنَ النّاسِ إلَى الرَّبِّ.

25 w ent on to Tarsus to hunt for Saul.

ثُمَّ تَوَجَّهَ بَرنابا إلَى طَرسُوسَ بَحثاً عَنْ شاوُلَ.

26 A nd when he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year they assembled together with and were guests of the church and instructed a large number of people; and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

فَلَمّا وَجَدَهُ، أحضَرَهُ إلَى أنطاكِيَّةَ. وَاجتَمَعا مَعَ الكَنِيسَةِ سَنَةً كامِلَةً، وَعَلَّما عَدَداً كَبِيراً مِنَ النّاسِ. وَدُعِيَ التَّلامِيذُ مَسِيحِيِّينَ لِأوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ فِي أنطاكِيَّةَ.

27 A nd during these days prophets (inspired teachers and interpreters of the divine will and purpose) came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

وَفِي ذَلِكَ الوَقتِ، جاءَ بَعضُ الأنبِياءِ مِنَ مَدينَةِ القُدسِ إلَى أنطاكِيَّةَ.

28 A nd one of them named Agabus stood up and prophesied through the Spirit that a great and severe famine would come upon the whole world. And this did occur during the reign of Claudius.

وَوَقَفَ واحِدٌ مِنهُمْ، اسْمُهُ أغابُوسُ، وَتَنَبَّأ بِالرُّوحِ بِأنَّ مَجاعَةً شَدِيدَةً سَتَعُمُّ العالَمَ كُلَّهُ. حَدَثَ هَذا أثناءَ حُكمِ كلُوديُوسَ.

29 S o the disciples resolved to send relief, each according to his individual ability, to the brethren who lived in Judea.

فَقَرَّرَ التَّلامِيذُ أنْ يُرسِلَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ قَدرَ ما يَستَطِيعُ، لِمُساعَدَةِ الإخوَةِ السّاكِنِينَ فِي اليَهُودِيَّةِ.

30 A nd so they did, sending to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

وَهَذا ما فَعَلُوهُ، حَيثُ أرسَلُوا تَبَرُّعاتِهِمْ لِلشُّيُوخِ عَنْ طَرِيقِ بَرنابا وَشاوُلَ.