Acts 12

1 About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church.

1 Wakati huo huo Mfalme Herode Agripa aliwakamata baadhi ya watu wa kanisa.

2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.

2 Akaamuru Yakobo, ndugu yake Yohana, auawe kwa upanga.

3 And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

3 Alipoona jambo hilo limewapendeza Wayahudi, akaendelea, akamkamata pia Petro. Hii ilitokea wakati wa Sikukuu ya Mikate Isiyotiwa Chachu.

4 He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

4 Baada ya kumkamata alimtia gerezani, chini ya ulinzi wa vikundi vinne vya askari, vyenye askari wanne kila kimoja. Herode alikuwa amekusudia kumtoa na kumfanyia mashtaka mbele ya watu baada ya Pasaka.

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.

5 Kwa hiyo Petro akawekwa gerezani, lakini kanisa lilikuwa likimwombea kwa Mungu kwa bidii.

6 On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison.

6 Usiku ule kabla ya siku ambayo Herode Agripa alikuwa amekusudia kumtoa na kumfanyia mashtaka, Petro alikuwa amelala kati ya askari wawili, akiwa amefungwa kwa minyororo miwili. Nao walinzi wa zamu walikuwa wakilinda penye lango la gereza.

7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.

7 Ghafula malaika wa Bwana akatokea na nuru ikamulika mle ndani ya gereza. Yule malaika akampiga Petro ubavuni na kumwamsha, akisema, “Ondoka upesi!” Mara ile minyororo ikaanguka kutoka mikononi mwa Petro.

8 “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”

8 Yule malaika akamwambia, “Vaa nguo zako na viatu vyako.” Petro akafanya hivyo. Kisha akamwambia, “Jifunge vazi lako na unifuate.”

9 So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision.

9 Petro akatoka mle gerezani akiwa amefuatana na yule malaika. Hakujua wakati huo kuwa yaliyokuwa yakitukia yalikuwa kweli. Alidhani kuwa anaona maono.

10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.

10 Wakapita lindo la kwanza na la pili, ndipo wakafika kwenye lango la chuma linaloelekea mjini. Lango likawafungukia lenyewe, nao wakapita hapo wakatoka nje. Baada ya kutembea umbali wa mtaa mmoja, ghafula yule malaika akamwacha Petro.

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”

11 Ndipo Petro akarudiwa na fahamu, akasema, “Sasa ninajua bila shaka yoyote kuwa Bwana amemtuma malaika wake na kuniokoa kutoka makucha ya Herode Agripa na kutoka matazamio yote ya Wayahudi.”

12 And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.

12 Mara Petro alipotambua hili alikwenda nyumbani kwa Maria, mama yake Yohana aliyeitwa pia Marko, ambako watu wengi walikuwa wamekutana kwa maombi.

13 He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.

13 Petro alipobisha hodi kwenye lango la nje, mtumishi wa kike jina lake Roda, akaja kumfungulia.

14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!”

14 Alipoitambua sauti ya Petro, alifurahi mno akarudi bila kufungua na kuwaeleza kwamba, “Petro yuko langoni!”

15 “You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

15 Wakamwambia yule mtumishi wa kike, “Umerukwa na akili.” Alipozidi kusisitiza kuwa ni kweli, wakasema, “Lazima awe ni malaika wake.”

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded.

16 Lakini Petro aliendelea kugonga langoni, nao walipofungua lango na kumwona Petro, walistaajabu sana.

17 Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.

17 Yeye akawaashiria kwa mkono wake wanyamaze kimya, akawaeleza jinsi Bwana alivyomtoa gerezani. Naye akaongeza kusema, “Waelezeni Yakobo na ndugu wengine habari hizi.” Kisha akaondoka akaenda sehemu nyingine.

18 At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.

18 Kulipokucha kukawa na fadhaa kubwa miongoni mwa wale askari kuhusu yaliyomtukia Petro.

19 After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there.

19 Baada ya Herode kuamuru atafutwe kila mahali na bila kumpata, aliwahoji wale askari walinzi kisha akatoa amri wauawe. Basi Herode Agripa akatoka Uyahudi akaenda Kaisaria, akakaa huko kwa muda.

20 Now Herod was in a furious dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food.

20 Basi Herode Agripa alikuwa amekasirishwa sana na watu wa Tiro na Sidoni. Hivyo watu wa miji hiyo miwili wakaungana pamoja wakatafuta kukutana naye. Wakiisha kuungwa mkono na Blasto, mtumishi maalum wa Mfalme Herode Agripa aliyeaminika, wakaomba mapatano ya amani maana nchi zao zilitegemea nchi ya huyo mfalme kwa mahitaji yao ya chakula.

21 On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people.

21 Katika siku iliyochaguliwa Herode Agripa akavaa mavazi yake ya kifalme, akaketi kwenye kiti chake cha enzi na kuwahutubia watu.

22 And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!”

22 Watu waliokuwa wamekusanyika wakapiga kelele, wakisema, “Hii si sauti ya mwanadamu, bali ni ya Mungu.”

23 Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

23 Ghafula, kwa kuwa Herode hakumpa Mungu utukufu, malaika wa Bwana akampiga, naye akaliwa na chango, akafa.

24 But the word of God continued to spread and multiply.

24 Lakini neno la Mungu likaendelea mbele na kuenea, nao wengi wakaambatana nalo.

25 When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark.

25 Barnaba na Sauli walipomaliza ile huduma yao iliyowapeleka, wakarudi Yerusalemu wakiwa pamoja na Yohana aitwaye Marko.