preritAH 8
1 tasya hatyAkaraNaM zaulopi samamanyata| tasmin samaye yirUzAlamnagarasthAM maNDalIM prati mahAtADanAyAM jAtAyAM preritalokAn hitvA sarvve'pare yihUdAzomiroNadezayo rnAnAsthAne vikIrNAH santo gatAH|
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 anyacca bhaktalokAstaM stiphAnaM zmazAne sthApayitvA bahu vyalapan|
Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him.
3 kintu zaulo gRhe gRhe bhramitvA striyaH puruSAMzca dhRtvA kArAyAM baddhvA maNDalyA mahotpAtaM kRtavAn|
But Saul began to devastate the Church; he entered house after house, dragged out men and women alike, and threw them into prison.
4 anyacca ye vikIrNA abhavan te sarvvatra bhramitvA susaMvAdaM prAcArayan|
Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the Good News.
5 tadA philipaH zomiroNnagaraM gatvA khrISTAkhyAnaM prAcArayat;
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and there began to preach the Christ.
6 tato'zuci-bhRtagrastalokebhyo bhUtAzcItkRtyAgacchan tathA bahavaH pakSAghAtinaH khaJjA lokAzca svasthA abhavan|
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 tasmAt lAkA IdRzaM tasyAzcaryyaM karmma vilokya nizamya ca sarvva ekacittIbhUya tenoktAkhyAne manAMsi nyadadhuH|
For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them;
8 tasminnagare mahAnandazcAbhavat|
and many who were paralysed or lame were cured, so that there was great rejoicing throughout that city.
9 tataH pUrvvaM tasminnagare zimonnAmA kazcijjano bahvI rmAyAkriyAH kRtvA svaM kaJcana mahApuruSaM procya zomiroNIyAnAM mohaM janayAmAsa|
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 tasmAt sa mAnuSa Izvarasya mahAzaktisvarUpa ityuktvA bAlavRddhavanitAH sarvve lAkAstasmin manAMsi nyadadhuH|
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 sa bahukAlAn mAyAvikriyayA sarvvAn atIva mohayAJcakAra, tasmAt te taM menire|
And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.
12 kintvIzvarasya rAjyasya yIzukhrISTasya nAmnazcAkhyAnapracAriNaH philipasya kathAyAM vizvasya teSAM strIpuruSobhayalokA majjitA abhavan|
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 zeSe sa zimonapi svayaM pratyait tato majjitaH san philipena kRtAm AzcaryyakriyAM lakSaNaJca vilokyAsambhavaM manyamAnastena saha sthitavAn|
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 itthaM zomiroNdezIyalokA Izvarasya kathAm agRhlan iti vArttAM yirUzAlamnagarasthapreritAH prApya pitaraM yohanaJca teSAM nikaTe preSitavantaH|
When the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had welcomed God’s Message, they sent Peter and John to them;
15 tatastau tat sthAnam upasthAya lokA yathA pavitram AtmAnaM prApnuvanti tadarthaM prArthayetAM|
and they, on their arrival, prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 yataste purA kevalaprabhuyIzo rnAmnA majjitamAtrA abhavan, na tu teSAM madhye kamapi prati pavitrasyAtmana AvirbhAvo jAtaH|
(As yet the Spirit had not descended upon any of them; they had only been baptized into the Faith of the Lord Jesus).
17 kintu preritAbhyAM teSAM gAtreSu kareSvarpiteSu satsu te pavitram AtmAnam prApnuvan|
Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 itthaM lokAnAM gAtreSu preritayoH karArpaNena tAn pavitram AtmAnaM prAptAn dRSTvA sa zimon tayoH samIpe mudrA AnIya kathitavAn;
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 ahaM yasya gAtre hastam arpayiSyAmi tasyApi yathetthaM pavitrAtmaprApti rbhavati tAdRzIM zaktiM mahyaM dattaM|
“Give me also this power of yours, so that, if I place my hands upon any one, he may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 kintu pitarastaM pratyavadat tava mudrAstvayA vinazyantu yata Izvarasya dAnaM mudrAbhiH krIyate tvamitthaM buddhavAn;
“A curse upon you and upon your money,” Peter exclaimed, “for thinking that God’s free gift can be bought with gold!
21 IzvarAya tAvantaHkaraNaM saralaM nahi, tasmAd atra tavAMzo'dhikArazca kopi nAsti|
You have no share or part in our Message, for your ‘heart is not right with God.’
