Kisah Para Rasul 8
1 Sejumlah orang saleh menguburkan Stefanus dan menangisi dia dengan sangat sedih. Namun bagi Saulus, pembunuhan Stefanus merupakan tindakan yang baik. Mulai hari itu juga terjadilah penganiayaan besar terhadap orang percaya di Yerusalem. Saulus berusaha membinasakan jemaat. Dia pergi dari rumah ke rumah dan menyeret orang-orang percaya supaya dipenjarakan, baik laki-laki maupun perempuan. Karena itu, banyak sekali orang percaya melarikan diri dari Yerusalem dan tersebar ke berbagai daerah di Yudea dan Samaria. Tetapi kedua belas rasul tetap tinggal di Yerusalem.
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.
Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him.
But Saul began to devastate the Church; he entered house after house, dragged out men and women alike, and threw them into prison.
4 Orang-orang percaya yang tersebar itu terus memberitakan Kabar Baik ke mana saja mereka pergi.
Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the Good News.
5 Filipus pergi ke sebuah kota di daerah Samaria dan memberitakan tentang Kristus kepada orang-orang di situ.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and there began to preach the Christ.
6 Waktu mereka mendengar pengajarannya dan menyaksikan banyak keajaiban yang dia lakukan, mereka semua mendengarkan dengan penuh perhatian.
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 Banyak penduduk kota itu dikuasai roh-roh jahat, dan Filipus mengusir roh-roh itu atas nama Yesus sehingga mereka pergi sambil berteriak dengan keras. Banyak juga orang pincang dan lumpuh total yang disembuhkan.
For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them;
8 Semuanya itu membuat para penduduk kota sangat bersukacita.
and many who were paralysed or lame were cured, so that there was great rejoicing throughout that city.
9 Namun, di sana ada seorang tukang sihir bernama Simon. Dia sudah lama membuat warga Samaria terkagum-kagum dengan ilmu sihirnya. Karena itulah para penduduk percaya padanya waktu dia mengaku sebagai orang hebat.
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 Sebelum Filipus datang, semua warga di daerah itu— baik orang biasa maupun orang penting— menghormati Simon dan berkata, “Orang ini mempunyai kuasa Allah yang besar.”
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 Mereka sangat menyegani Simon, karena dia sudah begitu lama membuat mereka terkagum-kagum dengan ilmu sihirnya.
And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.
12 Tetapi waktu Filipus memberitakan Kabar Baik tentang kerajaan Allah dan kuasa Kristus Yesus, banyak sekali orang yang percaya pada Kabar itu, baik laki-laki maupun perempuan. Lalu Filipus membaptis mereka.
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 juga percaya dan dibaptis. Sesudah itu, dia selalu mengikuti Filipus dan terkagum-kagum melihat banyak keajaiban luar biasa yang dilakukan Filipus.
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 Ketika rasul-rasul di Yerusalem mendengar bahwa orang-orang Samaria sudah menerima Firman Allah yang disampaikan oleh Filipus, mereka mengutus Petrus dan Yohanes ke sana.
When the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had welcomed God’s Message, they sent Peter and John to them;
15 Sesudah mereka tiba, keduanya berdoa supaya orang Samaria yang percaya menerima Roh Kudus.
and they, on their arrival, prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 Karena mereka memang sudah dibaptis dalam nama Kristus Yesus, tetapi Roh Kudus belum turun ke atas mereka.
(As yet the Spirit had not descended upon any of them; they had only been baptized into the Faith of the Lord Jesus).
17 Sewaktu Petrus dan Yohanes menumpangkan tangan ke atas mereka, barulah mereka menerima Roh Kudus.
Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Ketika Simon melihat bahwa Roh Kudus diberikan kepada orang-orang itu melalui para rasul yang meletakkan tangan atas mereka, dia menawarkan uang kepada rasul-rasul itu
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 dengan berkata, “Berikanlah kuasa itu kepada saya juga, supaya ketika saya meletakkan kedua tangan saya pada seseorang, orang itu akan menerima Roh Kudus.”
“Give me also this power of yours, so that, if I place my hands upon any one, he may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Tetapi Petrus berkata kepada Simon, “Binasalah kamu bersama uangmu itu!— karena kamu menganggap pemberian rohani dari Allah bisa dibeli dengan uang.
“A curse upon you and upon your money,” Peter exclaimed, “for thinking that God’s free gift can be bought with gold!
