Caeltueih 8
1 Anih a ngawnnah te aka rhoih la Saul khaw om. Te vaeng tue ah a nah la hlangboel hnaemtaeknah te Jerusalem ah om. Te dongah caeltueih rhoek bueng pawt atah hlang boeih loh Judea neh Samaria paeng tom la palang uh.
Saul approved of his being put to death. On that very day a great persecution broke out against the Church which was in Jerusalem; and its members, with the exception of the Apostles, were all scattered over the districts of Judea and Samaria.
2 Stephen te aka cuep hlang rhoek loh a up uh tih anih te rhaengsaenah a saii uh.
Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him.
3 Tedae Saul tah im takuem la kun tih hlangboel te a phae. Huta tongpa te a mawt tih thongim ah a thak.
But Saul began to devastate the Church; he entered house after house, dragged out men and women alike, and threw them into prison.
4 Te dongah aka palang rhoek long khaw caeh lam ah olthangthen a thui uh.
Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the Good News.
5 Te vaengah Philip tah Samaria kho la cet tih amih taengah Khrih te a hoe.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and there began to preach the Christ.
6 Philip loh a thui te hlangping loh a hnatung tih huek a yaak uh vaengah miknoek a saii te a hmuh uh.
The people, one and all, listened attentively to what Philip told them, when they heard of, and saw, the miracles which he was working.
7 Rhalawt mueihla aka kaem rhoek te khaw ol ue la pang uh tih muep nong uh. Aka khawn neh aka khaem rhoek khaw muep hoeih uh.
For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them;
8 Te dongah khopuei khuiah omngaihnah te muep om.
and many who were paralysed or lame were cured, so that there was great rejoicing throughout that city.
9 Te vaengah kho khuikah aka om noek hlang pakhat, a ming ah Simon loh hlang a bi tih khat khat taengah amah te a len la om ham a ti dongah Samaria namtu te a limlum sak.
There was staying in the city a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic there and mystifying the Samaritan people, giving himself out to be some great Being.
10 Anih te a yit a len hlang boeih loh a hnatung uh tih, “A khuet la a khue Pathen kah a thaomnah ni he,” a ti uh.
Every one, high and low, paid attention to him. ‘This man,’ they used to say, ‘must be that Power of God which men call “The Great Power.”’
11 Amih te kum te yet khuiah hlangbi neh a limlum sak dongah ni anih te a hnatung uh.
And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.
12 Tedae Philip loh a phong Pathen ram kawng neh Jesuh Khrih ming te a tangnah uh dongah huta tongpa a nuem.
However, when they came to believe Philip, as he told them the Good News about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Simon amah long khaw a tangnah dongah a nuem tih Philip taengah aka khuituk la coeng. Miknoek neh thaomnah tanglue a saii te a hmuh vaengah limlum.
Even Simon believed, and after his baptism attached himself to Philip, and was in his turn mystified at seeing signs and great miracles constantly occurring.
14 Samaria loh Pathen kah olka a doe te Jerusalem kah caeltueih rhoek loh a yaak uh vaengah amih taengla Peter neh Johan te a tueih uh.
When the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had welcomed God’s Message, they sent Peter and John to them;
15 A suntlak rhoi vaengah Mueihla Cim dang uh van saeh tila amih ham thangthui rhoi.
and they, on their arrival, prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 Boeipa Jesuh ming neh nuem tangtae la om uh coeng dae, amih te Mueihla Cim loh pakhat khaw tlak thil la om hlan.
(As yet the Spirit had not descended upon any of them; they had only been baptized into the Faith of the Lord Jesus).
17 Te dongah amih te kut a tloeng thil rhoi tih Mueihla Cim a dang uh.
Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Caeltueih rhoek kah kut a tloengnah lamloh Mueihla a paek te Simon loh a hmuh vaengah amih taengla tangka a khuen tih,
When Simon saw that it was through the placing of the Apostles’ hands on them that the Spirit was given, he brought them a sum of money and said:
19 “Tahae kah saithainah he kai khaw m'pae uh lamtah kut ka tloeng thil sarhui loh Mueihla Cim dang van saeh,” a ti nah.
“Give me also this power of yours, so that, if I place my hands upon any one, he may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Tedae Peter loh anih te, “Pathen kah kutdoe he tangka la kaelh ham na poek dongah, na tangka te namah taengah pocinah la om saeh.
“A curse upon you and upon your money,” Peter exclaimed, “for thinking that God’s free gift can be bought with gold!
21 He olka dongah na hmulung neh khoyo a om moenih. Na thinko te Pathen hmaiah thaeng a om moenih.
You have no share or part in our Message, for your ‘heart is not right with God.’
22 Na phayoenah he yut lamtah Boeipa taengah thangthui. Na thinko kah mangtaengnah loh nang n'hlah vuek khaming.
Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;
23 Olkhaa hmuet neh boethae kah pinyennah khuiah na om te ka hmuh,” a ti nah.
for I see that you have fallen into the ‘bitterness of envy’ and the ‘fetters of sin.’”
