Na Sauli aliunga mkono kuuawa kwa Stefano Tangu siku hiyo waamini katika kanisa la Yerusalemu walianza kuteswa sana. Waamini wote isipokuwa mitume wakatawanyika, wakakimbilia katika majimbo ya Yudea na Samaria. Watu waliomcha Mungu walimzika Stefano na kumwombolezea sana. Lakini Sauli alitaka kulianga miza kanisa kabisa. Akawa akienda kila nyumba akawaburura waamini, wanaume kwa wanawake, akawatia jela.

Injili Yahubiriwa Samaria

Wale waamini waliotawanyika walihubiri neno la Mungu kila mahali walipokuwa. Filipo naye alikwenda katika mji mmoja wa Samaria akahubiri habari za Kristo. Watu wengi walipomsikiliza Filipo na kuona ishara za ajabu alizofanya, walizingatia kwa makini ujumbe wake. Pepo wachafu walikuwa wakiwatoka watu wengi, huku wakipiga makelele; na wengi waliopooza na viwete, waliponywa. Pakawa na furaha kuu katika mji huo.

Lakini katika mji huo alikuwepo mtu mmoja aitwaye Simoni, ambaye alikuwa mchawi. Kwa muda mrefu alikuwa amewapumbaza na kuwashangaza watu kwa mazingaombwe, akawa anajigamba kuwa yeye ni mtu maarufu. 10 Watu wa tabaka zote, wakubwa kwa wadogo, walivu tiwa sana naye, wakawa wanasema, “Bila shaka mtu huyu ndiye ile nguvu ya Mungu iitwayo ‘Uwezo Mkuu.’ ” 11 Wakamsikiliza kwa makini kwa sababu aliwastaajabisha kwa mazingaombwe yake. 12 Lakini watu walipoamini mahubiri ya Filipo kuhusu Habari Njema ya Ufalme wa Mungu, na jina la Yesu Kristo, walibatizwa, waume kwa wake. 13 Hata Simoni naye aliamini na alipokwisha batizwa aliambatana na Filipo. Alipoona ishara na miujiza aliy ofanya Filipo alistaajabu sana .

14 Basi mitume waliokuwa Yerusalemu waliposikia kuwa watu wa Samaria wameamini neno la Bwana, waliwatuma Petro na Yohana waende huko. 15 Nao walipofika waliwaombea ili wapokee Roho Mta katifu; 16 kwa maana walikuwa wamebatizwa tu katika jina la Bwana Yesu na Roho Mtakatifu alikuwa bado hajawashukia. 17 Petro na Yohana wakaweka mikono yao juu ya wale waliobatizwa, nao waka pokea Roho Mtakatifu. 18 Simoni alipoona kuwa watu walipokea Roho Mtakatifu mitume walipoweka mikono juu yao, aliwapa fedha 19 akasema, “Nipeni na mimi uwezo huu ili kila mtu nitakayeweka mikono yangu juu yake apokee Roho Mtakatifu.” 20 Petro akam jibu, “Uangamie wewe na fedha zako, kwa maana unadhani unaweza kununua karama ya Mungu kwa fedha!” 21 Wewe huwezi kuwa na sehemu wala fungu katika jambo hili kwa kuwa moyo wako hauko sawa mbele za Mungu. 22 Kwa hiyo tubu, uache huu uovu wako; na umwombe Mungu ili kama inawezekana akusamehe makusudio maovu uliyo nayo moyoni. 23 Kwa maana ninaona wazi kwamba wewe umejawa na wivu na ni mfungwa wa dhambi. 24 Simoni akajibu, “Niombeeni kwa Bwana, ili hayo mliyosema yasije yakanipata.” 25 Nao wali pokwisha kutoa ushuhuda na kufundisha neno la Bwana, walirudi Yerusalemu; na walipokuwa wakisafiri walihubiri Habari Njema katika vijiji vingi vya Samaria.

