Acts 8
1 Then some men who revered God buried Stephen’s body in a tomb, and they mourned greatly and loudly for him. On that same day [people] started severely persecuting the believers [who were living] in Jerusalem. So most [of the believers] fled [to other places] throughout Judea and Samaria [provinces]. The apostles were the only [believers who remained in Jerusalem].
Sọl kwenyere ka e gbuo ya. Nʼụbọchị ahụ, oke mkpagbu bidoro megide nzukọ dị na Jerusalem. Ndị niile kwere ekwe, ma ewezuga ndị ozi nʼonwe ha gbasasịrị nʼala Judịa na Sameria.
Ndị ikom, ndị na-atụ egwu Chineke, bịara buru ozu Stivin gaa lie ya. Ha ruru ụjụ nke ukwuu nʼihi ya.
3 While the people were killing Stephen, Saul was there approving of their killing Stephen. So Saul [also] began trying to destroy the group of believers. He entered houses one by one, he dragged away men and women [who believed in Jesus], and then he [arranged for] them to be put in prison.
Ma Sọl bidoro ịla nzukọ nʼiyi. Ọ na-abanye site nʼụlọ ga nʼụlọ ndị kwere ekwe na-adọpụta ha, nwoke na nwanyị, tinye ha nʼụlọ mkpọrọ.
4 The believers who had left Jerusalem went to different places, where they continued preaching the message about Jesus.
Ndị ahụ a chụsasịrị zisara oziọma nʼebe niile ha gbagara.
5 [One of those believers whose name was] Philip went down [from Jerusalem] to a city in Samaria [province]. There he was telling [the people that Jesus is] [MTY] the Messiah.
Filip gara nʼotu obodo dị na Sameria kwusaara ndị nọ nʼebe ahụ ihe banyere Kraịst.
6 Many people there heard Philip [speak] and saw the miraculous things that he was doing. So they all (paid close attention to/listened carefully to) his words.
Igwe mmadụ gere ntị nʼihe Filip na-ekwu nʼihi na ha hụrụ ọrụ ịrịbama ọ rụrụ.
7 For [example, when Philip commanded] evil spirits who controlled many people [that they should come out of them], they came out, while those spirits screamed. Also, many people who were paralyzed and [many others] who were lame were healed.
Mmụọ ndị ahụ na-adịghị ọcha ji iti mkpu site nʼime ọtụtụ mmadụ pụta. Ọ gwọkwara ọtụtụ ndị ahụ ha kpọnwụrụ akpọnwụ na ndị ngwụrọ.
8 So [many people] [MTY] in that city greatly rejoiced.
Nʼihi ya, ọṅụ dị ukwuu jupụtara nʼobodo ahụ.
9 There was a man in that city whose name was Simon. He had been practicing sorcery for a long time, and he had been amazing the people in Samaria [province by doing that]. He continually claimed that he was a great/important person.
Ugbu a, kemgbe ọtụtụ oge gara aga, otu nwoke aha ya bụ Saimọn bụ onye mgbaasị. O jirila mgbaasị ya mee ọtụtụ ihe tụrụ ndị niile bi nʼobodo Sameria nʼanya. Ọ na-anyakwa isi na ya bụ onye dị ukwu.
10 All the people there, both ordinary and important people, listened to him. [Various ones of] them were saying, “This man works in extremely powerful ways [because] God has caused him to be a great [person].”
Onye ọbụla, ma onye ukwu ma onye nta, na-ege ya ntị na-asịkwa “Nwoke a bụ ike Chineke ahụ a na-akpọ Ike dị ukwuu.”
11 They continued to listen to him carefully, because for a long time he had astonished them by practicing sorcery.
Ha na-ege ya ntị oge niile nʼihi na ọ na-eji ike mgbaasị ya na-eme ihe juru ha anya.
12 But then they believed Philip’s [message] when he preached to them about [how] God desires to rule [MET] [the lives of people who believe in him], and about Jesus being the Messiah [MTY]. Both the men and the women who believed in Jesus were baptized. {[Philip] was baptizing both the men and the women [who had come to believe in Jesus]}.
Ma mgbe ha kwenyere nʼoziọma Filip dịka ọ na-ekwusa ihe banyere oziọma alaeze Chineke na aha Jisọs Kraịst, e mere ha baptizim, ma nwoke ma nwanyị ha.
13 Simon himself believed [Philip’s message] and, after he was baptized {after [Philip] baptized him}, he began to constantly accompany Philip. Simon was continually amazed because he often saw [Philip] doing many kinds of miraculous things.
Saimọn kwerekwara otu aka ahụ. Mgbe e mechara ya baptizim, o bidoro iso Filip na-agagharị nʼihi ihe ịrịbama na ọrụ ebube niile Filip rụrụ, tụrụ ya nʼanya nke ukwuu.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that [many people] [PRS] [throughout] Samaria [district] had believed the message from God [about Jesus], they sent Peter and John there.
