prEritAH 5
1 tadA anAniyanAmaka EkO janO yasya bhAryyAyA nAma saphIrA sa svAdhikAraM vikrIya
There was, however, a man named Ananias, who, with his wife Sapphira, sold some property,
2 svabhAryyAM jnjApayitvA tanmUlyasyaikAMzaM saggOpya sthApayitvA tadanyAMzamAtramAnIya prEritAnAM caraNESu samarpitavAn|
and, with her connivance, kept back some of the proceeds. He brought only a part and laid it at the Apostles’ feet.
3 tasmAt pitarOkathayat hE anAniya bhUmE rmUlyaM kinjcit saggOpya sthApayituM pavitrasyAtmanaH sannidhau mRSAvAkyaM kathayitunjca zaitAn kutastavAntaHkaraNE pravRttimajanayat?
“Ananias,” Peter exclaimed, “how is it that Satan has so taken possession of your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit, and kept back a part of the money paid for the land?
4 sA bhUmi ryadA tava hastagatA tadA kiM tava svIyA nAsIt? tarhi svAntaHkaraNE kuta EtAdRzI kukalpanA tvayA kRtA? tvaM kEvalamanuSyasya nikaTE mRSAvAkyaM nAvAdIH kintvIzvarasya nikaTE'pi|
While it was unsold, was not it your own? and after it was sold, was not the money at your own disposal? How did you come to think of such a thing? You have lied, not to men, but to God!”
5 EtAM kathAM zrutvaiva sO'nAniyO bhUmau patan prANAn atyajat, tadvRttAntaM yAvantO lOkA azRNvan tESAM sarvvESAM mahAbhayam ajAyat|
As Ananias heard these words, he fell down and expired; and every one who heard of it was appalled.
6 tadA yuvalOkAstaM vastrENAcchAdya bahi rnItvA zmazAnE'sthApayan|
The young men got up, and, winding the body in a sheet, carried it out and buried it.
7 tataH praharaikAnantaraM kiM vRttaM tannAvagatya tasya bhAryyApi tatra samupasthitA|
After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 tataH pitarastAm apRcchat, yuvAbhyAm EtAvanmudrAbhyO bhUmi rvikrItA na vA? EtatvaM vada; tadA sA pratyavAdIt satyam EtAvadbhyO mudrAbhya Eva|
“Is it true,” Peter asked, addressing her, “that you sold your land for such a sum?” “Yes,” she answered, “we did.”
9 tataH pitarOkathayat yuvAM kathaM paramEzvarasyAtmAnaM parIkSitum EkamantraNAvabhavatAM? pazya yE tava patiM zmazAnE sthApitavantastE dvArasya samIpE samupatiSThanti tvAmapi bahirnESyanti|
Then Peter said: “How did you come to agree to provoke the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The foot-steps of those who have buried your husband are at the door; and they will carry you out too.”
10 tataH sApi tasya caraNasannidhau patitvA prANAn atyAkSIt| pazcAt tE yuvAnO'bhyantaram Agatya tAmapi mRtAM dRSTvA bahi rnItvA tasyAH patyuH pArzvE zmazAnE sthApitavantaH|
Instantly Sapphira fell down at Peter’s feet and expired. On coming in, the young men found her dead; so they carried her out and buried her by her husband’s side.
11 tasmAt maNPalyAH sarvvE lOkA anyalOkAzca tAM vArttAM zrutvA sAdhvasaM gatAH|
The whole Church and all who heard of these events were appalled.
12 tataH paraM prEritAnAM hastai rlOkAnAM madhyE bahvAzcaryyANyadbhutAni karmmANyakriyanta; tadA ziSyAH sarvva EkacittIbhUya sulEmAnO 'lindE sambhUyAsan|
Many signs and wonders continued to occur among the people, through the instrumentality of the Apostles, whose custom it was to meet all together in the Colonnade of Solomon;
13 tESAM sagghAntargO bhavituM kOpi pragalbhatAM nAgamat kintu lOkAstAn samAdriyanta|
but of the rest no one ventured to join them. On the other hand, the people were full of their praise,
14 striyaH puruSAzca bahavO lOkA vizvAsya prabhuM zaraNamApannAH|
and still larger numbers, both of men and women, as they became believers in the Lord, were added to their number.