Filipo Ambatiza Afisa Wa Ethiopia

26 Malaika wa Bwana alimwambia Filipo, “Nenda upande wa kusini kwenye ile barabara itokayo Yerusalemu kuelekea Gaza.” Hii ilikuwa barabara iendayo jangwani. 27 Filipo akaondoka akaenda. Wakati huo Mwethiopia mmoja, towashi, ambaye alikuwa waziri wa fedha wa Kandake, Malkia wa Ethiopia, alikuwa anarudi nyumbani baada ya kumwabudu Mungu huko Yerusalemu. 28 Alikuwa amekaa kwenye gari la kuvutwa na farasi akielekea makwao, akisoma kitabu cha nabii Isaya. 29 Roho wa Mungu akamwambia Filipo, “Nenda kasimame karibu na lile gari.” 30 Kwa hiyo Filipo aka harakisha kulikaribia, na alipofika karibu akamsikia yule afisa akisoma katika kitabu cha nabii Isaya, akamwuliza, “Je, unaelewa unachosoma?” 31 Yule afisa akamjibu, “Nitaelewaje mtu asipo nielekeza? Akamkaribisha Filipo katika gari, akaketi pamoja naye. 32 Maneno aliyokuwa akisoma ni haya, ‘Alipelekwa kama kon doo anayetolewa kuchinjwa na kama mwana-kondoo anavyotulia anapo katwa manyoya, naye hakusema neno lo lote. 33 Aliaibishwa, aka nyimwa haki yake. Ni nani awezaye kuelezea juu ya kizazi chake? Kwa maana uhai wake umeondolewa duniani.’ 34 Yule towashi akam wuliza Filipo, “Tafadhali niambie, Isaya alikuwa akisema haya juu yake mwenyewe au juu ya mtu mwingine?” 35 Ndipo Filipo akaanza kusema naye, akitumia Maandiko haya akamweleza Habari Njema za Yesu. 36 Walipokuwa wakiendelea na safari wakafika mahali palipokuwa na maji, na yule towashi akamwambia Filipo, “ Tazama, hapa kuna maji! Kuna kitu gani cha kunizuia mimi nisiba tizwe? [ 37 Filipo akamwambia, “Kama unaamini kwa moyo wako wote unaweza kubatizwa.” Akajibu, “Naamini kuwa Yesu Kristo ni Mwana wa Mungu.”] 38 Akaamuru gari lisimamishwe. Wakateremka, yule towashi na Filipo, wakaenda pale kwenye maji. Filipo akamba tiza. 39 Walipotoka katika yale maji, Roho wa Bwana akamchukua Filipo na yule towashi hakumwona tena. Kwa hiyo akaendelea na safari yake akiwa amejawa na furaha. 40 Filipo akajikuta yuko Azoto; akasafiri akihubiri Injili katika miji yote mpaka alipo fika Kaisaria.

And Saul(A) approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered(B) throughout Judea and Samaria.(C) Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul(D) began to destroy the church.(E) Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

Those who had been scattered(F) preached the word wherever they went.(G) Philip(H) went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many,(I) and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.(J) So there was great joy in that city.

Simon the Sorcerer

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery(K) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,(L) 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”(M) 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God(N) and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,(O) both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles(P) he saw.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria(Q) had accepted the word of God,(R) they sent Peter and John(S) to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,(T) 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them;(U) they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(V) 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them,(W) and they received the Holy Spirit.(X)

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!(Y) 21 You have no part or share(Z) in this ministry, because your heart is not right(AA) before God. 22 Repent(AB) of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me(AC) so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord(AD) and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.(AE)

Philip and the Ethiopian

26 Now an angel(AF) of the Lord said to Philip,(AG) “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a](AH) eunuch,(AI) an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,(AJ) 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told(AK) Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
    and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”[b](AL)

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began(AM) with that very passage of Scripture(AN) and told him the good news(AO) about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”(AP) [37] [c] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away,(AQ) and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns(AR) until he reached Caesarea.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 8:27 That is, from the southern Nile region
  2. Acts 8:33 Isaiah 53:7,8 (see Septuagint)
  3. Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts include here Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”