Asomafoɔ 8
1 Saulo penee kum a wɔkum Stefano no so. Saa ɛda no ara, wɔtaa agyidifoɔ a wɔwɔ Yerusalem no maa wɔn nyinaa bɔ hwete kɔɔ Yudea ne Samaria nsase so maa ɛkaa asomafoɔ no nko ara.
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 Nyamesurofoɔ bi kɔfaa Stefano kɔsiee no. Wɔsuu no yie.
Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him.
3 Esiane sɛ na Saulo pɛ sɛ ɔgu asafo no enti, ɔkɔɔ afie mu kɔkyekyeree agyidifoɔ mmarima ne mmaa de wɔn guu afiase.
But Saul began to devastate the Church; he entered house after house, dragged out men and women alike, and threw them into prison.
4 Agyidifoɔ a na wɔabɔ ahwete no kaa asɛmpa no wɔ baabiara a wɔkɔeɛ.
Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the Good News.
5 Filipo kɔɔ Samaria kuro bi mu kɔkaa Agyenkwa no ho asɛm kyerɛɛ nnipa a na wɔwɔ hɔ no.
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and there began to preach the Christ.
6 Ɛberɛ a nnipakuo no tee asɛm a Filipo reka na wɔhunuu anwanwadeɛ a ɔyɛeɛ no, wɔn nyinaa tiee no.
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 Ahonhommɔne de nteateam firii nnipa bebree mu. Saa ara nso na mmubuafoɔ ne mpakye nso sɔre nanteeɛ.
For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them;
8 Yei enti, anigyeɛ baa Samaria.
and many who were paralysed or lame were cured, so that there was great rejoicing throughout that city.
9 Na ɔbarima bi te saa kuro yi mu a wɔfrɛ no Simon a ɔyɛ nkonyaayifoɔ a ɛsiane ne nkonyaayie no enti, na Samariafoɔ pii gye no di. Na ɔyɛ obi a ɔhoahoa ne ho sɛ ɔdi mu.
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 Yei maa nnipa a wɔwɔ kuro no mu no nyinaa gyee no too mu kaa sɛ, “Saa onipa yi ne Onyankopɔn tumi a wɔfrɛ no Ɔkɛseɛ no.”
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 Esiane ne nkonyaa a na ɔyi no enti, ɛmaa nnipa no nyinaa tu dii nʼakyi.
And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.
12 Ɛberɛ a saa nnipa yi gyee asɛmpa a Filipo ka faa Onyankopɔn Ahennie ne Yesu Kristo din no ho diiɛ no, wɔbɔɔ mmarima ne mmaa nyinaa asu.
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 nso gye diiɛ maa wɔbɔɔ no asu. Baabiara a Filipo kɔeɛ no, Simon dii nʼakyi. Anwanwadeɛ a ɔhunuiɛ no ma ne ho dwirii no.
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 Ɛberɛ a asomafoɔ a wɔwɔ Yerusalem no tee sɛ Samariafoɔ agye Onyankopɔn asɛm no adi no, wɔsomaa Petro ne Yohane kɔɔ wɔn nkyɛn.
When the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had welcomed God’s Message, they sent Peter and John to them;
15 Wɔduruu hɔ no, wɔbɔɔ mpaeɛ maa agyidifoɔ no sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, Honhom Kronkron bɛba wɔn so,
and they, on their arrival, prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 ɛfiri sɛ, saa ɛberɛ no na asu kɛkɛ na wɔnam Awurade Yesu din so abɔ. Na Honhom Kronkron nnya mmaa wɔn so.
(As yet the Spirit had not descended upon any of them; they had only been baptized into the Faith of the Lord Jesus).
17 Afei, Petro ne Yohane de wɔn nsa guguu wɔn so maa Honhom Kronkron baa wɔn so.
Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Simon hunuu sɛ asomafoɔ no nsa a wɔde guguu wɔn so no na ɛmaa wɔnyaa Honhom Kronkron no, ɔmaa Petro ne Yohane sika srɛɛ sɛ,
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 “Momma me saa tumi yi bi na obiara a mede me nsa bɛgu no so no anya Honhom Kronkron no bi.”
“Give me also this power of yours, so that, if I place my hands upon any one, he may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Petro ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Nnome nka wo ne wo sika nyinaa, ɛfiri sɛ, wosusu sɛ wobɛtumi de sika atɔ Onyankopɔn akyɛdeɛ no.
“A curse upon you and upon your money,” Peter exclaimed, “for thinking that God’s free gift can be bought with gold!
