Lettera ai Colossesi - מכתב לקולוסים 28

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִמְלַטְנוּ נוֹדַע לָנוּ כִּי־שֵׁם הָאִי מְלִיטִי	1 Once we had come safely through, we discovered that the island was cal ed Malta.
2 וְהַנָּכְרִים לֹא הִמְעִיטוּ חַסְדָּם עִמָּנוּ כִּי־בִעֲרוּ אֵשׁ וַיַּאַסְפוּ אֶת־כֻּלָּנוּ אֲלֵיהֶם מִפְּנֵי הַגֶּשֶׁם הַיּוֹרֵד וּמִפְּנֵי הַקֹּר	2 The inhabitants treated us with unusual kindness. They made us all welcome by lighting a huge firebecause it had started to rain and the weather was cold.
3 וּפוֹלוֹס אָסַף לוֹ עֲרֵמַת קֹצִים וַיָּשֶׂם עַל־הַמּוֹקֵד וּמִן־הַחֹם יָצָא אֶפְעֶה וַיֹּאחֶז בְּיָדוֹ	3 Paul had collected a bundle of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a viper brought out by theheat attached itself to his hand.
4 וַיִּרְאוּ הַנָּכְרִים אֶת־הַחַיָּה תְּלוּיָה עַל־יָדוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ אָכֵן רֹצֵחַ הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר הַנְּקָמָה לֹא־הִנִּיחָה לּוֹ לִחְיוֹת אַף כִּי־נִמְלַט מִן־הַיָּם	4 When the inhabitants saw the creature hanging from his hand they said to one another, 'That manmust be a murderer; he may have escaped the sea, but divine justice would not let him live.'
5 וְהוּא נִעֵר אֶת־הַחַיָּה מֵעַל יָדוֹ אֶל־תּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ וְלֹא־הֵרֵעָה לּוֹ מְאוּמָה	5 However, he shook the creature off into the fire and came to no harm,
6 וְהֵם הוֹחִילוּ אֲשֶׁר יִצְבֶּה גוּפוֹ אוֹ־אֲשֶׁר יִפֹּל מֵת פִּתְאֹם וַיָּחִילוּ עַד־בּוֹשׁ וְהִנֵּה לֹא־קָרָהוּ כָל־אָסוֹן וַיֵּהָפֵךְ לִבָּם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כִּי אֱלֹהִים הוּא	6 although they were expecting him at any moment to swell up or drop dead on the spot. After they hadwaited a long time without seeing anything out of the ordinary happen to him, they changed their minds andbegan to say he was a god.
7 וּבִסְבִיבֵי הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא הָיוּ שָׂדוֹת אֲשֶׁר לְרֹאשׁ אַנְשֵׁי הָאִי וּשְׁמוֹ פוֹבְלִיּוֹס הוּא הֵבִיא אֹתָנוּ לְבֵיתוֹ וַיְכַלְכֵּל אֹתָנוּ בְּטוּבוֹ שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים	7 In that neighbourhood there were estates belonging to the chief man of the island, whose name wasPublius. He received us and entertained us hospitably for three days.
8 וַאֲבִי פוֹבְלִיּוֹס מוּטָל לְמִשְׁכָּב בַּקַּדַּחַת וּבְמַחֲלֵה הַמֵּעָיִם וַיָּבֹא אֵלָיו פּוֹלוֹס וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל וַיָּשֶׂם עָלָיו אֶת־יָדָיו וַיִּרְפָּאֵהוּ	8 It happened that Publius' father was in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to seehim, and after a prayer he laid his hands on the man and healed him.
9 וְאַחֲרֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַזֶּה בָּאוּ גַּם־הַחֹלִים הָאֲחֵרִים אֲשֶׁר בָּאִי וַיֵּרָפֵאוּ	9 When this happened, the other sick people on the island also came and were cured;
10 וַיְכַבְּדֻנוּ כָּבוֹד גָּדוֹל וּבְלֶכְתֵּנוּ מִשָּׁם סִפְּקוּ לָנוּ דֵּי צָרְכֵּנוּ	10 they honoured us with many marks of respect, and when we sailed they put on board the provisionswe needed.