21 Kamu tidak berhak mengambil bagian dalam hal ini, karena hatimu tidak benar di hadapan Allah.
You have no share or part in our Message, for your ‘heart is not right with God.’
22 Oleh sebab itu, bertobatlah! Berdoalah supaya Allah mengampuni niat hatimu yang jahat itu.
Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;
23 Karena saya melihat bahwa kamu terjerat dalam dosa dan hatimu penuh dengan iri hati.”
for I see that you have fallen into the ‘bitterness of envy’ and the ‘fetters of sin.’”
24 Lalu Simon menjawab, “Kalau begitu, saya mohon kalian berdua mendoakan saya, supaya Tuhan melepaskan saya dari hukuman itu!”
“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 Sesudah Petrus dan Yohanes memberi kesaksian tentang Yesus dan memberitakan Firman TUHAN, mereka kembali ke Yerusalem. Dalam perjalanan pulang, mereka melewati banyak desa di daerah Samaria dan memberitakan Kabar Baik kepada orang-orang di sana.
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 Pada suatu hari, salah satu malaikat berbicara kepada Filipus dan menyuruh dia, “Bersiap-siaplah dan pergi ke selatan, ke jalan yang turun dari Yerusalem menuju Gaza.” (Jalan itu melintasi padang belantara.)
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 Filipus pun bersiap-siap dan berangkat. Di jalan itu, dia melihat seorang pejabat dari Etiopia, yaitu pegawai tinggi ratu Etiopia yang bertanggung jawab atas seluruh perbendaharaan negeri. Dia sudah pergi beribadah ke Yerusalem,
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 dan pada waktu itu sedang dalam perjalanan pulang. Ada budaknya yang mengendalikan kereta, sedangkan pejabat itu duduk sambil membaca kitab Nabi Yesaya.
and was now on his way home, sitting in his carriage and reading the Prophet Isaiah.
29 Lalu Roh Kudus berkata kepada Filipus, “Dekatilah kereta itu.”
The Spirit said to Philip: “Go up to the carriage yonder and keep close to it.”
30 Maka Filipus berlari mendekati kereta itu dan mendengar pejabat itu sedang membaca dari kitab Nabi Yesaya. Filipus bertanya kepadanya, “Apakah Tuan mengerti isi pesan yang sedang Tuan baca?”
So Philip ran up, and he heard the Abyssinian reading the Prophet Isaiah. “Do you understand what you are reading?” he asked.
31 Kata pejabat itu, “Saya tidak mungkin bisa mengerti kalau tidak ada yang menjelaskannya kepada saya.” Lalu pejabat itu meminta Filipus naik ke dalam keretanya dan duduk bersama dia.
“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 Bagian Kitab Suci yang sedang dibacanya adalah, “Dia sama seperti domba yang dibawa untuk disembelih, dan seperti domba yang tidak bersuara waktu orang menggunting bulunya. Demikianlah Orang itu tidak mengatakan sepatah kata pun.
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 Dia dipermalukan dan semua hak-Nya sudah diambil paksa. Dia dibunuh dan dilenyapkan dari dunia ini, tidak ada keluarga dan keturunan bagi-Nya.”
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 Pejabat itu berkata kepada Filipus, “Tolong beritahukan kepada saya, Nabi Yesaya berbicara tentang siapa? Apakah tentang dirinya atau tentang orang lain?”
“Now,” said the Treasurer, addressing Philip, “tell me, of whom is the Prophet speaking? Of himself, or of some one else?”
35 Berawal dari Firman itu, Filipus pun memberitakan Kabar Baik tentang Yesus kepadanya.
Then Philip began, and, taking this passage as his text, told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 Dalam perjalanan, mereka tiba di suatu tempat yang ada air. Orang itu berkata kepada Filipus, “Lihat, ada air. Saya bisa dibaptis di situ, bukan?”
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 Lalu dia menyuruh budaknya menghentikan kereta. Mereka berdua turun dan masuk ke dalam air. Kemudian Filipus membaptis dia.
So he ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water — both Philip and the Treasurer — and Philip baptized him.
39 Sesudah mereka keluar dari air, tiba-tiba Roh TUHAN membawa Filipus dari tempat itu, dan pejabat itu tidak melihatnya lagi. Dia melanjutkan perjalanannya dengan hati yang gembira.
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 Sementara itu, Filipus tiba-tiba muncul di kota Asdod. Dia berjalan melewati daerah itu sambil memberitakan Kabar Baik di setiap kota yang dilaluinya, sampai dia tiba di kota Kaisarea.
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.