21 Wonni kyɛfa biara wɔ yɛn dwumadie yi mu, ɛfiri sɛ, wʼakoma mu nte wɔ Onyankopɔn anim.
You have no share or part in our Message, for your ‘heart is not right with God.’
22 Nu wo ho firi wo bɔne yi ho na bɔ mpaeɛ srɛ Onyankopɔn sɛ ɔmfa wo bɔne nkyɛ wo.
Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;
23 Mehunu sɛ anibereɛ bɔne ahyɛ wʼakoma mu ama bɔne afa wo dommum.”
for I see that you have fallen into the ‘bitterness of envy’ and the ‘fetters of sin.’”
24 Simon srɛɛ Petro ne Yohane sɛ, “Mommɔ mpaeɛ mma me na saa nnome yi mu biara amma me so.”
“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 Ansa na Petro ne Yohane reduru Yerusalem no, wɔkaa asɛmpa no wɔ Samaria nkuraa bebree ase.
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 Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ ka kyerɛɛ Filipo sɛ, “Sɔre siesie wo ho kɔ anafoɔ ɛkwan a ɛfiri Yerusalem kɔ Gasa no so.”
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 Ɛberɛ a Filipo rekɔ no, ɔhyiaa Etiopiani bi a ɔyɛ Etiopiahemmaa Kandake dabeni. Na saa onipa yi akɔ asɔre wɔ Yerusalem a ɔte ne teaseɛnam mu resane nʼakyi akɔ efie.
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 Na ɔrekenkan Odiyifoɔ Yesaia nwoma no.
and was now on his way home, sitting in his carriage and reading the Prophet Isaiah.
29 Honhom Kronkron ka kyerɛɛ Filipo sɛ, “Twe bɛn no.”
The Spirit said to Philip: “Go up to the carriage yonder and keep close to it.”
30 Filipo yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ teaseɛnam no ho na ɔtee sɛ ɔrekenkan Odiyifoɔ Yesaia nwoma no no, ɔbisaa sɛ, “Wote deɛ worekenkan yi ase anaa?”
So Philip ran up, and he heard the Abyssinian reading the Prophet Isaiah. “Do you understand what you are reading?” he asked.
31 Dabeni no buaa no sɛ, “Mɛyɛ dɛn na mate aseɛ? Gye sɛ obi kyerɛ me aseɛ.” Afei, ɔka kyerɛɛ Filipo sɛ ɔmforo mmɛtena ne nkyɛn wɔ ne teaseɛnam no mu.
“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 Na dabeni no rekan saa Atwerɛsɛm yi, “Ɔte sɛ odwammaa a wɔrekɔku no. Sɛdeɛ odwammaa yɛ dinn wɔ ne nwitwitwafoɔ anim no, saa ara na wammue nʼano.
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 Nʼanimguaseɛ mu, wannya odimafoɔ. Na hwan na ɔbɛka nʼasefoɔ ho asɛm? Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔyii no firii asase yi so.”
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 Dabeni no bisaa Filipo sɛ, “Odiyifoɔ no reka ne ho asɛm anaa obi foforɔ ho asɛm?”
“Now,” said the Treasurer, addressing Philip, “tell me, of whom is the Prophet speaking? Of himself, or of some one else?”
35 Filipo nam saa asɛm no so kaa nsɛmpa a ɛfa Yesu ho kyerɛɛ no.
Then Philip began, and, taking this passage as his text, told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 Wɔrekɔ no, wɔduruu asuo bi ho. Dabeni no ka kyerɛɛ Filipo sɛ, “Nsuo nie. Ɛdeɛn na ɛsi wo kwan sɛ wobɔ me asu?”
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 Filipo ka kyerɛ no sɛ, “Sɛ wofiri wʼakoma mu gye di a, mɛbɔ wo asu.” Dabeni no buaa no sɛ, “Megye di. Megye di sɛ Yesu Kristo yɛ Onyankopɔn Ba.”
38 Dabeni no hyɛ maa teaseɛnam no gyinaeɛ. Ɔne Filipo kɔɔ nsuo no ho maa ɔbɔɔ no asu.
So he ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water — both Philip and the Treasurer — and Philip baptized him.
39 Wɔfiri nsuo no mu no, Onyankopɔn Honhom hwim Filipo firii dabeni no nkyɛn kɔeɛ. Wanhunu Filipo bio de, nanso ɔde anigyeɛ toaa nʼakwantuo no so.
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 Filipo kɔpuee Asoto kɔɔ so kaa asɛmpa no wɔ nkuro no mu kɔsii sɛ ɔkɔduruu Kaesarea.
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.
