¹Saulo naye alikiona kitendo hicho cha kumwua Stefano kuwa sawa. Siku hiyo kanisa la Yerusalemu lilianza kuteswa vibaya. Waumini wote, isipokuwa tu wale mitume, walilazimika kutawanyika katika sehemu za mashambani za Yudea na Samaria.

¹Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

²Watu wamchao Mungu, walimzika Stefano na kumfanyia maombolezo makubwa.

²Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him.

³Wakati huohuo, Saulo alijaribu kuliangamiza kanisa. Alikwenda katika kila nyumba, akawatoa nje waumini, wanaume kwa wanawake, akawatia gerezani.

³But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison.

⁴Wale waumini waliotawanyika, walikwenda kila mahali wakihubiri ule ujumbe.

⁴Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word.

⁵Naye Filipo aliingia katika mji wa Samaria na kumhubiri Kristo kwa wenyeji wa hapo.

⁵Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ.

⁶Watu walijiunga kusikiliza kwa makini ule ujumbe wa Filipo na kuona ile miujiza aliyoifanya.

⁶The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the signs which he did.

⁷Maana pepo wachafu waliokuwa wamewapagaa watu wengi waliwatoka wakipiga kelele kubwa; na pia watu wengi waliokuwa wamepooza viungo na waliolemaa waliponywa.

⁷For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

⁸Kukawa na furaha kubwa katika mji ule.

⁸There was great joy in that city.

⁹Basi, kulikuwa na mtu mmoja aitwaye Simoni ambaye alikuwa amekwisha fanya uchawi wake katika mji huo kwa muda na kuwashangaza watu wa Samaria, akijiona kuwa yeye ni mtu maarufu.

⁹But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city, and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one,

¹⁰Watu wote, wadogo na wakubwa, walimsikiliza kwa makini wakisema, "Simoni ndiye ile nguvu ya kimungu inayoitwa Nguvu Kubwa."

¹⁰to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is that great power of God.”

¹¹Walivutiwa sana naye kwa vile alikuwa amewashangaza kwa uchawi wake kwa muda mrefu.

¹¹They listened to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.

¹²Lakini walipouamini ujumbe wa Filipo juu ya Habari Njema ya Ufalme wa Mungu na jina la Yesu Kristo, walibatizwa, wanawake na wanaume.

¹²But when they believed Philip preaching good news concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³Hata Simoni aliamini; baada ya kubatizwa ilikuwa akiandamana na Filipo, akastaajabia maajabu na miujiza iliyokuwa inafanyika.

¹³Simon himself also believed. Being baptized, he continued with Philip. Seeing signs and great miracles occurring, he was amazed.

¹⁴Wale mitume waliokuwa kule Yerusalemu walipopata habari kwamba wenyeji wa Samaria nao wamelipokea neno la Mungu, waliwatuma kwao Petro na Yohane.

¹⁴Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

¹⁵Walipofika waliwaombea hao waumini ili wampokee Roho Mtakatifu;

¹⁵who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit;

¹⁶maana wakati huo Roho Mtakatifu hakuwa ameshukia yeyote kati yao; walikuwa wamebatizwa tu kwa jina la Bwana Yesu.

¹⁶for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of Christ Jesus.

¹⁷Basi, Petro na Yohane wakawawekea mikono hao waumini, nao wakampokea Roho Mtakatifu.

¹⁷Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸Hapo Simoni aling'amua kwamba kwa kuwekewa mikono ya mitume waumini walipewa Roho Mtakatifu. Hivyo aliwapa Petro na Yohane fedha akisema,

¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

¹⁹"Nipeni na mimi uwezo huo ili yeyote nitakayemwekea mikono, apokee Roho Mtakatifu."

¹⁹saying, “Give me also this power, that whomever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰Lakini Petro akamjibu, "Potelea mbali na fedha zako kwa vile unafikiri kwamba unaweza kununua karama ya Mungu kwa fedha!

²⁰But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

²¹Huna sehemu yoyote wala haki katika kazi hiyo kwa maana moyo wako hauko sawa mbele ya macho ya Mungu.

²¹You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn’t right before God.

