Āmaal 28

jazeera-ay-militay men

¹toofaan say bachnay par hamen maaloom hua ki jazeeray ka naam militay hai. ²maqaamee logon nay hamen ghairmaamoolee meharbaanee dikhaaee. unhon nay aag jala kar hamaara istiqbaal kiya, kyoonki baarish shuroo ho chukee thee aur thand thee. ³paulus nay bhee lakdee ka dher jama kiya. lekin joon hee us nay usay aag men phainka ek zahereela saamp aag kee tapish say bhaag kar nikal aaya aur paulus kay haath say chimat kar usay das liya. ⁴maqaamee logon nay saamp ko paulus kay haath say lagay dekha to ek doosray say kahenay lagay, “yah aadmee zaroor qaatil hoga. go yah samundar say bach gaya, lekin insaaf kee devee isay jeenay naheen detee.” ⁵lekin paulus nay saamp ko jhatak kar aag men phaink diya, aur saamp ka koee bura asar us par na hua. ⁶log is intizaar men rahay ki vah sooj jaaay ya achaanak gir paday, lekin kaafee der kay baad bhee kuchh na hua. is par unhon nay apna khayaal badal kar usay devta qaraar diya.

⁷qareeb hee jazeeray kay sab say baday aadmee kee zameenen theen. us ka naam publiyus tha. us nay apnay ghar men hamaara istiqbaal kiya aur teen din tak hamaaree khoob mehamaan-navaazee kee. ⁸us ka baap beemaar pada tha, vah bukhaar aur pechish kay marz men mubtala tha. paulus us kay kamray men gaya, us kay liyay dua kee aur apnay haath us par rakh diay. is par mareez ko shifa milee. ⁹jab yah hua to jazeeray kay baaqee tamaam mareezon nay paulus kay paas a kar shifa paaee. ¹⁰nateejay men unhon nay kaee tarah say hamaaree izzat kee. aur jab ravaana honay ka vaqt a gaya to unhon nay hamen vah sab kuchh muhayya kiya jo safar kay liyay darkaar tha.

jazeera-ay-militay say rom tak

¹¹jazeeray par teen maah guzar gaay. phir ham ek jahaaz par savaar huay jo sardiyon kay mausam kay liyay vahaan thaher gaya tha. yah jahaaz iskandariya ka tha aur us kay maathay par judvaan devtaaon ‘kaastar’ aur ‘polluks’ kee moorat nasab thee. ham vahaan say rukhsat ho kar ¹²surkoosa shaher pahunchay. teen din kay baad ¹³ham vahaan say regiyum shaher gaay jahaan ham sirf ek din thaheray. phir junoob say hava uthee, is liyay ham aglay din putiyolee pahunchay. ¹⁴is shaher men hamaaree mulaaqaat kuchh bhaaiyon say huee. unhon nay hamen apnay paas ek hafta rahenay kee daavat dee. yoon ham rom pahunch gaay. ¹⁵rom kay bhaaiyon nay hamaaray baaray men sun rakha tha, aur kuchh hamaara istiqbaal karnay kay liyay qasba banaam appiyus kay chauk tak aaay jabki kuchh sirf ‘teen-saraay’ tak a sakay. unhen dekh kar paulus nay allaah ka shukr kiya aur naya hausla paaya.

rom men

¹⁶hamaaray rom men pahunchnay par paulus ko apnay kiraaay kay makaan men rahenay kee ijaazat milee, go ek faujee us kee paheraadaaree karnay kay liyay us kay saath raha.

¹⁷teen din guzar gaay to paulus nay yahoodee raahanumaaon ko bulaaya. jab vah jama huay to us nay un say kaha, “bhaaiyo, mujhay yarooshalam men giriftaar karkay romiyon kay havaalay kar diya gaya haalaanki main nay apnee qaum ya apnay baapdaada kay rasm-o-rivaaj kay khilaaf kuchh naheen kiya tha. ¹⁸romee mera jaaiza lay kar mujhay riha karna chaahatay thay, kyoonki unhen mujhay saza-ay-maut denay ka koee sabab na mila tha. ¹⁹lekin yahoodiyon nay etiraaz kiya aur yoon mujhay shahenshaah say apeel karnay par majboor kar diya gaya, go mera yah iraada naheen hai ki main apnee qaum par koee ilzaam lagaaoon. ²⁰main nay is liyay aap ko bulaaya taaki aap say milon aur guftagu karoon. main us shakhs kee khaatir in zanjeeron say jakda hua hoon jis kay aanay kee ummeed israaeel rakhta hai.”

²¹yahoodiyon nay usay javaab diya, “hamen yahoodiya say aap kay baaray men koee bhee khat naheen mila. aur jitnay bhaaee vahaan say aaay hain un men say ek nay bhee aap kay baaray men na to koee manfee riport dee na koee buree baat bataaee. ²²lekin ham aap say sunna chaahatay hain ki aap kay khayaalaat kya hain, kyoonki ham itna jaantay hain ki har jagah log is firqay kay khilaaf baaten kar rahay hain.”

²³chunaanchay unhon nay milnay ka ek din muqarrar kiya. jab yahoodee dubaara us jagah aaay jahaan paulus raheta tha to un kee taadaad bahut ziyaada thee. subah say lay kar shaam tak us nay allaah kee baadshaahee bayaan kee aur us kee gavaahee dee. us nay unhen moosa kee shareeat aur nabiyon kay havaalaajaat pesh kar karkay eesa kay baaray men qaail karnay kee koshish kee. ²⁴kuchh to qaail ho gaay, lekin baaqee eemaan na laaay. ²⁵un men naaittifaaqee paida huee to vah chalay gaay. jab vah jaanay lagay to paulus nay un say kaha, “rooh-ul-quds nay yasaayaah nabee kee maarifat aap kay baapdaada say theek kaha ki

²⁶ja, is qaum ko bata, ‘tum apnay kaanon say sunoge

magar kuchh naheen samjhogay,

tum apnee aankhon say dekhoge

magar kuchh naheen jaanogay.

²⁷kyoonki is qaum ka dil behiss ho gaya hai.

vah mushkil say apnay kaanon say suntay hain,

unhon nay apnee aankhon ko band kar rakha hai,

aisa na ho ki vah apnee aankhon say dekhen,

apnay kaanon say sunen,

apnay dil say samjhen,

meree taraf rujoo karen

aur main unhen shifa doon’.”

²⁸paulus nay apnee baat in alfaaz say khatm kee, “ab jaan len ki allaah kee taraf say yah najaat ghairyahoodiyon ko bhee pesh kee gaee hai aur vah sunengay bhee!”

²⁹[jab us nay yah kaha to yahoodee aapas men bahs-mubaahasa kartay huay chalay gaay.]

³⁰paulus pooray do saal apnay kiraaay kay ghar men raha. jo bhee us kay paas aaya us ka us nay istiqbaal karke ³¹dileree say allaah kee baadshaahee kee munaadee kee aur khudaavand eesa maseeh kee taaleem dee. aur kisee nay mudaakhalat na kee.