15 pitarasya gamanAgamanAbhyAM kEnApi prakArENa tasya chAyA kasmiMzcijjanE lagiSyatItyAzayA lOkA rOgiNaH zivikayA khaTvayA cAnIya pathi pathi sthApitavantaH|
The consequence was that people would bring out their sick even into the streets, and lay them on mattresses and mats, in the hope that, as Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some one of them.
16 caturdiksthanagarEbhyO bahavO lOkAH sambhUya rOgiNO'pavitrabhutagrastAMzca yirUzAlamam Anayan tataH sarvvE svasthA akriyanta|
Besides this, the inhabitants of the towns round Jerusalem flocked into the city, bringing with them their sick and those who were troubled by foul spirits; and they were cured every one.
17 anantaraM mahAyAjakaH sidUkinAM matagrAhiNastESAM sahacarAzca
At this the High Priest was roused to action, and he and all his supporters (who formed the party of the Sadducees), moved by jealousy,
18 mahAkrOdhAntvitAH santaH prEritAn dhRtvA nIcalOkAnAM kArAyAM baddhvA sthApitavantaH|
arrested the Apostles, and had them placed in custody.
19 kintu rAtrau paramEzvarasya dUtaH kArAyA dvAraM mOcayitvA tAn bahirAnIyAkathayat,
An angel of the Lord, however, opened the prison doors at night and led them out.
20 yUyaM gatvA mandirE daNPAyamAnAH santO lOkAn pratImAM jIvanadAyikAM sarvvAM kathAM pracArayata|
“Go,” he said, “and stand in the Temple Courts, and tell the people the whole Message of this new Life.”
21 iti zrutvA tE pratyUSE mandira upasthAya upadiSTavantaH| tadA sahacaragaNEna sahitO mahAyAjaka Agatya mantrigaNam isrAyElvaMzasya sarvvAn rAjasabhAsadaH sabhAsthAn kRtvA kArAyAstAn ApayituM padAtigaNaM prEritavAn|
When they heard this, they went at daybreak into the Temple Courts, and began to teach. The High Priest and his party, on their arrival, summoned the High Council, including all the leading men among the Israelites, and sent to the jail to fetch the Apostles.
22 tatastE gatvA kArAyAM tAn aprApya pratyAgatya iti vArttAm avAdiSuH,
But, when the officers got there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported that,
23 vayaM tatra gatvA nirvvighnaM kArAyA dvAraM ruddhaM rakSakAMzca dvArasya bahirdaNPAyamAnAn adarzAma Eva kintu dvAraM mOcayitvA tanmadhyE kamapi draSTuM na prAptAH|
while they had found the goal barred securely and the guards posted at the doors, yet, on opening them, they had not found any one inside.
24 EtAM kathAM zrutvA mahAyAjakO mandirasya sEnApatiH pradhAnayAjakAzca, ita paraM kimaparaM bhaviSyatIti cintayitvA sandigdhacittA abhavan|
When the Officer in charge at the Temple and the Chief Priests heard their story, they were perplexed about the Apostles and as to what all this would lead to.
25 EtasminnEva samayE kazcit jana Agatya vArttAmEtAm avadat pazyata yUyaM yAn mAnavAn kArAyAm asthApayata tE mandirE tiSThantO lOkAn upadizanti|
Presently, however, some one came and told them, that the men whom they had put in prison were actually standing in the Temple Courts, teaching the people.
26 tadA mandirasya sEnApatiH padAtayazca tatra gatvA cEllOkAH pASANAn nikSipyAsmAn mArayantIti bhiyA vinatyAcAraM tAn Anayan|
On this, the Officer went with his men and fetched the Apostles — without using violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people —
27 tE mahAsabhAyA madhyE tAn asthApayan tataH paraM mahAyAjakastAn apRcchat,
And then brought them before the Council. The High Priest demanded an explanation from them.
28 anEna nAmnA samupadESTuM vayaM kiM dRPhaM na nyaSEdhAma? tathApi pazyata yUyaM svESAM tEnOpadEzEnE yirUzAlamaM paripUrNaM kRtvA tasya janasya raktapAtajanitAparAdham asmAn pratyAnEtuM cESTadhvE|
“We gave you strict orders,” he said, “not to teach in this Name. Yet you have actually flooded Jerusalem with your teaching, and you want to make us responsible for the death of this man.”
