1 D upăce am scăpat de primejdie, am aflat că ostrovul se chema Malta.

After we were safe on the island, we knew that it was Malta.

2 B arbarii ne-au arătat o bunăvoinţă puţin obicinuită; ne-au primit pe toţi la un foc mare, pe care -l aprinseseră din pricină că ploua, şi se lăsase un frig mare.

The people on the island were very kind to us. It was raining and cold. They made a fire so we could get warm.

3 P avel strînsese o grămadă de mărăcini, şi -i pusese pe foc; o năpîrcă a ieşit afară din pricina căldurii, şi s'a lipit de mîna lui.

Paul had gathered some wood. As he laid it on the fire, a snake came out because of the heat. It held fast to Paul’s hand.

4 B arbarii, cînd au văzut năpîrca spînzurată de mîna lui, au zis unii către alţii:,, Cu adevărat omul acesta este un ucigaş, căci, Dreptatea` nu vrea să -l lase să trăiască, măcar că a fost scăpat din mare.``

When the people of the island saw the snake holding to his hand, they said to each other, “This man is a killer. He was saved from the sea and yet it is not right for him to live.”

5 P avel a scuturat năpîrca în foc, şi n'a simţit niciun rău.

Paul shook off the snake into the fire. He was not hurt in any way.

6 O amenii aceia se aşteptau să -l vadă umflîndu-se sau căzînd deodată mort; dar, dupăce au aşteptat mult, şi au văzut că nu i se întîmplă niciun rău, şi-au schimbat părerea, şi ziceau că este un zeu.

The people waited. They thought his hand would get large and he would fall over dead. After watching for a long time, they saw nothing happen to him. Then they changed their minds and said that Paul was a god. The Father of Publius Is Healed

7 Î n împrejurimi erau moşiile mai marelui ostrovului, numit Publius. El ne -a primit şi ne -a ospătat cu cea mai mare bunăvoinţă trei zile.

Publius was the head man of the island. He owned land around there. For three days he took us in and gave us everything we needed.

8 T atăl lui Publius zăcea atunci în pat, bolnav de friguri şi de urdinare. Pavel s'a dus la el, s'a rugat, a pus mînile peste el, şi l -a vindecat.

The father of Publius was sick with a stomach sickness. Paul went to see him. He prayed and laid his hands on him and the man was healed.

9 A tunci au venit şi ceilalţi bolnavi din ostrovul acela, şi au fost vindecaţi.

Because of this, other people of the island who were sick came to Paul and were healed.

10 N i s'a dat mare cinste; şi, la plecarea noastră cu corabia, ne-au dat tot ce ne trebuia pentru drum.``

They had great respect for us. When we got into a ship to leave, they gave us everything we needed.

11 D upă o şedere de trei luni, am pornit cu o corabie din Alexandria, care iernase în ostrov şi care purta semnul Dioscurilor.

We had stayed on the island three months. Then we left on a ship that had stayed there during the winter. It was from the city of Alexandria. This ship was called the Twin Brothers.

12 A m ajuns la Siracusa, şi am rămas acolo trei zile.

We came to Syracuse and stayed there three days.

13 D e acolo, am mers înainte pe lîngă coastă, şi am venit la Regio; iar a doua zi, fiindcă sufla vîntul de miazăzi, după două zile, am venit la Puzole,

From there we went by ship around to the city of Rhegium. After a day a south wind started to blow. On the second day we came to the city of Puteoli.

14 u nde am dat peste nişte fraţi, cari ne-au rugat să mai rămînem şapte zile cu ei. Şi aşa am ajuns la Roma.

We found some Christians there, and they asked us to stay with them. We were there seven days and then went on to the city of Rome.

15 D in Roma ne-au ieşit înainte, pînă în,, Forul lui Apiu``, şi pînă la,, Cele trei Cîrciumi``, fraţii, cari auziseră despre noi. Cînd i -a văzut Pavel, a mulţămit lui Dumnezeu, şi s'a îmbărbătat.

When the Christians heard of our coming, they came to meet us. They came as far as the town of Appius and to a place to stay called the Three Stores. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. Paul Tells Why and How He Has Come

16 C înd am ajuns la Roma, sutaşul a dat pe cei întemniţaţi căpitanului străjerilor palatului, iar lui Pavel i s'a îngăduit să rămînă într'un loc deosebit cu un ostaş care -l păzea.

When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live where he wanted to. But a soldier was always by his side to watch him.