24 Te dongah Simon loh a doo tih, “Boeipa taengah kai hamla nangmih loh thangthui uh lamtah na thui te kai soah ha thoeng boel saeh,” a ti nah.
“Pray to the Lord for me, all of you,” Simon answered, “so that none of the things you have spoken of may befall me.”
25 Te rhoek long te a uen uh tih Boeipa kah olka a thui pa uh phoeiah, Jerusalem la bal uh. Samaria kah kho te yet te khaw olthangthen a phong pa uh.
Peter and John, having borne their testimony and delivered the Lord’s Message, returned to Jerusalem, telling the Good News, as they went, in many Samaritan villages.
26 Te vaengah Boeipa kah puencawn loh Philip te a voek tih, “Thoo, tuithim long ben la cet lamtah, Jerusalem lamloh Gaza la suntla thuk. Te ah te khosoek om lah ko,” a ti nah.
Meanwhile an angel of the Lord had said to Philip: “Set out on a journey southwards, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (It is now deserted).
27 Te dongah thoo tih a caeh vaengah Ethiopia manghai nu Kandaki kah hlueikhu mangpa Ethiopia hlang pakhat lawt hum uh. Anih loh manghainu kah khohrhang boeih a om thil. Te vaengah anih khaw bawk hamla Jerusalem ah ha lo.
So Philip set out on a journey; and on his way he came upon an official of high rank, in the service of Candace, Queen of the Abyssinians. He was her treasurer, and had been to Jerusalem to worship,
28 Te tlam te om tih a bal vaengah amah kah leng khuiah ngol tih tonghma Isaiah te a tae.
and was now on his way home, sitting in his carriage and reading the Prophet Isaiah.
29 Te vaengah Philip te Mueihla loh, “Leng ke paan lamtah ben lah,” a ti nah.
The Spirit said to Philip: “Go up to the carriage yonder and keep close to it.”
30 Puk a cuk vaengah tonghma Isaiah a tae te Philip loh a yaak tih, “Na tae te na yakming van nim te,” a ti nah.
So Philip ran up, and he heard the Abyssinian reading the Prophet Isaiah. “Do you understand what you are reading?” he asked.
31 Anih van long khaw, “Pakhat loh kai he long n'tueng pawt atah metlam ka coeng thai van eh,” a ti nah. Te phoeiah amah taengla luei tih ngol hamla Philip te a cael.
“How can I,” the other answered, “unless some one will explain it to me?” and he invited Philip to get up and sit by his side.
32 Te dongah a tae olcim kah a hmuet a hma tah he tlam he om. Tu bangla maeh la a mawt tih, tuca bangla a mul aka rhuep hmaiah olmueh la om. Te dongah a ka khaw ang pawh.
The passage of Scripture which he was reading was this — ‘Like a sheep, he was led away to slaughter, And as a lamb is dumb in the hands of its shearer, So he refrains from opening his lips.
33 Amah kah laitloeknah loh amah te mathoe khuila a khuen. A hingnah te diklai lamkah a loh pah coeng dongah a rhuirhong te u long a thui eh?
In his lowly condition justice was denied him. Who will tell the story of his generation? For his life is cut off from earth.’
34 Te vaengah hlueikhu boei loh Philip te a doo tih, “Nang kan dawt lah eh, tahae kah a thui tonghma he u nim ca? Amah kawng a? A tloe khat khat kah a kawng a?” a ti nah.
“Now,” said the Treasurer, addressing Philip, “tell me, of whom is the Prophet speaking? Of himself, or of some one else?”
35 Te dongah Philip loh a ka a ong tih cacim lamloh a tong phoeiah Jesuh te anih taengah a phong.
Then Philip began, and, taking this passage as his text, told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 Long te a caeh phai rhoi vaengah tui pakhat te a pha rhoi. Te vaengah hlueikhu boei loh, “Tui ke, nuem ham ba long lae kai n'kang,” a ti nah.
Presently, as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the Treasurer exclaimed: “Look! here is water; what is to prevent my being baptized?”
37 [Te dongah Philip loh, “Na thinko boeih neh na tangnah nim ca?” a ti nah hatah, “Jesuh Khrih tah Pathen capa ni tila ka tangnah,” a ti nah.]
38 Te dongah leng te pai sak ham ol a paek. Te phoeiah Philip khaw, hlueikhu boei khaw, tui khuila bok suntla rhoi tih anih te a nuem.
So he ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water — both Philip and the Treasurer — and Philip baptized him.
39 Tedae tui lamkah loh ha yoeng hang vaengah Philip te Boeipa kah Mueihla loh vik a khuen. Te vaengah hlueikhu boei loh anih te hmu voel pawh. Tedae a caehlong ah omngaih la cet.
But, when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the Treasurer saw no more of him; for he continued his journey with a joyful heart.
40 Te phoeiah Philip tah Azotus ah phoe tih, aka cet te Kaisarea a pha hlan khuiah khopuei takuem la olthangthen a phong.
But Philip was found at Ashdod, and, as he went on his way, he told the Good News in all the towns through which he passed, till he came to Caesarea.