29 tataH pitarOnyaprEritAzca pratyavadan mAnuSasyAjnjAgrahaNAd IzvarasyAjnjAgrahaNam asmAkamucitam|
To this Peter and the Apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men.
30 yaM yIzuM yUyaM kruzE vEdhitvAhata tam asmAkaM paitRka Izvara utthApya
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging him on a cross.
31 isrAyElvaMzAnAM manaHparivarttanaM pApakSamAnjca karttuM rAjAnaM paritrAtAranjca kRtvA svadakSiNapArzvE tasyAnnatim akarOt|
It is this Jesus whom God has exalted to his right hand, to be a Guide and a Saviour, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
32 Etasmin vayamapi sAkSiNa AsmahE, tat kEvalaM nahi, Izvara AjnjAgrAhibhyO yaM pavitram AtmanaM dattavAn sOpi sAkSyasti|
And we are witness to the truth of this, and so is the Holy Spirit — the gift of God to those who obey him.”
33 EtadvAkyE zrutE tESAM hRdayAni viddhAnyabhavan tatastE tAn hantuM mantritavantaH|
The members of the Council became frantic with rage on hearing this, and were for putting the Apostles to death.
34 EtasminnEva samayE tatsabhAsthAnAM sarvvalOkAnAM madhyE sukhyAtO gamilIyElnAmaka EkO janO vyavasthApakaH phirUzilOka utthAya prEritAn kSaNArthaM sthAnAntaraM gantum Adizya kathitavAn,
But Gamaliel, a Pharisee, who was a Doctor of the Law and who was held in universal respect, rose in the Council, and directed that the men should be taken out of court for a little while.
35 hE isrAyElvaMzIyAH sarvvE yUyam EtAn mAnuSAn prati yat karttum udyatAstasmin sAvadhAnA bhavata|
He then said: “Men of Israel, take care as to what you intend to do with these men.
36 itaH pUrvvaM thUdAnAmaikO jana upasthAya svaM kamapi mahApuruSam avadat, tataH prAyENa catuHzatalOkAstasya matagrAhiNObhavan pazcAt sa hatObhavat tasyAjnjAgrAhiNO yAvantO lOkAstE sarvvE virkIrNAH santO 'kRtakAryyA abhavan|
For not long ago Theudas appeared, professing to be somebody, and was joined by a body of some four hundred men. But he was killed; and all his followers scattered and dwindled away.
37 tasmAjjanAt paraM nAmalEkhanasamayE gAlIlIyayihUdAnAmaikO jana upasthAya bahUllOkAn svamataM grAhItavAn tataH sOpi vyanazyat tasyAjnjAgrAhiNO yAvantO lOkA Asan tE sarvvE vikIrNA abhavan|
After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census, and induced people to follow him; Yet he, too, perished and all his followers were dispersed.
38 adhunA vadAmi, yUyam EtAn manuSyAn prati kimapi na kRtvA kSAntA bhavata, yata ESa sagkalpa Etat karmma ca yadi manuSyAdabhavat tarhi viphalaM bhaviSyati|
And, in this present case, my advice to you is not to interfere with these men, but to let them alone, for, if their designs and their work are merely of human origin, they will come to an end;
39 yadIzvarAdabhavat tarhi yUyaM tasyAnyathA karttuM na zakSyatha, varam IzvararOdhakA bhaviSyatha|
but, if they are of divine origin, you will be powerless to put an end to them — or else you may find yourselves fighting against God!”
40 tadA tasya mantraNAM svIkRtya tE prEritAn AhUya prahRtya yIzO rnAmnA kAmapi kathAM kathayituM niSidhya vyasarjan|
The Council followed his advice, and, calling the Apostles in, had them flogged, and then, after cautioning them not to speak in the Name of Jesus, set them free.
41 kintu tasya nAmArthaM vayaM lajjAbhOgasya yOgyatvEna gaNitA ityatra tE sAnandAH santaH sabhAsthAnAM sAkSAd agacchan|
But the Apostles left the Council, rejoicing that they had been thought worthy to suffer disgrace for that Name;
42 tataH paraM pratidinaM mandirE gRhE gRhE cAvizrAmam upadizya yIzukhrISTasya susaMvAdaM pracAritavantaH|
and never for a single day, either in the Temple Courts or in private houses, did they cease to teach, or to tell the Good News of Jesus, the Christ.