11 וְאַחֲרֵי שְׁלשֶׁת חֳדָשִׁים עָבַרְנוּ מִשָּׁם בָּאֳנִיָּה אֲלֶכְסַנְדְּרִית אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבָה בָאִי בִּימֵי הַסְּתָו וְאוֹת דִּגְלָהּ הַתְּאוֹמִים	11 At the end of three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island; she came fromAlexandria and her figurehead was the Twins.
12 וַנָּבֹא אֶל־סַרְקוּסָא וַנֵּשֶׁב־שָׁם שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים	12 We put in at Syracuse and spent three days there;
13 מִשָּׁם סַבֹּנוּ וַנָּבֹא אֶל־רֶגְיוֹן וּבִנְשֹׁב רוּחַ דְּרוֹמִית בְּיוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת בָּאנוּ בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי אֶל־פּוֹטִיּוֹלִי	13 from there we followed the coast up to Rhegium. After one day there a south wind sprang up and onthe second day we made Puteoli,
14 וְשָׁם מָצָאנוּ אַחִים וַיְבַקְשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ לָשֶׁבֶת אִתָּם שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וּבְכֵן הָלַכְנוּ אֶל־רוֹמִי	14 where we found some brothers and had the great encouragement of staying a week with them. Andso we came to Rome.
15 וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ הָאַחִים אֶת־בּוֹאֵנוּ וַיֵּצְאוּ מִשָּׁם לִקְרָאתֵנוּ עַד לְשׁוּק אַפִּיּוֹס וְעַד לִשְׁלשֶׁת הַחֲנֻיּוֹת וַיַּרְא אֹתָם פּוֹלוֹס וַיּוֹדֶה לֵאלֹהִים וַיִּתְחַזָּק	15 When the brothers there heard about us they came to meet us, as far as the Forum of Appius and theThree Taverns. When Paul saw them he thanked God and took courage.
16 וְאַחַר בֹּאֵנוּ אֶל־רוֹמִי הֶעֱבִיר שַׂר הַמֵּאָה אֶת־הָאֲסִירִים אֶל־שַׂר הַצָּבָא וּלְפוֹלוֹס הִנִּיחוּ לָשֶׁבֶת לְבַדּוֹ עִם־אִישׁ הַצָּבָא הַשֹּׁמֵר אוֹתוֹ	16 On our arrival in Rome Paul was al owed to stay in lodgings of his own with the soldier who guardedhim.
17 וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים וַיִּקְרָא פוֹלוֹס אֵלָיו אֶת־רָאשֵׁי הַיְּהוּדִים וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים אַף כִּי־לֹא מָעַלְתִּי מַעַל בְּעַמֵּנוּ וּבְחֻקּוֹת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אֲסָרוּנִי בִירוּשָׁלַיִם וַיִּמְסְרוּנִי לִידֵי הָרוֹמִיִּים	17 After three days he cal ed together the leading Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them,'Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested inJerusalem and handed over to the Romans.
18 וְהֵם אַחֲרֵי חָקְרָם אֹתִי אָמְרוּ לְפָטְרֵנִי כִּי לֹא־נִמְצָא בִי מִשְׁפַּט־מָוֶת	18 They examined me and would have set me free, since they found me guilty of nothing involving thedeath penalty;
19 וְהַיְּהוּדִים קָמוּ־בִי וָאֵאָנֵס לִקְרֹא אֶת־הַקֵּיסַר לְדִינִי אַךְ אֵין־נַפְשִׁי לִשְׂטוֹן אֶת־עַמִּי בְּדָבָר	19 but the Jews lodged an objection, and I was forced to appeal to Caesar, though not because I hadany accusation to make against my own nation.
20 וּבַעֲבוּר זֹאת קָרָאתִי לָכֶם לִרְאוֹתְכֶם וּלְדַבֵּר עִמָּכֶם כִּי בִּגְלַל תִּקְוַת יִשְׂרָאֵל אָסוּר אֲנִי בַּכֶּבֶל הַזֶּה	20 That is why I have urged you to see me and have a discussion with me, for it is on account of thehope of Israel that I wear this chain.'
