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.
1 Bet Saulam viņa nāve bija ļoti pa prātam. Tanī dienā izcēlās lielas vajāšanas, kas vērsās pret draudzi Jeruzālemē; un visi izklīda pa Jūdejas un Samarijas novadiem, izņemot apustuļus. 2 Dievbijīgi vīri Stefanu apglabāja un viņu gauži apraudāja. 3 Bet Sauls postīja draudzi, gāja pa namiem, tverdams vīrus un sievas, un nodeva tos cietumā. 4 Bet izklīdinātie staigāja apkārt, sludinādami evaņģēliju. 5 Filips, aizgājis kādā Samarijas pilsētā, sludināja tiem Kristu. 6 Ļaudis pulkiem uzmanīgi un vienprātīgi uzklausīja Filipa vārdus un skatīja zīmes, ko viņš darīja. 7 Jo no daudziem, kam bija nešķīsti gari, tie izgāja, stiprā balsī brēkdami; un daudz paralītiķu un tizlu tika dziedināti; 8 un liela līksmība valdīja tanī pilsētā. 9 Kāds vīrs, vārdā Sīmanis, šinī pilsētā līdz tam bija nodarbojies ar buršanu un uztraucis Samarijas ļaudis, sacīdams, ka esot liels vīrs. 10 Viņam pieķērās visi, mazi un lieli, sacīdami: "Šis ir tā sauktais lielais Dieva spēks." 11 Bet tie tāpēc viņam pieķērās, ka viņš jau ilgu laiku tos ar burvestībām bija apstulbinājis. 12 Kad tie ticēja Filipam, kas tiem sludināja evaņģēliju par Dieva valstību un Jēzus Kristus Vārdu, tie likās kristīties, vīri un sievas. 13 Sīmanis pats arī kļuva ticīgs un kristīts pastāvīgi turējās pie Filipa, un, redzēdams zīmes un lielus brīnumus notiekam, viņš izbijās. 14 Bet apustuļi, Jeruzālemē dzirdējuši, ka Samarija pieņēmusi Dieva vārdu, sūtīja pie tiem Pēteri un Jāni, 15 kas, tur nonākuši, lūdza par viņiem Dievu, lai tie saņemtu Svēto Garu, 16 jo tas vēl ne pār vienu no viņiem nebija nācis, bet viņi bija tikai kristīti Kunga Jēzus Vārdā. 17 Tad viņi uzlika tiem rokas, un tie dabūja Svēto Garu. 18 Bet Sīmanis, redzēdams, ka, apustuļiem rokas uzliekot, dabū Svēto Garu, tiem piedāvāja naudu, 19 sacīdams: "Dodiet man šo spēku, ka tas, kam es rokas uzlieku, dabū Svēto Garu." 20 Bet Pēteris tam sacīja: "Kaut tu pazustu ar savu sudrabu, tāpēc ka tu domā Dieva dāvanu iegūt par naudu. 21 Tev nav nekādas daļas gar šo vārdu, jo tava sirds nav taisna Dieva priekšā. 22 Tāpēc atgriezies no šī ļaunuma un lūdz To Kungu, vai šī tavas sirds iedoma tev nevarētu tikt piedota, 23 jo es tevi redzu rūgtas žults pilnu un netaisnības saistītu." 24 Bet Sīmanis atbildēdams sacīja: "Lūdziet jūs par mani To Kungu, lai pār mani nenāk nekas no tā, ko jūs esat runājuši." 25 Tad, Tā Kunga vārdu apliecinājuši un runājuši, tie griezās atpakaļ uz Jeruzālemi, sludinādami evaņģēliju daudzos Samarijas miestos. 26 Tā Kunga eņģelis sacīja Filipam: "Celies un ej uz dienvidus pusi pa ceļu, kas no Jeruzālemes ved uz Gazu; tas ir tuksneša ceļš." 27 Un cēlies viņš gāja. Un, lūk, kāds etiopietis, etiopu ķēniņienes Kandakes dižciltīgs galminieks, kas pārzināja visas viņas mantnīcas, bija nācis uz Jeruzālemi Dievu pielūgt. 28 Un ceļā uz mājām viņš sēdēja savos ratos un lasīja pravieti Jesaju. 29 Gars Filipam sacīja: "Ej klāt un turies līdztekus šiem ratiem." 30 Un piesteidzies Filips dzirdēja viņu lasām pravieti Jesaju un sacīja: "Vai tu arī saproti, ko tu lasi?" 31 Bet viņš atbildēja: "Kā gan to varētu, kad neviens mani nepamāca?" Un viņš lūdza Filipu iekāpt un sēsties viņam līdzās. 32 Rakstu nodaļa, ko viņš lasīja, bija šī: "Viņš ir kā avs, ko ved uz kaušanu, un, kā jērs apklusis cirpēja priekšā, Viņš neatver Savu muti. 33 Viņa pazemošanās dēļ sods Viņam atlaists: kas izskaidros Viņa cilti? Jo Viņa dzīvība ir no zemes paņemta projām." 34 Galminieks Filipam jautāja: "Es tevi lūdzu, par ko pravietis to saka? Par sevi pašu vai par kādu citu?" 35 Filips, ar šo vietu iesākdams, viņam pasludināja evaņģēliju par Jēzu. 36 Pa ceļu braukdami, viņi nonāca pie kāda ūdens, un galminieks sacīja: "Lūk, ūdens! Kas mani kavē kristīties?" 37 Bet Filips sacīja: "Ja tu no visas sirds tici, tad to var." Un viņš atbildēja: "Es ticu, ka Jēzus Kristus ir Dieva Dēls." 38 Viņš pavēlēja apturēt ratus, un viņi abi, Filips un galminieks, nokāpa ūdenī, un viņš to kristīja. 39 Kad tie no ūdens bija izkāpuši, Tā Kunga Gars Filipu aizrāva, un galminieks viņu vairs neredzēja; viņš līksms ceļoja tālāk. 40 Bet Filips bija nokļuvis Azdotā un, visas pilsētas pārstaigādams, viņš tur sludināja evaņģēliju, līdz kamēr nonāca Cezarejā.
