1 W hen they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

وَبَعدَ أنْ خَرَجنا مِنْ هَذا كُلِّهِ سالِمِينَ، عَلِمنا أنَّ الجَزِيرَةَ تُدعَى مالْطَةَ.

2 T he natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.

وَقَدْ أظهَرَ لَنا أهلُ الجَزِيرَةِ لُطفاً غَيرَ عادِيٍّ. فَرَحَّبُوا بِنا جَمِيعاً، وَأشعَلُوا لَنا ناراً لِأنَّ السَّماءَ بَدَأتْ تُمطِرُ وَكانَ الجَوُّ بارِداً.

3 B ut when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

وَجَمَعَ بُولُسُ كَومَةً مِنَ العِصِيِّ، وَراحَ يَضَعُها عَلَى النّارِ. فَخَرَجَتْ أفعَى سامَّةٌ بِسَبَبِ الحَرِّ، وَالتَفَّتْ عَلَى يَدِهِ.

4 W hen the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “ Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”

فَلَمّا رَأى سُكّانُ الجَزِيرَةِ الأفعَى مُدَلّاةً مِنْ يَدِهِ، قالُوا بَعضُهُمْ لِبَعضٍ: «لا بُدَّ أنَّ هَذا الرَّجُلَ قاتِلٌ، فَمَعْ أنَّهُ نَجا مِنَ البَحرِ، إلّا أنَّ «العَدلَ» لَنْ يَسمَحَ لَهُ بِأنْ يَعِيشَ.»

5 H owever he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

أمّا بُولُسُ فَنَفَضَ الأفعَى مِنْ يَدِهِ إلَى النّارِ، وَلَمْ يُصِبهُ أيُّ أذَىً.

6 B ut they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

فَتَوَقَّعُوا أنْ يَتَوَرَّمَ أوْ أنْ يَسقُطَ مَيِّتاً، لَكِنَّهُمْ بَعدَ انتِظارٍ طَوِيلٍ لَمْ يَرَوا شَيئاً غَيْرَ عادِيٍّ يَحدُثُ لَهُ. فَغَيَّرُوا رَأيَهُمْ وَقالُوا إنَّهُ إلَهٌ!

7 N ow in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days.

وَكانَتْ قُربَ ذَلِكَ المَكانِ حُقُولٌ لِرَجُلٍ اسْمُهُ بُوبلِيُوسَ، وَهُوَ أحَدُ وُجَهاءِ تِلْكَ المِنطَقَةِ. فَرَحَّبَ بِنا فِي بَيتِهِ، وَاستَضافَنا بِكُلِّ كَرَمٍ ثَلاثَةَ أيّامٍ.

8 A nd it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him.

وَكانَ وَالِدُ بُوبلِيُوسَ طَرِيحَ الفِراشِ، مُصاباً بِحُمَّى وَإسْهالٍ دامٍ. فَدَخَلَ بُولُسُ لِيَزُورَهُ. وَبَعدَ أنْ صَلَّى، وَضَعَ يَدَيهِ عَلَيهِ وَشَفاهُ.

9 A fter this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.

فَلَمّا حَدَثَ هَذا، جاءَ بِقِيَّةُ المَرضَى فِي الجَزِيرَةِ وَشُفُوا.

10 T hey also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed. Paul Arrives at Rome

وَأكرَمُونا بِهَدايا كَثِيرَةٍ. وَلَمّا أبحَرنا زَوَّدُونا بِما نَحتاجُ. بُولُسُ يَذهَبُ إلَى رُوما

11 A t the end of three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.

وَبَعدَ ثَلاثَةِ أشهُرٍ، أبْحَرْنا فِي سَفِينَةٍ إسكَندَرِيَّةٍ كانَتْ قَدْ قَضَتِ الشِّتاءَ فِي الجَزِيرَةِ. وَكانَ فِي مُقَدِّمَتِها عَلامَةُ الْجَوزاءِ: «الإلَهانِ التَّوأمانِ.»

12 A fter we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days.

فَوَصَلْنا إلَى سِراكُوستا وَمَكَثنا هُناكَ ثَلاثَةَ أيّامٍ.

13 F rom there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.

وَمِنْ هُناكَ أبحَرنا وَوَصَلنا إلَى رِيغُونَ. وَبَعدَ يَومٍ واحِدٍ هَبَّتْ رِيحٌ جَنُوبِيَّةٌ، وَفِي اليَومِ التّالِي وَصَلنا إلَى بُوطيُولِي.

14 T here we found some brethren, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus we came to Rome.

وَهُناكَ عَثَرنا عَلَى بَعضِ الإخوَةِ، فَطَلَبُوا إلَينا أنْ نَبقَى مَعَهُمْ سَبعَةَ أيّامٍ. وَهَكَذا وَصَلنا إلَى رُوما.

15 A nd the brethren, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

وَكانَ الإخوَةُ هُناكَ قَدْ سَمِعُوا أخبارَنا، وَجاءُوا إلَى سُوقِ أبِيُّوسَ وَمِنطَقَةِ الحاناتِ الثَّلاثِ لاستِقبالِنا. فَلَمّا رَآهُمْ بُولُسُ، شَكَرَ اللهَ وَتَشَجَّعَ. بُولُسُ فِي رُوما

16 W hen we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

وَلَمّا وَصَلنا إلَى رُوما، سُمِحَ لِبُولُسَ بِأنْ يُقيمَ وَحدَهُ مَعَ جُندِيٍّ يَحرُسُهُ.