21 וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו לֹא קִבַּלְנוּ עַל־אֹדוֹתֶיךָ אִגְּרוֹת מֵאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וְלֹא־בָא הֵנָּה אֶחָד מִן־הָאַחִים אֲשֶׁר הִגִּיד אוֹ־דִבֶּר עָלֶיךָ דָּבָר רָע	21 They answered, 'We have received no letters from Judaea about you, nor has any of the brothersarrived here with any report or story of anything to your discredit.
22 אָמְנָם חֲפֵצִים אֲנַחְנוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶת־אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבֶךָ כִּי נוֹדַע לָנוּ אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל מָקוֹם יָרִיבוּ אֶל־הַכַּת הַזֹּאת	22 We think it would be as wel to hear your own account of your position; al we know about this sect isthat it encounters opposition everywhere.'
23 וַיָּשִׂימוּ לוֹ יוֹם מוּעָד וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו רַבִּים אֶל־מְלוֹנוֹ וַיָּעַד בָּהֶם וַיְבָאֵר אֶת־מַלְכוּת אֱלֹהִים וַיוֹכַח לָהֶם עִנְיְנֵי יֵשׁוּעַ מִתּוֹרַת משֶׁה וּמִן־הַנְּבִיאִים מִבֹּקֶר עַד־עָרֶב	23 So they arranged a day with him and a large number of them visited him at his lodgings. He put hiscase to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them about Jesus, arguing from the Law ofMoses and the prophets from early morning until evening;
24 וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ אֶל־דְּבָרָיו וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ	24 and some were convinced by what he said, while the rest were sceptical.
25 וַיֵּחָלְקוּ בְדַעְתָּם וַיָּסוּרוּ לָלֶכֶת לְדַרְכָּם בְּדַבֵּר פּוֹלוֹס הַדָּבָר הָאֶחָד הַזֶּה הֵיטֵב דִּבֶּר רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּפִי יְשַׁעְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר	25 So they disagreed among themselves and, as they went away, Paul had one last thing to say to them,'How aptly the Holy Spirit spoke when he told your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah:
26 לֵךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ לָעָם הַזֶּה שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ וְאַל־תָּבִינוּ וּרְאוּ רָאוֹ וְאַל־תֵּדָעוּ	26 Go and say to this people: Listen and listen but never understand! Look and look but never perceive!
27 כִּי שָׁמֵן לֵב הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאָזְנָיו כָּבְדוּ וְאֶת־עֵינָיו הֵשַׁע פֶּן־יִרְאֶה בְעֵינָיו וּבְאָזְנָיו יִשְׁמַע וּלְבָבוֹ יָבִין וְשָׁב וּרְפָאתִיו	27 This people's heart is torpid, their ears dul ed, they have shut their eyes tight, to avoid using their eyesto see, their ears to hear, using their heart to understand, changing their ways and being healed by me.
28 לָכֵן דְּעוּ כִּי לַגּוֹיִם נִשְׁלְחָה תְּשׁוּעַת אֱלֹהִים וְהֵמָּה יִשְׁמָעוּ	28 'You must realise, then, that this salvation of God has been sent to the gentiles;they wil listen to it.'
29 וַיְהִי בְּדַבְּרוֹ זֹאת הָלְכוּ מֵאִתּוֹ הַיְּהוּדִים וַיִּתְוַכְּחוּ הַרְבֵּה אִישׁ עִם־רֵעֵהוּ	29
30 וּפוֹלוֹס יָשַׁב שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים בְּבֵיתוֹ אֲשֶׁר שָׂכַר־לוֹ וַיְקַבֵּל אֵת כָּל־הַבָּאִים אֵלָיו	30 He spent the whole of the two years in his own rented lodging. He welcomed all who came to visithim,
31 וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־מַלְכוּת הָאֱלֹהִים וַיְלַמֵּד אֶת־דַּרְכֵי יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ אֲדֹנֵינוּ בְּכָל־בִּטְחוֹן לִבּוֹ וְאֵין מֹנֵעַ	31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ with completefearlessness and without any hindrance from anyone.