القراءة بلغتين

وبَعدَ ما نَجَونا عَرَفْنا أَنَّ الجَزيرةَ تُدْعى مالِطَة

وقابَلَنا الأَهلونَ بِعَطفٍ إِنْسانِيٍّ قَلَّ نَظيرُه فأَوقَدوا نارًا وقَرَّبونا جَميعًا إِلَيهِم حَولَها لِنُزولِ المَطَرِ وشِدَّةِ البَرْد

وبَينَما بولُسُ يَجْمَعُ شَيئًا مِنَ الحَطَب ويُلقيهِ في النَّار، خَرَجَت أَفْعى دَفَعَتها الحَرارَة، فتَعَلَّقَت بِيَده

فلَمَّا رأَى الأَهلونَ الحَيَوانَ عالِقًا بِيَدِه، قالَ بَعضُهم لِبَعض: «لا شَكَّ أَنَّ هٰذا الرَّجُلَ قاتِل. لقَد نَجا مِنَ البَحر، ولٰكِنَّ العَدْلَ الإِلٰهِيَّ لم يَدَعْه يَعيش»

أَمَّا بولُس فنَفَض الحَيَوانَ في النَّار، ولَم يُعانِ أَذًى

وكانوا يَنتَظِرونَ أَن يَتَوَرَّمَ أَو يَقَعَ فَجأَةً مَيتًا، فَلَمَّا طالَ ٱنتظارُهم ورَأَوا أَنَّه لم يُصَبْ بِسُوء، بَدَّلوا رأيَهم فيه، وأَخَذوا يَقولون: «هٰذا إِلٰه»

وكانَ بِجِوارِ ذاك المَكانِ مَزرَعَةٌ لِحاكِمِ الجَزيرةِ بُبْلِيوس، فرَحَّبَ بِنا وأَضافَنا ضِيافَةَ الصَّديقِ مُدَّةَ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّام

وكانَ أَبو بُبْلِيوس يَلزَمُ الفِراشَ مُصابًا بِالحُمَّى والزُّحار، فدَخَلَ إِلَيهِ بولُس وصَلَّى واضِعًا يَدَيهِ علَيه فعافاه

وما إِن حَدَثَ ذٰلك حتَّى أَخَذَ سائِرُ المَرْضى في الجَزيرَةِ يَأتونَه فيَنالونَ الشِّفاء

فأَكرَمونا إِكْرامًا كَثيرًا، وزَوَّدونا عِندَ إِبحارِنا ما نَحتاجُ إِلَيه

وأَبحَرْنا بَعدَ ثَلاثةِ أَشهُرٍ على سَفينةٍ كانَت شاتِيةً في الجَزيرة، وهِي سَفينةٌ مِنَ الإِسكَندَرِيَّة، علَيها صورةُ التَّوْأَمَين

فلَمَّا نَزَلْنا في سَرَقُوصَة أَقَمْنا فيها ثَلاثَةَ أَيَّام

ومِن هُناكَ سِرْنا على مَقرُبَةٍ مِنَ الشَّاطِئِ حتَّى بَلَغْنا راجِيون. فهَبَّت في اليومِ الثَّاني ريحٌ جَنوبِيَّة، ووَصَلْنا بَعدَ يَومَينِ إِلى بوطِيول

فلَقِينا فيها بَعضَ الإِخوة. فسَأَلونا أَن نُقيمَ عِندَهم سَبعَةَ أَيَّام. وهٰكذا ذَهَبْنا إِلى رومة

وعَلِمَ الإِخوَةُ فيها بأَمرِنا. فَجاؤوا إِلى لِقائِنا في ساحَةِ أَبِّيوس والحَوانيتِ الثَّلاثَة، فلَمَّا رآهم بولُس شَكَرَ اللهَ وتَشَدَّدَت عَزيمَتُه

ولَمَّا دَخَلْنا رومة، أُذِنَ لِبُولُسَ أَن يُقيمَ في مَنزِلٍ خاصٍّ بِه مع الجُندِيِّ الَّذي يَحرُسُه

وبَعدَ ثَلاثةِ أَيَّام، دعا إِلَيه أَعْيانَ اليَهود. فلَمَّا ٱجتَمَعوا قالَ لَهم: «أَيُّها الإِخوَة، إِنِّي لم أَفعَلْ ما يُسيءُ إِلى الشَّعْبِ ولا إِلى سُنَنِ آبائِنا. ومعَ ذٰلكَ فإِنِّي سَجينٌ مُنذُ كُنتُ في أُورَشَليم وقد أُسلِمْتُ إِلى أَيدي الرُّومانِيِّين

