Mabasa 17:16-34

Pauro paaivamirira kuAteni, akadzongodzwa mwoyo paakaona guta iroro rizere nezvifananidzo zvokunamata. Naizvozvo aikurukurirana musinagogu navaJudha navaitya Mwari. Mazuva ose, panzvimbo inoungana vanhu veguta iroro, aikurukura navainge vangouyawo ipapo. Vamwe vebato renyanzvi dzokufunga vechiEpikurieni nevechiSitoiki vakasangana naye. Vamwe vakati, “Ko iye mubvotomoki uyu arikuda kuti kudiiko?” Vamwewo vakati, “Anenge muparidzi wezvavamwari vasingaziikanwi,” nokuti aiparidza Jesu nokumuka muvakafa. Vakamutora vakaenda kuAriopagusi vachiti, “Tingade kuziva kuti chidzidziso chitsva ichi chaunopa ndechei? Nokuti tiri kukunzwa nenzeve dzedu uchitaura zvisina akambonzwa. Nezvo tinoda kuziva kuti zvinhu izvozvi zvinorevei.” Vanhu vomuAtene vose nevechirudzi vaigaramo vaipedzera nguva yavo vachitaura nokunzwa zvinhu zvitsva. Nokudaro Pauro akamira pakati peAriopagusi akati, “Varume veAteni ndinoona kuti muzvinhu zvose muri vanamati nokuti zvandafamba neguta ndikaona zvinhu zvamunonamata ndawana imwe atari yakanyorwa kunzi, ‘KUNA MWARI ASINGAZIIKANWI.’ Chamuri kunamata musingazivi ichocho ndicho chandiri kukuparidzai chokuti, ‘Mwari iyeyo ndiye akasika nyika nezvose zvirimo. Ndiye Tenzi wedenga napasi. Haagari muTemberi dzakavakwa navanhu. Haashandirwi namaoko avanhu sokunge ane chimwe chaanoshaya nokuti ndiye anotopa vanhu vose upenyu nemweya wavanofema nawo nezvinhu zvose. Akaita marudzi ose avanhu kubva kumunhu mumwechete kuti vagare pasi pose. Akatema mwaka nemiganho nenyika dzavanogara, uye kuti vatsvage Mwari nechitarisiro chokuti vangangomutsvanzvadzira vagomuwana asi iye haasiri kure kwomumwe nomumwe wedu.’ “Chiripo ndechokuti, ‘Upenyu hwedu huri maari kuti tifambe ndiye uye kuti tivepo ndiye,’ sokutaura kwavanyori venyu venhetembo vachiti, ‘Zvechokwadi tiri vana vake.’ Zvatiri vana vake hatifaniri kufunga kuti Mwari akafanana nendarama kana sirivha kana ibwe zvinongova chifananidzo chakaitwa noumhizha kana zvinongofungwawo navanhu. Nguva dzokusaziva dziya, Mwari haana hanya nadzo. Asi iye zvino anoti munhu wose, kose kose zvako, anofanira kupinduka, pamusana pokuti akatema zuva raachatonga pasi pose noruenzaniso uye nokumunhu waakasarudza. Izvi zvakasimbisiswa kuna vanhu vose nokumumutswa kwaakaita kuvakafa.” Pavakanzwa nezvokumuka kwavafi, vamwe vakashora vamwewo vakati tichada kukunzwazve uchitaura nezvezvizvi. Zvadaro Pauro akabva mukati mavo. Asi vamwe varume vakabatana naye vakatenda. Mumwe wacho ndiDhionisiusi webato reAreopagusi nomumwe mudzimai ainzi Dhamari navamwe vavaiva navo.