1 And Saul approved of his murder.
Saul Persecutes the Church
That very day the church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, mourning for him with loud cries.
3 But Saul tried to destroy the church; going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women, and threw them into jail.
The Gospel Is Preached in Samaria
4 The believers who were scattered went everywhere, preaching the message. 5 Philip went to the principal city in Samaria and preached the Messiah to the people there. 6 The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said, as they listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed. 7 Evil spirits came out from many people with a loud cry, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
9 A man named Simon lived there, who for some time had astounded the Samaritans with his magic. He claimed that he was someone great, 10 and everyone in the city, from all classes of society, paid close attention to him. “He is that power of God known as ‘The Great Power,’” they said. 11 They paid this attention to him because for such a long time he had astonished them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip's message about the good news of the Kingdom of God and about Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself also believed; and after being baptized, he stayed close to Philip and was astounded when he saw the great wonders and miracles that were being performed.
14 The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Simon saw that the Spirit had been given to the believers when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered money to Peter and John, 19 and said, “Give this power to me too, so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter answered him, “May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy God's gift with money! 21 You have no part or share in our work, because your heart is not right in God's sight. 22 Repent, then, of this evil plan of yours, and pray to the Lord that he will forgive you for thinking such a thing as this. 23 For I see that you are full of bitter envy and are a prisoner of sin.”
24 Simon said to Peter and John, “Please pray to the Lord for me, so that none of these things you spoke of will happen to me.”
25 After they had given their testimony and proclaimed the Lord's message, Peter and John went back to Jerusalem. On their way they preached the Good News in many villages of Samaria.
Philip and the Ethiopian Official
26 An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get ready and go south to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This road is not used nowadays.) 27-28 So Philip got ready and went. Now an Ethiopian eunuch, who was an important official in charge of the treasury of the queen of Ethiopia, was on his way home. He had been to Jerusalem to worship God and was going back home in his carriage. As he rode along, he was reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that carriage and stay close to it.” 30 Philip ran over and heard him reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 The official replied, “How can I understand unless someone explains it to me?” And he invited Philip to climb up and sit in the carriage with him. 32 The passage of scripture which he was reading was this:
“He was like a sheep that is taken to be slaughtered,
like a lamb that makes no sound when its wool is cut off.
He did not say a word.
33 He was humiliated, and justice was denied him.
No one will be able to tell about his descendants,
because his life on earth has come to an end.”
34 The official asked Philip, “Tell me, of whom is the prophet saying this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip began to speak; starting from this passage of scripture, he told him the Good News about Jesus. 36 As they traveled down the road, they came to a place where there was some water, and the official said, “Here is some water. What is to keep me from being baptized?”
38 The official ordered the carriage to stop, and both Philip and the official went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The official did not see him again, but continued on his way, full of joy. 40 Philip found himself in Azotus; he went on to Caesarea, and on the way he preached the Good News in every town.
Saulus ma tatumisa ombongo
1 Saulus opari ovandu wotjira tjOvajuda tji va veta Stefanus nomawe nga tja koka, nu eye ongwa yandja ouvara kutja Stefanus a ṱe. Okuza keyuva ndo ombongo mOjerusalem ya uta okutatumisiwa noutwe. Ovakambure avehe, posi yovaapostele, va rimbarere akuhe mehi ra Judea nora Samaria. 2 Novarumendu tjiva ovapore va kapaka Stefanus amave mu riri tjinene.
3 Nungwari Saulus wa kondja okuyandeka ombongo. Eye aa ryanga mozondjuwo ama kokozora ovakambure, ovarumendu novakazendu, nokuvetwa motjovakamburwa.
Ombuze Ombwa ya Kristus mai zuvarisiwa mOsamaria
4 Ovakambure mba rimbarere nambano va ya koṋa akuhe amave zuvarisa indji Ombuze Ombwa ya Kristus. 5 Filipus otje ya kotjihuro ohongora mehi ra Samaria na zuvarisa Omutwirisiwa kovature vatjo. 6 Ovimbumba vyovandu tji vya za nokupuratena ku Filipus nokumuna ovihimise eye mbya tjita, arire tji vya panḓere pomambo nga eye ngwaa hungire. 7 Ozombepo ozohakohoke za pita movandu ovengi amaze uru nomasa, novengi mba remanene na mba kwaterwe ovipu va verukisiwa. 8 Notji mwa kara enyando enene motjihuro hi.
9 Motjihuro tjingetjo hi mwa turire omurumendu wena Simon, nu moure womayuva omengi eye wa himisire ovature va Samaria noundjai we. Eye ee rihivi kutja onguri rive omunene, 10 navehe motjihuro, okuza kovanene nouṱiṱi, va kakatera ku ye tjandje mave tja: “Eye onguri ye ngwi ngu tu tja: ‘Omasa omanene wa Ndjambi.’ ” 11 Owo va kakaterere ku ye, eye tjinga e ve himisa noundjai we oure womayuva omengi. 12 Nungwari owo tjivakambura mombuze ya Filipus ohunga nOmbuze Ombwa youhona wa Ndjambi nEna ra Jesus Kristus, arire tji va kambura nu ape papitisiwa ovarumendu novakazendu. 13 Simon omuini wina wa rira omukambure. Nu tja za nokupapitisiwa wa panḓera pu Filipus, nu wa uruma tjinene tja muna oviraisiro novihimise, mbi mavi tjitwa.