فحقَّقوا معي، وأَرادوا إِخلاءَ سَبيلي لِأَنَّه لم يَكُنْ هُناكَ مِن سَبَبٍ أَستَوجِبُ بِه المَوت

غَيرَ أَنَّ اليَهودَ ٱعتَرَضوا فَٱضطُرِرتُ أَن أَرفَعَ دَعْوايَ إِلى قَيصَر، لا كَأَنَّ لي شَكْوى على أُمَّتي

لِذٰلِكَ السَّبَب، طَلَبتُ أَن أَراكُم وأُكَلِّمَكم، فَأَنا مِن أَجْلِ رَجاءِ إِسرائيلَ مُوثَقٌ بِهٰذه السِّلْسِلة»

فقالوا لَه: «نَحنُ ما تَلَقَّينا كِتابًا في شَأنِكَ مِنَ اليَهودِيَّة، ولا قَدِمَ علَينا أَحَدٌ مِنَ الإِخوَة فأَبلَغَنا أَو قالَ لَنا علَيكَ سوءًا

على أَنَّنا نَوَدُّ لو نَسمَعُ مِنكَ رَأيَك، فعَن هٰذِه الشِّيعَةِ نَحنُ نَعلَمُ أَنَّها تُقاوَمُ في كُلِّ مَكان»

ثُمَّ جَعَلوا له يَومًا جاؤوا فيه إِلى مَنزِلِه وهُم أَكثَرُ عَدَدًا. فأَخَذَ يَعرِضُ لَهُمُ الأُمور فيَشهَدُ لِمَلَكوتِ الله ويُحاوِلُ أَن يُقنِعَهم بِشأنِ يَسوع مُعتَمِدًا على شَريعَةِ موسى وكُتُبِ الأَنبِياء. فبَقِيَ على ذٰلك مِنَ الصَّباحِ إِلى المَساء

فَمِنهُم مَنِ ٱقتَنَعَ بِكَلامِه، ومِنهُم مَن لم يُؤمِن

وبَينَما هم مُنصَرِفون كانوا على ٱختِلافٍ فيما بَينَهم، فقالَ بولُسُ كَلِمَةً واحِدة: «أَحسَنَ الرُّوحُ القُدُسُ في قَولِه لِآبائِكم بِلِسانِ النَّبِيِّ أَشَعْيا

«إِذهَبْ إِلى هٰذا الشَّعْبِ فَقُلْ له: تَسمَعونَ سَماعًا ولا تَفهَمون وتَنظُرونَ نَظَرًا ولا تُبصِرون

فقَد غَلُظَ قَلْبُ هٰذا الشَّعْب وأَصَمُّوا آذانَهم وأَغمَضوا عُيونَهم لِئَلَّا يُبصِروا بِعُيونِهم ويَسمَعوا بِآذانِهم ويَفهَموا بِقُلوبِهم ويَرجِعوا. أَفأَشْفيهم؟»

فٱعلَموا إِذًا أَنَّ خَلاصَ اللهِ هٰذا أُرسِلَ إِلى الوَثَنِيِّين وَهُم سيَستَمِعونَ إِلَيه»[٢٩ ]

ومَكَثَ سنَتَينِ كامِلَتَينِ في مَنزلٍ خاصٍّ استأجَرَه، يَستَقبِلُ جَميعَ الَّذينَ كانوا يأتونَه

يُعلِنُ مَلَكوتَ الله ويُعَلِّمُ بِكُلِّ جُرأَةٍ ما يَختَصُّ بِالرَّبِّ يسوعَ المَسيح، لا يَمنَعُه أَحَد

When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta.

The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire and received us all, because of the present rain and because of the cold.

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

When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”

However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed.

But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and courteously entertained us for three days.

The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.

Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came and were cured.

They also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed.

After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose figurehead was “The Twin Brothers.”

Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.

From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli,

where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome.

From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.

But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation.

For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”

They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.”

When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening.

Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.

When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one message: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,

saying, ‘Go to this people and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive.

For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, then I would heal them.’

“Be it known therefore to you that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.”

When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.

Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him,

preaching God’s Kingdom and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.