Mgbe ndị ozi nọ na Jerusalem nụrụ na ndị Sameria anabatala okwu nke Chineke, ha zigaara ha Pita na Jọn.
15 When Peter and John arrived in Samaria, they prayed for those [new believers] in order that the Holy Spirit’s [power] would come to them.
Mgbe ha bịaruru, ha kpere ekpere ka ha nata Mmụọ Nsọ.
16 [Peter and John realized that] the Holy Spirit had not yet begun to empower any of them. They had been baptized {[Philip] had baptized them} [because they had believed] in [MTY] the Lord Jesus, [but they did not know about the Holy Spirit].
Nʼihi na Mmụọ Nsọ abịakwasịbeghị onye ọbụla nʼime ha, kama ihe e mere ha bụ baptizim nʼaha Onyenwe anyị Jisọs.
17 [Then Peter and John] placed their hands on [the heads of] each person, and they received the [power of] [MTY] the Holy Spirit.
Mgbe Pita na Jọn bikwasịrị ha aka nʼisi, ha natara Mmụọ Nsọ.
18 Simon saw [things that convinced him] that [God] had given the Spirit’s [power to people] as a result of the apostles placing their hands on them. So he offered [to give] money to the apostles,
Mgbe Saimọn hụrụ na a na-enye Mmụọ Nsọ naanị site nʼaka ndị ozi bikwasịrị ha nʼisi, o chere ha ego nʼihu,
19 saying, “Enable me also to do what [you are doing], so that everyone on whom I place/put my hands may receive the Holy Spirit’s [power].”
sị, “nyekwanụ m ike a. Ka onye ọbụla m bikwasịrị aka nʼisi nata Mmụọ Nsọ.”
20 But Peter said to him, “May you [(sg)] and your money go to hell, because you [mistakenly] think that you can buy [from us] what God [alone] gives to [people] (questioned)
Ma Pita sịrị, “Gị na ego gị laakwa nʼiyi. Nʼihi na i chere na ị ga-eji ego zụta onyinye Chineke.
21 [God] has not authorized you to have any part of this ministry of giving [the Holy Spirit’s power], because he knows that you are not thinking rightly! (OR, because he knows that you are thinking completely wrongly.)
I nweghị oke maọbụ ihe nketa nʼọrụ a, nʼihi na obi gị ezighị ezi nʼihu Chineke.
22 So stop thinking wickedly [like] that, and plead that the Lord, if he is willing, will forgive you [for what] you [wickedly] thought/planned [to do]
Si nʼajọ omume gị chegharịa, rịọ Onyenwe anyị arịrịọ ma eleghị anya ọ ga-agbaghara gị echiche ọjọọ niile nke obi gị.
23 [Turn away from your evil ways], because I perceive that you [(sg)] are extremely envious of [us], and you [are] a slave of your [continual desire to do evil! God will certainly punish you severely]!”
Nʼihi na ahụrụ m na ị jupụtara nʼobi ilu na ị nọkwa nʼagbụ nke ajọ omume.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord [God] that [he] will not do to me what you just said!”
Saimọn zara Pita sị, “Biko, kpee ekpere rịọrọ m Chineke, ka ihe ndị a niile i kwuru, hapụ ịbịakwasị m.”
25 After [Peter and John] told [people there] what they knew personally [about the] Lord [Jesus] and declared to them the message about Jesus, they both returned to Jerusalem. [Along the way] they preached the good message [about Jesus to people] in many villages in Samaria [province].
Mgbe ha gbachara akaebe, ma kwusaakwa okwu nke Onyenwe anyị, ha lọghachiri Jerusalem. Ma mgbe ha na-ala ha zisara oziọma nʼọtụtụ obodo ndị Sameria.
26 [One day] an angel whom the Lord [God] had sent commanded Philip, “Get ready and go south along the road that extends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” [That was] a road in a desert area.
Mgbe ahụ mmụọ ozi Onyenwe anyị gwara Filip sị, “Gaa na ndịda, nʼụzọ ọzara nke siri Jerusalem gawa Gaza, ụzọ ahụ bụ ụzọ ọzara.”
27 So Philip got ready and went [along that road]. Suddenly he met a man from Ethiopia. He was an important official who took care of all the funds for the queen [of] Ethiopia. [In his language people called their queen] Candace. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship [God],
O biliri gawa. Mgbe ahụ, otu onye Itiopia bụ onye onozi, bụrụkwa onyeisi ozi dị mkpa, onye na-eche akụ nke Kandis, eze nwanyị ndị Itiopia, gara Jerusalem ife Chineke.
28 and he was returning [home] and was seated [riding] in his chariot. [As he was riding], he was reading [out loud from] what the prophet Isaiah [had written] [MTY] [long ago].
Mgbe ọ na-ala, ọ nọdụrụ ala nʼụgbọala ya, nke ịnyịnya na-adọkpụgharị, na-agụ akwụkwọ Aịzaya onye amụma.
29 [God’s] Spirit told Philip, “Go near to that chariot and keep walking close to [the man who is riding in] it!”
