1And Saul had agreed with the Sanhedrin that Stephen should die.
The Church Is Treated Badly and Scattered
On that day the church in Jerusalem began to be attacked and treated badly. All except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2Godly Jews buried Stephen. They mourned deeply for him. 3But Saul began to destroy the church. He went from house to house. He dragged away men and women and put them in prison.
Philip Goes to Samaria
4The believers who had been scattered preached the word everywhere they went. 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria. There he preached about the Messiah. 6The crowds listened to Philip and saw the signs he did. All of them paid close attention to what he said. 7Evil spirits screamed and came out of many people. Many people who were disabled or who couldn’t walk were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Evil Magician
9A man named Simon lived in the city. For quite a while he had practiced evil magic there. He amazed all the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great. 10And all the people listened to him, from the least important of them to the most important. They exclaimed, “It is right to call this man the Great Power of God!” 11He had amazed them for a long time with his evil magic. So they followed him. 12But Philip announced the good news of God’s kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ. So men and women believed and were baptized. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip everywhere. He was amazed by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14The apostles in Jerusalem heard that people in Samaria had accepted God’s word. So they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15When they arrived there, they prayed for the new believers. They prayed that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 16The Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them. And they received the Holy Spirit.
18Simon watched as the apostles placed their hands on them. He saw that the Spirit was given to them. So he offered money to Peter and John. 19He said, “Give me this power too. Then everyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter answered, “May your money be destroyed with you! Do you think you can buy God’s gift with money? 21You have no part or share in this holy work. Your heart is not right with God. 22Turn away from this evil sin of yours. Pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23I see that you are very bitter. You are a prisoner of sin.”
24Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me. Pray that nothing you have said will happen to me.”
25Peter and John continued to preach the word of the Lord and tell people about Jesus. Then they returned to Jerusalem. On the way they preached the good news in many villages in Samaria.
Philip and the Man From Ethiopia
26An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. “Go south to the desert road,” he said. “It’s the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27So Philip started out. On his way he met an Ethiopian official. The man had an important position in charge of all the wealth of the Kandake. Kandake means queen of Ethiopia. This official had gone to Jerusalem to worship. 28On his way home he was sitting in his chariot. He was reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29The Holy Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot. Stay near it.”
30So Philip ran up to the chariot. He heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you’re reading?” Philip asked.
31“How can I?” he said. “I need someone to explain it to me.” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32Here is the part of Scripture the official was reading. It says,
“He was led like a sheep to be killed.
Just as lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off,
he did not open his mouth.
33When he was treated badly, he was refused a fair trial.
Who can say anything about his children?
His life was cut off from the earth.” (Isaiah 53:7,8)
34The official said to Philip, “Tell me, please. Who is the prophet talking about? Himself, or someone else?” 35Then Philip began with that same part of Scripture. He told him the good news about Jesus.
36-37As they traveled along the road, they came to some water. The official said, “Look! Here is water! What can stop me from being baptized?” 38He gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the official went down into the water. Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. The official did not see him again. He went on his way full of joy. 40Philip was seen next at Azotus. From there he traveled all around. He preached the good news in all the towns. Finally he arrived in Caesarea.
Wɔtaa Agyidifoɔ No
1Saulo 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. 2Nyamesurofoɔ bi kɔfaa Stefano kɔsiee no. Wɔsuu no yie. 3Esiane sɛ na Saulo pɛ sɛ ɔgu asafo no enti, ɔkɔɔ afie mu kɔkyekyeree agyidifoɔ mmarima ne mmaa de wɔn guu afiase.
Filipo Ka Asɛmpa No Wɔ Samaria
4Agyidifoɔ a na wɔabɔ ahwete no kaa asɛmpa no wɔ baabiara a wɔkɔeɛ. 5Filipo kɔɔ Samaria kuro bi mu kɔkaa Agyenkwa no ho asɛm kyerɛɛ nnipa a na wɔwɔ hɔ no. 6Ɛberɛ a nnipakuo no tee asɛm a Filipo reka na wɔhunuu anwanwadeɛ a ɔyɛeɛ no, wɔn nyinaa tiee no. 7Ahonhommɔne de nteateam firii nnipa bebree mu. Saa ara nso na mmubuafoɔ ne mpakye nso sɔre nanteeɛ. 8Yei enti, anigyeɛ baa Samaria.
Simon Nkonyaayifoɔ No
9Na 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. 10Yei 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.” 11Esiane ne nkonyaa a na ɔyi no enti, ɛmaa nnipa no nyinaa tu dii nʼakyi. 12Ɛberɛ 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. 13Simon nso gye diiɛ maa wɔbɔɔ no asu. Baabiara a Filipo kɔeɛ no, Simon dii nʼakyi. Anwanwadeɛ a ɔhunuiɛ no ma ne ho dwirii no.