22 ata etatpApahetoH khedAnvitaH san kenApi prakAreNa tava manasa etasyAH kukalpanAyAH kSamA bhavati, etadartham Izvare prArthanAM kuru;
Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;
23 yatastvaM tiktapitte pApasya bandhane ca yadasi tanmayA buddham|
for I see that you have fallen into the ‘bitterness of envy’ and the ‘fetters of sin.’”
24 tadA zimon akathayat tarhi yuvAbhyAmuditA kathA mayi yathA na phalati tadarthaM yuvAM mannimittaM prabhau prArthanAM kurutaM|
“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 anena prakAreNa tau sAkSyaM dattvA prabhoH kathAM pracArayantau zomiroNIyAnAm anekagrAmeSu susaMvAdaJca pracArayantau yirUzAlamnagaraM parAvRtya gatau|
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 tataH param Izvarasya dUtaH philipam ityAdizat, tvamutthAya dakSiNasyAM dizi yo mArgo prAntarasya madhyena yirUzAlamo 'sAnagaraM yAti taM mArgaM gaccha|
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 tataH sa utthAya gatavAn; tadA kandAkInAmnaH kUzlokAnAM rAjJyAH sarvvasampatteradhIzaH kUzadezIya ekaH SaNDo bhajanArthaM yirUzAlamnagaram Agatya
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 punarapi rathamAruhya yizayiyanAmno bhaviSyadvAdino granthaM paThan pratyAgacchati|
and was now on his way home, sitting in his carriage and reading the Prophet Isaiah.
29 etasmin samaye AtmA philipam avadat, tvam rathasya samIpaM gatvA tena sArddhaM mila|
The Spirit said to Philip: “Go up to the carriage yonder and keep close to it.”
30 tasmAt sa dhAvan tasya sannidhAvupasthAya tena paThyamAnaM yizayiyathaviSyadvAdino vAkyaM zrutvA pRSTavAn yat paThasi tat kiM budhyase?
So Philip ran up, and he heard the Abyssinian reading the Prophet Isaiah. “Do you understand what you are reading?” he asked.
31 tataH sa kathitavAn kenacinna bodhitohaM kathaM budhyeya? tataH sa philipaM rathamAroDhuM svena sArddham upaveSTuJca nyavedayat|
“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 sa zAstrasyetadvAkyaM paThitavAn yathA, samAnIyata ghAtAya sa yathA meSazAvakaH| lomacchedakasAkSAcca meSazca nIravo yathA| Abadhya vadanaM svIyaM tathA sa samatiSThata|
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 anyAyena vicAreNa sa ucchinno 'bhavat tadA| tatkAlInamanuSyAn ko jano varNayituM kSamaH| yato jIvannRNAM dezAt sa ucchinno 'bhavat dhruvaM|
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 anantaraM sa philipam avadat nivedayAmi, bhaviSyadvAdI yAmimAM kathAM kathayAmAsa sa kiM svasmin vA kasmiMzcid anyasmin?
“Now,” said the Treasurer, addressing Philip, “tell me, of whom is the Prophet speaking? Of himself, or of some one else?”
35 tataH philipastatprakaraNam Arabhya yIzorupAkhyAnaM tasyAgre prAstaut|
Then Philip began, and, taking this passage as his text, told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 itthaM mArgeNa gacchantau jalAzayasya samIpa upasthitau; tadA klIbo'vAdIt pazyAtra sthAne jalamAste mama majjane kA bAdhA?
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 tataH philipa uttaraM vyAharat svAntaHkaraNena sAkaM yadi pratyeSi tarhi bAdhA nAsti| tataH sa kathitavAn yIzukhrISTa Izvarasya putra ityahaM pratyemi|
38 tadA rathaM sthagitaM karttum AdiSTe philipaklIbau dvau jalam avAruhatAM; tadA philipastam majjayAmAsa|
So he ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water — both Philip and the Treasurer — and Philip baptized him.
39 tatpazcAt jalamadhyAd utthitayoH satoH paramezvarasyAtmA philipaM hRtvA nItavAn, tasmAt klIbaH punastaM na dRSTavAn tathApi hRSTacittaH san svamArgeNa gatavAn|
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 philipazcAsdodnagaram upasthAya tasmAt kaisariyAnagara upasthitikAlaparyyanataM sarvvasminnagare susaMvAdaM pracArayan gatavAn|
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.