14 Ovaapostele mba serwe mOjerusalem va zuva kutja ovature va Samaria va yakura embo ra Ndjambi, notji va hinda Petrus na Johanes ku wo. 15 Nowo tji ve ya kOsamaria va kumbira ovakambure kutja ve pewe Ombepo Ondjapuke, 16 Eye tjinga aya ri e hiye ya kombanda yaauhe wawo; owo va papitisiwa mena ra Muhona Jesus porwe. 17 Tjazumba Petrus na Johanes ave yambeke omake ku wo, nowo ave pewa Ombepo Ondjapuke.
18 Simon tja muna kutja ovakambure va pewa Ombepo Ondjapuke, indu ovaapostele tji va zu nokuyambeka omake ku wo, arire tja yandja ovimariva ku Petrus na Johanes, 19 na tja: “Ndji peweye omasa nga wina, kokutja auhe ku me yambeke omake wandje a pewe Ombepo Ondjapuke.”
20 Nungwari Petrus we mu zira a tja: “Ovimariva vyoye kara na vyo u kapandjare na vyo! Mo tjangovasi oviyandjewa vya Ndjambi ove mo yenene okuviranda novimariva are? 21 Ove ko norupa motjiungura tjetu, omutima woye tjinga au he ri omusemba komurungu wa Ndjambi. 22 Nambano ritanaura, u ise omeripura woye omanauvi nga, nu u kumbe ku Muhona kutja nani eye me ku isire ourizemburuka woye mbwa sana ngo. 23 Ami me munu kutja u neruru tjinene momutima nokutja ourunde ombwa rira epando roye.”
24 Simon arire tja zira nai ku Petrus na Johanes: “Arikaneye ndji kumbireye ku Muhona, kokutja imbi mbi mwa hungire avi he ya kombanda yandje.”
25 Petrus na Johanes tji va za nokuhongonona nokuzuvarisa ombuze ya Muhona, arire tji va yaruka kOjerusalem, tjandje mave yende amave zuvarisa Ombuze Ombwa movirongo ovingi vya Samaria.
Filipus nOmuetiopi
26 Omuengeri wa Muhona wa hungirire nai ku Filipus: “Rirongera u yende mutenya kondjira ndji za mOjerusalem okuyenda kOgasa.” Ondjira ndji nambano kai tji twarewa rukwao. 27 Filipus otje rirongera na i. Nu omuhona ombondo wa Etiopie, ngwa ri omunene momatjeverero wovihuze vyombara oserekaze ya Etiopie, we ere kOjerusalem okuyekurikotamena ku Ndjambi. 28 Eye wa ri mondjira okuyaruka, nu ngunda a haama metemba re tjandje ma rese membo romuprofete Jesaja. 29 Ombepo Ondjapuke arire tji ya tja nai ku Filipus: “Twende ketemba ndo u kayende meṋe yaro.” 30 Filipus wa tupuka ketemba na kazuva ingwi omurumendu tji ma rese membo romuprofete Jesaja. Eye we mu pura a tja: “Omambo ngu mo rese mo ye zuu kutja maye hee tjike?”
31 Omuetiopi wa zira a tja: “Me sora vi okuzuva ambi hi nomundu ngu me ndji handjaurire?” Neye wa isana Filipus kutja a ronde metemba nu a kare pehi puna ye. 32 Nu indwi orukondwa rwomatjangwa eye nduya rese orondwi:
“Otja onḓu ndji twarewa tji mai kaṱa,
notja ondjona ndji ha vandara tji mai horwa,
eye ke na pa nyamukura.
33 Eye wa susuparisiwa nu ka pangurirwe osemba.
Owaṋi ngu ma yenene okuserekarera ozondekurona ze,
mena rokutja ehupiro re kombanda yehi ra yanda.”
34 Omuhona ombondo ngwi wa pura Filipus a tja: “Arikana, ndji raera kutja omuprofete otjiṋa hi ma hungirire uṋe? Me rihungirire omuini poo ma hungirire omundu warwe?” 35 Filipus wa uta okuhungira, neye wa utira porukondwa rwomatjangwa ndwi nu e mu raere Ombuze Ombwa ya Jesus. 36 Nu ngunda amave kayenda mondjira, arire tji ve ya pomeva, nomuhona ombondo a tja nai: “Tara, omeva owo nga, otjikeṋa tji matji ndji tjaere okupapitisiwa?”
37 Filipus we mu zira a tja: “Tji mo kambura nomutima woye auhe, ove mo yenene okupapitisiwa.”
Neye wa zira nai: “Ii, me vanga! Me kambura kutja Jesus Kristus onguri Omuna wa Ndjambi.” 38 Omuetiopi wa rakiza kutja etemba rikuramisiwe, naveyevari, Filipus nOmuetiopi, arire tji va pundu momeva, nu Filipus e mu papitisa. 39 Nu tji va pita momeva, Ombepo ya Muhona arire tji ya toora Filipus ai mu isa po. Omuhona ombondo kemumwine rukwao, neye wa kayenda ondjira ye e nenyando tjinene. 40 Kombunda Filipus wa kamunikira mOasotus. Eye wa tapakaṋa ovirongo avihe nga tje keya mOsesarea ama yende ama zuvarisa indji Ombuze Ombwa akuhe.