14Ɛberɛ a asomafoɔ a wɔwɔ Yerusalem no tee sɛ Samariafoɔ agye Onyankopɔn asɛm no adi no, wɔsomaa Petro ne Yohane kɔɔ wɔn nkyɛn. 15Wɔduruu hɔ no, wɔbɔɔ mpaeɛ maa agyidifoɔ no sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, Honhom Kronkron bɛba wɔn so, 16ɛfiri sɛ, saa ɛberɛ no na asu kɛkɛ na wɔnam Awurade Yesu din so abɔ. Na Honhom Kronkron nnya mmaa wɔn so. 17Afei, Petro ne Yohane de wɔn nsa guguu wɔn so maa Honhom Kronkron baa wɔn so.
18Simon hunuu sɛ asomafoɔ no nsa a wɔde guguu wɔn so no na ɛmaa wɔnyaa Honhom Kronkron no, ɔmaa Petro ne Yohane sika srɛɛ sɛ, 19“Momma me saa tumi yi bi na obiara a mede me nsa bɛgu no so no anya Honhom Kronkron no bi.”
20Petro ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Nnome nka wo ne wo sika nyinaa, ɛfiri sɛ, wosusu sɛ wobɛtumi de sika atɔ Onyankopɔn akyɛdeɛ no. 21Wonni kyɛfa biara wɔ yɛn dwumadie yi mu, ɛfiri sɛ, wʼakoma mu nte wɔ Onyankopɔn anim. 22Nu wo ho firi wo bɔne yi ho na bɔ mpaeɛ srɛ Onyankopɔn sɛ ɔmfa wo bɔne nkyɛ wo. 23Mehunu sɛ anibereɛ bɔne ahyɛ wʼakoma mu ama bɔne afa wo dommum.”
24Simon srɛɛ Petro ne Yohane sɛ, “Mommɔ mpaeɛ mma me na saa nnome yi mu biara amma me so.”
25Ansa na Petro ne Yohane reduru Yerusalem no, wɔkaa asɛmpa no wɔ Samaria nkuraa bebree ase.
Filipo Ne Etiopiani No
26Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ ka kyerɛɛ Filipo sɛ, “Sɔre siesie wo ho kɔ anafoɔ ɛkwan a ɛfiri Yerusalem kɔ Gasa no so.” 27Ɛberɛ a Filipo rekɔ no, ɔhyiaa Etiopiani bi a ɔyɛ Etiopiahemmaa Kandake dabeni8.27 Dabeni: Obi a ɔhwɛ ɔhene anaa ɔhemmaa daberɛ ne nʼahodeɛ so. Na saa onipa yi akɔ asɔre wɔ Yerusalem a ɔte ne teaseɛnam mu resane nʼakyi akɔ efie. 28Na ɔrekenkan Odiyifoɔ Yesaia nwoma no. 29Honhom Kronkron ka kyerɛɛ Filipo sɛ, “Twe bɛn no.”
30Filipo yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ teaseɛnam no ho na ɔtee sɛ ɔrekenkan Odiyifoɔ Yesaia nwoma no no, ɔbisaa sɛ, “Wote deɛ worekenkan yi ase anaa?”
31Dabeni 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.
32Na 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.
33Nʼanimguaseɛ mu, wannya odimafoɔ.
Na hwan na ɔbɛka nʼasefoɔ ho asɛm?
Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔyii no firii asase yi so.”
34Dabeni no bisaa Filipo sɛ, “Odiyifoɔ no reka ne ho asɛm anaa obi foforɔ ho asɛm?” 35Filipo nam saa asɛm no so kaa nsɛmpa a ɛfa Yesu ho kyerɛɛ no.
36Wɔrekɔ no, wɔduruu asuo bi ho. Dabeni no ka kyerɛɛ Filipo sɛ, “Nsuo nie. Ɛdeɛn na ɛsi wo kwan sɛ wobɔ me asu?” 37Filipo 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.” 38Dabeni no hyɛ maa teaseɛnam no gyinaeɛ. Ɔne Filipo kɔɔ nsuo no ho maa ɔbɔɔ no asu. 39Wɔfiri nsuo no mu no, Onyankopɔn Honhom hwim Filipo firii dabeni no nkyɛn kɔeɛ. Wanhunu Filipo bio de, nanso ɔde anigyeɛ toaa nʼakwantuo no so. 40Filipo kɔpuee Asoto kɔɔ so kaa asɛmpa no wɔ nkuro no mu kɔsii sɛ ɔkɔduruu Kaesarea.