²²Kwa hiyo, tubu ubaya wako huu na umwombe Bwana naye anaweza kukusamehe fikira kama hizo.

²²Repent therefore of this, your wickedness, and ask God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

²³Ni dhahiri kwangu kwamba umejaa wivu mkali na mfungwa wa dhambi!"

²³For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”

²⁴Simoni akajibu, "Tafadhali, niombeeni kwa Bwana lisije likanipata lolote kati ya hayo mliyosema."

²⁴Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you have spoken happen to me.”

²⁵Baada ya Petro na Yohane kutoa ushuhuda wao na kuutangaza ujumbe wa Bwana, walirudi Yerusalemu. Walipokuwa wanarudi walihubiri Habari Njema katika vijiji vingi vya Samaria.

²⁵They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the Good News to many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶Malaika wa Bwana alimwambia Filipo, "Jitayarishe uende kusini kupitia njia inayotoka Yerusalemu kwenda Gaza." (Njia hiyo hupita jangwani.)

²⁶But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert.”

²⁷Basi, Filipo akajiweka tayari, akaanza safari. Wakati huohuo kulikuwa na Mwethiopia mmoja, towashi, ambaye alikuwa anasafiri kuelekea nyumbani. Huyo mtu alikuwa ofisa maarufu wa hazina ya Kandake, malkia wa Ethiopia. Alikuwa amekwenda huko Yerusalemu kuabudu na wakati huo alikuwa anarudi akiwa amepanda gari la kukokotwa.

²⁷He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.

²⁸Alipokuwa anasafiri, alikuwa akijisomea kitabu cha nabii Isaya.

²⁸He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹Basi, Roho Mtakatifu akamwambia Filipo, "Nenda karibu na gari hilo ukafuatane nalo."

²⁹The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.”

³⁰Filipo akakimbilia karibu na gari, akamsikia huyo mtu akisoma katika kitabu cha nabii Isaya. Hapo Filipo akamwuliza, "Je, unaelewa hayo unayosoma?"

³⁰Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

³¹Huyo mtu akamjibu, "Ninawezaje kuelewa bila mtu kunielewesha?" Hapo akamwalika Filipo apande juu, aketi pamoja naye.

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

³²Basi, sehemu ya Maandiko Matakatifu aliyokuwa anasoma ilikuwa hii: "Alikuwa kama kondoo anayepelekwa kuchinjwa; kimya kama vile mwana kondoo anaponyolewa manyoya, yeye naye hakutoa sauti hata kidogo.

³²Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth.

³³Alifedheheshwa na kunyimwa haki. Hakuna atakayeweza kuongea juu ya kizazi chake, kwa maana maisha yake yameondolewa duniani."

³³In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.” Isaiah 53:7,8

³⁴Huyo Mwethiopia akamwambia Filipo, "Niambie, huyu nabii anasema juu ya nani? Anasema mambo haya juu yake yeye mwenyewe au juu ya mtu mwingine?"

³⁴The eunuch answered Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?”

³⁵Basi, Filipo akianzia na sehemu hiyo ya Maandiko Matakatifu, akamweleza Habari Njema juu ya Yesu.

³⁵Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him Jesus.

³⁶Walipokuwa bado wanaendelea na safari walifika mahali penye maji na huyo ofisa akasema, "Mahali hapa pana maji; je, kuna chochote cha kunizuia nisibatizwe?"

³⁶As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?”

³⁷Filipo akasema, "Kama unaamini kwa moyo wako wote unaweza kubatizwa." Naye akajibu, "Naam, ninaamini kwamba Yesu Kristo ni Mwana wa Mungu."

³⁷ TR adds “Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ He answered, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’”

³⁸Basi, huyo ofisa akaamuru lile gari lisimame; na wote wawili, Filipo na huyo ofisa wakashuka majini, naye Filipo akambatiza.

³⁸He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

³⁹Walipotoka majini Roho wa Bwana akamfanya Filipo atoweke. Na huyo Mwethiopia hakumwona tena; lakini akaendelea na safari yake akiwa amejaa furaha.

³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰Filipo akajikuta yuko Azoto, akapita katika miji yote akihubiri Habari Njema mpaka alipofika Kaisarea.

⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.