Mmụọ Nsọ gwara Filip, “Gaa ụgbọ ahụ nso, sonyekwara ya.”
30 So Philip ran [to the chariot and kept running close to it]. Then he heard the official reading what the prophet Isaiah [had written]. He asked the man, “Do you [(sg)] understand what you are reading?”
Filip gara nso, nụkwa ka ọ na-agụ akwụkwọ Aịzaya onye amụma. Ọ sịrị, “Ị na-aghọta ihe ị na-agụ?”
31 He answered Philip, “[No!] (I cannot possibly [understand it] if [there is] no one to explain it to me!/How can I [understand it] if [there is] no one to explain it to me?) [RHQ]” Acts 8:31b-35 Then the man said to Philip, “Please come up [and] sit beside me.” [So Philip did that].
Ọ sịrị, “M ga-esi aṅaa ghọta, ma mmadụ ezighị m?” Ọ rịọrọ Filip ka ọ rigota nʼụgbọala ahụ, soro ya nọdụ nʼime ya.
32 The part of the Scriptures that the official was reading was this: He will [be silent when] they lead him away to kill him [like when] a sheep [is led away to be killed]. As a young sheep is silent when its wool is being cut off {someone cuts off its wool}, [similarly] he will not protest [MTY] [when people cause him to suffer].
Mpaghara akwụkwọ nsọ ọ na-agụ bụ nke a, “E duuru ya dị ka atụrụ gaa nʼebe a ga-egbu ya. Dịka nwa atụrụ na-anọ nwayọọ nʼihu onye na-akpacha ya ajị, otu a ka ọ na-emegheghị ọnụ ya.
33 When he will be humiliated by being accused falsely {people will humiliate him [by accusing him falsely]}, [the rulers] (will not consider him innocent/will consider him guilty). No one will possibly be able to tell about his descendants, because he will be killed {people will kill him} without him having [any descendants] on the earth.
Nʼọnọdụ ịdị ala ya, e meghị ka ikpe ziri ezi ruo ya aka. Onye ga-akọ akụkọ banyere agbụrụ ya? Nʼihi na e sitere nʼụwa wepụ ndụ ya.”
34 The official asked Philip [about these words that he was reading], “Tell me, who was the prophet writing about? [Was he writing] about himself or about someone else?”
Onozi ahụ jụrụ Filip, “Biko, gwa m, onye ka onye amụma a na-ekwu okwu ya? Ọ bụ ihe banyere onwe ya ka ọ na-ekwu, ka ọ bụ banyere onye ọzọ?”
35 So Philip began [to explain] that Scripture passage. He told him the good message about [MTY] Jesus. [So the official understood and believed in Jesus].
Mgbe ahụ, Filip malitere ikwu okwu, site nʼakụkọ akwụkwọ nsọ ọ na-agụ kọọrọ ya akụkọ oziọma banyere Jisọs.
36 While they were traveling along the road, they came to [a place where there was a pond of] water [near the road]. Then the official said [to Philip], “Look, [there is a pond of] water! (I would like you to baptize me, because I do not know of anything that would prevent me from being baptized {prevent [you] from baptizing me.}/Do you know of anything that would prevent me from being baptized {prevent [you] from baptizing me}?) [RHQ]”
Mgbe ha na-aga nʼụzọ, ha bịaruru ebe ọdọ mmiri nta dị. Onozi ahụ sịrị, “Lee, nke a bụ mmiri. Ọ dị ihe ga-egbochi ime m baptizim?”
Filip sịrị, “Ọ bụrụ na i ji obi gị niile kwere, e nwere ike ime gị baptizim.” Onozi ahụ sịrị, “Ekwere m na Jisọs Kraịst bụ Ọkpara Chineke.”
38 So the official told [the driver] to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the official went down into the [pond of] water, and [Philip] baptized him.
O kwuru ka a kwụsị ụgbọala ahụ. Mgbe ahụ, onozi ahụ na Filip wụdatara banye nʼime mmiri ebe Filip nọ mee ya baptizim.
39 When they came up out of the water, suddenly God’s Spirit took Philip away. The official never saw Philip again. But [although he never saw Philip again], the official continued going along the road, very happy [that God had saved him].
Mgbe ha sitere nʼime mmiri ahụ pụta, ngwangwa Mmụọ Onyenwe anyị sitere nʼebe ahụ wepụ Filip, onye onozi ahụ ahụkwaghị ya anya ọzọ; kama ọ gara nʼihu nʼije ya na-aṅụrịkwa ọṅụ.
40 Philip then realized [that the Spirit had miraculously taken him to] Azotus [town]. While he traveled around [in that region], he continued proclaiming the message [about Jesus] in all the towns [between Azotus and Caesarea. And he was still proclaiming] it when he finally arrived in Caesarea [city].
Ebe ọzọ a hụrụ Filip bụ nʼAzọtus. O jegharịkwara nʼobodo niile dị nʼala ahụ, na-ekwusa oziọma ruo mgbe ọ bịaruru Sizaria.