17 D upă trei zile, Pavel a chemat pe mai marii Iudeilor; şi, cînd s'au adunat, le -a zis:,, Fraţilor, fără să fi făcut ceva împotriva norodului sau obiceiurilor părinţilor noştri, am fost băgat la închisoare în Ierusalim, şi de acolo am fost dat în mînile Romanilor.

Three days later Paul asked the leaders of the Jews to come to him. When they had gathered together, he said, “Brothers, I have done nothing against our people or the way our early fathers lived. And yet, I was tied with chains in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

18 D upăce m'au supus la cercetare, ei aveau de gînd să-mi dea drumul, pentrucă nu era în mine nici o vină vrednică de moarte.

I was put on trial, but they found no reason to put me to death. They would have let me go free.

19 D ar Iudeii s'au împotrivit, şi am fost silit să cer să fiu judecat de Cezar, fără să am dealtfel niciun gînd să pîrăsc neamul meu.

But the Jews did not like this. So I had to ask to be sent to Caesar. It was not because I had anything against my people.

20 D e aceea, v'am chemat să vă văd, şi să vorbesc cu voi; căci din pricina nădejdii lui Israel port eu acest lanţ.``

The reason I have asked you to come is to tell you this. It is because of the hope of the Jewish nation that I am tied in these chains.”

21 E i i-au răspuns:,, Noi n'am primit din Iudea nici o scrisoare cu privire la tine, şi n'a venit aici nici un frate, care să fi spus sau să fi vorbit ceva rău despre tine.

They said to Paul, “We have had no letters from Judea about you. No Jew who has come here has ever said anything bad about you.

22 D ar am vrea să auzim părerea ta, pentrucă ştim că partida aceasta pretutindeni stîrneşte împotrivire.``

We would like to hear from you what you believe. As for this new religion, all we know is that everyone is talking against it.”

23 I -au hotărît o zi, şi au venit mai mulţi la locuinţa lui. Pavel le -a vestit Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu, le -a adus dovezi, şi a căutat să -i încredinţeze, prin Legea lui Moise şi prin Prooroci, despre lucrurile privitoare la Isus. Vorbirea ţinea de dimineaţă pînă seara.

They planned to meet him on a certain day. Many people came to the place where he stayed. He preached to them about the holy nation of God. He tried to get them to put their trust in Jesus Christ by preaching from the Law of Moses and from the writings of the early preachers. From morning until night he spoke to them.

24 U nii au crezut ce le spunea el, iar alţii n'au crezut.

Some of them believed his teaching. Others did not believe.

25 F iindcă ei au plecat acasă în neînţelegere unii cu alţii, Pavel n'a adăugat decît aceste vorbe:,, Bine a spus Duhul Sfînt prin proorocul Isaia către părinţii voştri,

As they left, they did not agree with each other. Then Paul said, “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your early fathers through the early preacher Isaiah.

26 c înd a zis:, Du-te la poporul acesta, şi zi -i:,, Veţi auzi cu urechile voastre, şi nu veţi înţelege; cu ochii voştri veţi privi, şi nu veţi vedea.

He said, ‘Go to these people and say, “You will hear and never understand, you will look and never see,

27 C ăci inima acestui norod s'a împietrit; ei aud greu cu urechile, şi-au închis ochii, ca nu cumva să vadă cu ochii, să audă cu urechile, să înţeleagă cu inima, să se întoarcă la Dumnezeu, şi să -i vindec.``

because these people have hearts that have become fat. They do not hear well with their ears. They have closed their eyes so their eyes do not see and their ears do not hear and their minds do not understand and they do not turn to Me and let Me heal them.”’

28 S ă ştiţi dar că mîntuirea aceasta a lui Dumnezeu a fost trimeasă Neamurilor, şi o vor asculta.``

“I want you to know that the Good News of God of knowing how to be saved from the punishment of sin has been sent to the people who are not Jews. And they will listen to it!”

29 C înd a zis aceste vorbe, Iudeii au plecat, vorbind cu aprindere între ei.

After he had said these things, the Jews went away and argued with each other.

30 P avel a rămas doi ani întregi într'o casă, pe care o luase cu chirie. Primea pe toţi cari veneau să -l vadă,

Paul paid money to live in a house by himself for two years. He was happy for all who came to see him.

31 p ropovăduia Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu, şi învăţa pe oameni, cu toată îndrăzneala şi fără nicio pedică, cele privitoare la Domnul Isus Hristos

He kept on preaching about the holy nation of God. He taught about the Lord Jesus Christ without fear. No one stopped him.