17 A fter three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “ Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

وَبَعدَ ثَلاثَةِ أيّامٍ دَعا بُولُسُ قادَةَ اليَهُودِ لِلاجتِماعِ. فَلَمّا اجتَمَعُوا، قالَ لَهُمْ: «أيُّها الإخوَةُ، رُغمَ إنِّي لَمْ أفعَلْ شَيئاً ضِدَّ شَعبِنا أوْ ضِدَّ عاداتِ آبائِنا، إلّا أنِّي أسلِمتُ لِلرُّومانِ كَسَجِينٍ فِي القُدسِ.

18 A nd when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death.

فَاسْتَجوَبُونِي وَأرادُوا إخلاءَ سَبِيلِي، لِأنِّي لَمْ أرتَكِبْ جُرماً يَستَحِقُّ عُقُوبَةُ المَوتِ.

19 B ut when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation.

لَكِنْ عِندَما اعتَرَضَ اليَهُودُ، اضطُرِرتُ لِرَفعِ قَضِيَّتِي إلَى القَيصَرِ. فَلَمْ يَكُنْ هَذا لِأنَّنِي أُرِيدُ أنْ أشتَكِيَ عَلَى شَعبِي.

20 F or this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.”

وَهَذا هُوَ ما دَعانِي إلَى أنْ أطلُبَ رُؤيَتَكُمْ وَالتَّحَدُّثَ إلَيكُمْ. فَأنا مُقَيَّدٌ بِهَذِهِ السِّلسِلَةِ لِأنِّي أُومِنُ بِرَجاءِ بَنِي إسرائِيلَ.

21 T hey said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you.

فَقالُوا لَهُ: «لَمْ نَتَلَقَّ أيَّةَ رَسائِلَ مِنْ إقلِيمِ اليَهُودِيَّةِ عَنكَ. وَلَمْ يَذكُرْ أوْ يَقُلْ لَنا أيٌّ مِنَ الإخوَةِ الَّذِينَ وَصَلُوا مِنْ هُناكَ شَيئاً سَيِّئاً عَنكَ.

22 B ut we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.”

لَكِنَّنا نَوَدُّ أنْ نَسمَعَ مِنكَ لِنَعرِفَ ما تَعتَقِدُهُ. فَنَحنُ نَعرِفُ أنَّ هَذا المَذهَبَ يُنتَقَدُ فِي كُلِّ مَكانٍ.»

23 W hen they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

فَحَدَّدُوا يَوماً آخَرَ لِلِقائِهِ. وَجاءُوا إلَيهِ فِي مَكانِ إقامَتِهِ بِأعدادٍ كَبِيرَةٍ. فَشَرَحَ لَهُمْ وَشَهِدَ لَهُمْ عَنْ مَلَكُوتِ اللهِ. وَحاوَلَ أنْ يُقنِعَهُمْ بِحَقِيقَةِ يَسُوعَ مِنْ شَرِيعَةِ مُوسَى وَمِنْ كُتُبِ الأنبِياءِ. وَظَلَّ يَتَحَدَّثُ مِنَ الصَّباحِ إلَى المَساءِ.

24 S ome were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe.

فَاقتَنَعَ بَعضُهُمْ بِما قالَهُ، أمّا الآخَرُونَ فَرَفَضُوا أنْ يُؤمِنُوا.

25 A nd when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers,

وَلَمّا اختَلَفُوا فِيما بَينَهُمْ، بَدَأُوا يُغادِرُونَ بَعدَ أنْ قالَ بُولُسُ كَلِمَةً أخِيرَةً: «ما أحسَنَ ما قالَهُ الرُّوحُ القُدُسُ حِينَ قالَ لآبائِكُمْ مِنْ خِلالِ النَّبِيِّ إشَعْياءَ:

26 s aying, ‘ Go to this people and say, “ You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;

‹اذهَبُوا إلَى هَذا الشَّعبِ وَقُولُوا: سَتَسمَعُونَ وَتَسمَعُونَ، لَكِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَفهَمُوا. وَسَتَنظُرُونَ وَتَنظُرُونَ، لَكِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تُبْصِروا.

27 F or the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.”’

فَقَدْ صارَ تَفكِيرُ هَذا الشَّعبِ بَلِيداً، وَصارَ سَمَعُهُمْ ثَقيلاً. أغمَضُوا عُيُونَهُمْ، فَهُمْ لا يُرِيدُونَ أنْ يَرَوا بِعُيُونِهِمْ، وَلا يُرِيدُونَ أنْ يَسمَعُوا بِآذانِهِمْ، أوْ أنْ يَفهَمُوا بِعُقُولِهِمْ، لِئَلّا يَأْتُوا إلَيَّ فَأُشفِيهِمْ.›

28 T herefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.”

«فَاعلَمُوا أنَّ خَلاصَ اللهِ قَدْ أُرسِلَ إلَى غَيرِ اليَهُودِ، وَهُمْ سَيَسمَعُونَ.»

29 ' > When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.]

فَلَمّا قالَ بُولُسُ هَذا، انْسَحَبَ اليَهودُ، وَكانوا يَتَجادَلونَ فيما بَينَهُمْ بِشِدَّةٍ.

30 A nd he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,

وَأقامَ بُولُسُ فِي مَنزِلِهِ الَّذِي استَأجَرَهُ سَنَتَينِ كامِلَتَينِ. وَكانَ يُرَحِّبُ بِكُلِّ الَّذِينَ يَأتُونَ إلَيهِ.

31 p reaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

وَكانَ يُنادِي بِمَلَكُوتِ اللهِ، وَيُعَلِّمُ عَنِ الرَّبِّ يَسُوعَ المَسِيحِ بِكُلِّ جَسارَةٍ، وَلَمْ يَسمَحْ لِشَيءٍ بِأنْ يُعَطِّلَهُ.