Acts 8
1 But Shaol willed to take part in his killing. And there was made in those days a great persecution against the church that was in Urishlem; and they were all dispersed in the country of Jihud and also among the Shomroyee, excepting only the apostles.
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 And faithful men laid Estephanos in his tomb, and mourned over him greatly.
Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him.
3 BUT Shaol persecuted the church of Aloha, going to the houses, and drawing men and women delivered them to the house of the bound.
But Saul began to devastate the Church; he entered house after house, dragged out men and women alike, and threw them into prison.
4 And they who were dispersed went about and preached the word of Aloha.
Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the Good News.
5 But Philipos descended to a city of the Shomroyee, and preached concerning the Meshiha.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and there began to preach the Christ.
6 And when they heard his word, the men who were there attended to him, and were persuaded of all that he said: for they saw the signs that he wrought.
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 For many whom unclean spirits possessed cried with a high voice, and they came out from them; and others, palsied and lame, were healed:
For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them;
8 and great joy was in that city.
and many who were paralysed or lame were cured, so that there was great rejoicing throughout that city.
9 But a certain man was there whose name was Simon, who had dwelt in that city much time, and with his sorceries had deceived the people of the Shomroyee, magnifying himself, and saying, I am the Great.
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 And all inclined to him, great and small, and said, This is the great Power of Aloha.
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 And they were persuaded by him, because that much time by his sorceries he had astonished them.
And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.
12 But when they believed Philipos, who evangelized the kingdom of Aloha in the name of our Lord Jeshu Meshiha, they were baptized, men and women.
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 And Simon also himself believed, and was baptized, and adhered to Philipos. And when he saw the signs and great works which were done by his hands, he wondered and was astonished.
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 AND when the apostles who were at Urishlem heard that the people of the Shomroyee had received the word of Aloha, they sent to them Kipha and Juhanon.
When the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had welcomed God’s Message, they sent Peter and John to them;
15 And they went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Spirit of Holiness:
and they, on their arrival, prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 for he was not upon one of them yet; but they were only baptized in the name of our Lord Jeshu.
(As yet the Spirit had not descended upon any of them; they had only been baptized into the Faith of the Lord Jesus).
17 Then they laid upon them the hand, and they received the Spirit of Holiness.
Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 And when Simon saw that by the hand-laying of the apostles the Spirit of Holiness was given, he offered to them silver,
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 saying, Give also to me this power, that he on whom I shall lay the hand may receive the Spirit of Holiness.
“Give me also this power of yours, so that, if I place my hands upon any one, he may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Shemun Kipha said to him, Thy silver go with thee into perdition, because thou thoughtest that the gift of Aloha with the possessions of the world might he obtained.
“A curse upon you and upon your money,” Peter exclaimed, “for thinking that God’s free gift can be bought with gold!
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this faith, because thine heart hath not been right before Aloha.
You have no share or part in our Message, for your ‘heart is not right with God.’
22 Nevertheless, repent of this thy wickedness, and pray of Aloha, that the guile of thy heart may haply be forgiven thee;
Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;
23 for in bitter gall and in the bonds of iniquity I see that thou art.
for I see that you have fallen into the ‘bitterness of envy’ and the ‘fetters of sin.’”
24 Simon answered and said, Pray you on my behalf, of Aloha, that not any of these things which you have spoken may come upon me.
“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 But Shemun and Juhanon, when they had testified and taught the word of Aloha, returned to Urishlem, and evangelized in many villages of the Shomroyee.
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 AND the angel of the Lord spake with Philipos, and said to him, Arise, go to the south, in the desert way which goeth down from Urishlem to Gaza.
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 And arising he went. And there met him a certain eunuch who had come from Cush, an officer of Kandak, queen of the Cushoyee; and he was officer over all her treasure. And he had been to worship at Urishlem;
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 and while returning that he might go, he sat in the chariot and read in Eshaia the prophet.
and was now on his way home, sitting in his carriage and reading the Prophet Isaiah.
29 And the Spirit of Holiness said to Philipos, Approach, and join the chariot.
The Spirit said to Philip: “Go up to the carriage yonder and keep close to it.”
30 And being near, he heard that he read in Eshaia the prophet; and he said to him, Understandest thou what thou readest?
So Philip ran up, and he heard the Abyssinian reading the Prophet Isaiah. “Do you understand what you are reading?” he asked.
31 And he said, How can I understand, unless one teach me? And he prayed of him, of Philipos, to ascend and sit with him.
“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 But the section (phosuka) of the scripture in which he was reading is this: As a lamb to the slaughter was he led; And as a sheep before the shearer is silent, So opened not he his mouth in his humiliation.
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 From oppression and from judgment was he led; And his age who shall recount? For his life is taken from the earth.
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 That eunuch said Unto Philipos, I pray thee, of whom speaketh this the prophet? of himself, or of another man?
“Now,” said the Treasurer, addressing Philip, “tell me, of whom is the Prophet speaking? Of himself, or of some one else?”
35 Then Philipos opened his mouth and began, from that very scripture, preaching to him concerning our Lord Jeshu.
Then Philip began, and, taking this passage as his text, told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 And as they went in the way they came to a certain place which had water in it, and that eunuch said, Behold the water; what is the hinderance that I should be baptized?
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?”
38 And he commanded that the chariot should stand; and they descended both of them to the water, and Philipos baptized that eunuch.
So he ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water — both Philip and the Treasurer — and Philip baptized him.
39 And when they had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord rapt away Philipos, and the eunuch again saw him not; but he went on his way rejoicing.
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 But Philipos was found at Azotos, and from thence he itinerated and evangelized in all the cities until he came to Cesarea.
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.
